Buddy Rush: Raid Mode, Farjegnon

A section on the changes in Update 1.3 has been added further below.
Update 26 July 2011: Note that this article is less likely to be updated now that I have completed all sets associated with Farjegnon.

Update 20 December 2012:
The mini-wave update 1.7.2 on 30 October reduced Farjegnon's HP to 0.6M and made the raid available to characters of level 50. The old existing Farjegnon's set has been renamed with an 'Antique' prefix.
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Farjegnon's Raid Mode is at an advanced level and should not be attempted as the first raid. It is recommended that players practice with Genzir first. Not that many players have the option - Farjegnon has a minimum level requirement of 70.

There is an additional gameplay element with Farjegnon that requires additional control and management. However, I find Farjegnon easier compared to YA 86.

1.75 Million HP is not a lot.

The raid takes place in an arena with the Bootomb theme. The arena is a little different from the previous raids. First, the gem-dispensing hole at the entrance to the arena is missing.

That is it.

The rest of the arena is the same - the pillars, the other three holes in the ground, even the texture of the ground.

I am the sun in the middle!

Farjegnon's special attacks is a Powerslam (I call it that, don't know the official name) where he slams his sword into the ground for an attack in a small area. His second special is a Shockwave (similar to Worrier's skill, so I'll use that name) that he fires from the helmet in his left hand.

Update 28 May 2011:
My character was inflicted with Bleed after being hit by Shockwave. I think Farjegnon's version of the skill has a chance to inflict Bleed.

His third attack is a Firestorm (my name). Farjegnon will first thrust his head up, then brandish the sword - a very long animation to give warning, and to allow interrupts. Finally, he will thrust the sword into the ground and cover the whole (or at least most of the) arena with fire. Firestorm usually does enough damage to eventually kill just about any character.

I am not sure if tanks will survive since I am usually too busy saving myself to find out.

Surviving the burning weather.

The Firestorm can be interrupted until Farjegnon gives up trying or is distracted by a pillar. However, if interrupted after the area is blanketed with fire, Farjegnon may repeat the skill and do the Firestorm again.

The other counter to Firestorm is the shield, like that in the screenshot above.

Bright, bright lights.

The shield is given by the glowing yellow potion (under Farjegnon's head in the screenshot above). However, the shield only lasts a brief moment, so the potion should be picked up only when the shield is required. The potion does not disappear until the end of the raid, so it is safe to leave it on the ground.

The glowing yellow potion is dropped by spherical balloons that appear once in a while to wander around the arena. Whenever a balloon appears, there will be a launch sound effect. At that audio cue, the balloon always appears at the same spot and follows the same path.

A last defense against Firestorm would be to use consumables. It is likely that two healing items of different types be required to survive the full effect of Firestorm.

Oh, and that plucky little dog Wolfgang appears to be immune to Firestorm. Lucky pooch!

Other than that, Farjegnon stuns with his regular attacks. And he is immune to stun. (Hands up, those who thought he/she could stop the Firestorm with a stun.)

Stun only interrupts Farjegnon - he will repeat from the start the special skill he was trying to use. However, while he is preparing the Firestorm, he is totally immune to stun (no interrupts). (Hands up, those who thought he/she could use stun to interrupt Farjegnon until he gives up.)

Farjegnon is, however, vulnerable to regular interrupts (e.g. Nagne's Leaf Slash, Vivich's Lotus Slap, Wolfgan's bite).

Update 28 May 2011:
I just got hit by three Firestorms in a row. I discovered that Firestorm does not kill. It stops doing damage once a very low minimum HP is reached. I am sure you can use this information to devise a proper response to Farjegnon's ultimate technique.

Unlike the previous two raids, the extras in this raid that bring in the potions and loot are not as inconsequential. Reaper Oblins or Reaplins or whatever-they-are-called can stun. This could be pretty bad if the player is stunned while trying to reach for a glowing yellow potion.

I suggest playing a damage-dealer who can go after balloons and potions. A support character may not be as good if he/she has low Att.

Wizz is a good buddy to have as his skills will likely blow a balloon by accident. He also throws damage all over the place to take care of those pesky stunning Reaplins.

When attacking yellow balloons with a melee character as the main, attack from the back. Otherwise, the character may accidentally pick up the potion when the balloon breaks.

It may or may not be wise to bring lots of buddies with interrupt. While more will increase the chance of interrupting Farjegnon's special attacks, it will also increase the chance of interrupting Farjegnon just after he has fired the Firestorm, making him unleash the skill again. With the long preparation time of the Firestorm, the shield from the glowing yellow potion may not last long enough to protect the buddies from the second wave of fire.

Update 1.3
Update 23 June 2011:
The effects of the pillars and the drops of the extras have been changed, as reported in the article on Genzir's Raid. Not sure if this is different from the previous update: Two of the holes where the gems spawn, the ones on either side of the arena have been moved down, a little in the direction of the entrance. The 'Wake up!! Buddy!' gem is still available, though it rarely appears, usually when the player does not need it.

Farjegnon is now vulnerable to Stun, though for a reduced duration. He is still immune to Stun while attempting to unleash a Firestorm. 

Farjegnon's Firestorm now can KO a buddy. There goes the cheap trick everyone uses to escape his ultimate attack. Bring healing consumables of different types in case a glowing yellow potion is not available.
(What do you mean 'What cheap trick?'?)

Update 4 July 2011:
Farjegnon now gives up more easily if his Firestorm is interrupted. That means that a player is much less likely, if not never, to suffer three Firestorms back to back. Two Firestorms may still happen, though. If the glowing yellow potion is picked up just before the first Firestorm hits, the shield should last long enough to cover the second Firestorm. 

I have not experimented much with this but it may be possible to survive one Firestorm sheltered in Vivich's Sanctuary. However, the glowing yellow potion is a much more reliable defense.

Update 20 July 2011: Vivich or Healury?
Both will restore the party's HP and reduce potion use. Vivich has two skills that heal. Though Healury has only one healing skill, she can cast a defensive shield on the party that works as additional HP. Also, Healury's aura increases Max HP.

Vivich's Lotus Slap interrupts and may cause Farjegnon to repeat his Firestorm, or delay it. Depending on the player, this may mess up the timing to grab the glowing yellow potion. On the other hand, one of Healury's skills has the same sound effect as the appearance of the balloon so that may cause some confusion.

Update 26 July 2011
I noticed that Farjegnon uses Firestorm more frequently with certain team setups than with others. Sometimes, he even attempts a Firestorm even when the balloon has not appeared yet. There were a few times when I had to delay the Firestorm with an interrupt to buy enough time for the balloon to appear, to beat up the balloon and to pick up the glowing yellow potion.

So I had the theory that Farjegnon uses the Firestorm based on the amount of damage he sustained from the last Firestorm attempt. I started counting the damage done to Farjegnon. I got numbers between 50k and 80k, more frequently at 60k damage - it is possible that the number is random.

However, before I could come to any conclusion for my observations, the game decides to bribe me with the complete Farjegnon's set.

I'm beginning to see a pattern here. Anytime I come close to proving some interesting theory, the game gives me items in an attempt to stop me. :p
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And of course, the reason why anyone would brave Firestorms: the loot.

Argh!! Why!? WHY!?

Some of the loot I have received (the number after is the number of tries):

Sword of Guardian (purple!) - 8, 7 (I've completed 2 Guardian Sets!)
Armor of Black Knight (blue) - 6
Sword of Master (red) - 6
Eagle Eye's Badge (red) - 6
Sleep Shade (red) - 8
Scent Bag of Nirvana (red) - 7
Eagle-Eye's Badge (red) - 7, 6
Luxury Wig (red) - 6
Laserscope (red) - 6 (I can't believe I'm actually happy to see this.)
Prove of Endurance (purple!) - 6
Farjegnon's Helm (purple!) - 5
Monkey (blue) - 5
Farjegnon's Cloak (purple!) - 6
(Updated 17 June 2011)

The following is the loot I received after Update 1.3:
Laserscope (red) - 9, 7, 6
Prove of Endurance (purple!) - 8, 6
King Scorpion's Poisoned Needle (red) - 8
Laserscope (blue) - 6
Kung-Fu Scroll of Liu (red) - 6
Sleep Shade (blue) - 6
Rob of Wizz the Great (blue) - 7
Scent Bag of Nirvana (red) - 6
Eagle-Eye's Badge (red) - 6, 6
Kung-Fu Scroll of Liu (blue) - 6, 6
Farjegnon's Sword (purple!) - 6, 7
Ancestor's heritage (blue) - 6
Monkey (blue) - 6
Luxury Wig (blue) - 7
Sleep Shade (red) - 6
Farjegnon's Armor (purple!) - 6 (Completed the Farjegnon's set on 26 July 2011 a few hours before Update 1.3.3, after 37 tries!)
(Updated 26 July 2011)

The following is the loot I have received after the Daily Quest mini-wave of the Eighth Wave:
Leopard Boots (blue) - 1
Leopard Boots (blue) - 1
Ancient Coin (blue) - 1
Farjegnon's Helm (purple!) - 1
Mysterious Stone (blue) - 1
Ancient Coin (blue) - 1
Ancient Coin (blue) - 1 (Farjegnon must have been pretty rich in the old days!)
Mysterious Stone (blue) - 1
Leopard Shirt (blue) - 1
(Updated 21 January 2013)

The following is the loot I have received after the Ninth Wave:
Farjegnon's Helm (purple!) - 1
(Updated 16 February 2013)

The following is the loot I have received after the Challenge Mode mini-wave of the Ninth Wave:
Leopard Shirt (red) - 1
Ancient Coin (red) - 1
Leopard Shirt (blue) - 1
Farjegnon's Sword (purple!) - 1
(Updated 21 April 2013)

Buddy Rush: Contents

My opening is more awesome than the previous raid bosses'!!

Buddy Rush: Betty Jr's Skills (Update 1.2)

(This article is obsolete. An updated version for Update 1.3 can be found here.)

Betty Jr is a balance of offense and defense and is easily customizable to be focused in either. It has direct-damage skills and it is durable enough to take hits. The direct-damage skills are the same as those of Betty, the hidden boss of Chapter 4. However, Betty Jr's execution of the skills is much faster. With Update 1.2, the execution time of its skills have been reduced even more, making its skills easier to use.

By the way, I am calling Betty Jr an 'it'. In the introduction in the character creation screen, Betty Jr was referred to as a 'he'. But 'Betty' is a girl's name and the same introduction says that Betty Jr has a crush on Wolfgan. And according to Botherella's Summon skill, Wolfgang loves Botherella. And Botherella is definitely a 'she'. So, not wanting to go into certain assumptions that I would rather not make, I am simply referring to Betty Jr as an 'it'. Although if Wolfgan and Wolfgang refer to different entities, it would explain a lot.

Superhard Stonehead

With Superhard Stonehead, Betty Jr flies into the air, then comes down hard, causing a shockwave that deals damage to surrounding Oblins. With Update 1.2, the animation has been sped up. However, there is still a small amount of time before the animation gets to the damage-dealing part. Damage will not be done if Betty Jr is stunned before that.

The skill does damage twice, with a significant radius. Even if Betty Jr is stunned during the first damage-dealing, the second one will still happen.

This skill good when there are a number of Oblins on the screen. The skill's large attack radius easily hits many targets. There is a small chance that Oblins with the stun ability will stop the skill from executing. Also, Betty Jr has to move into the middle of a group of Oblins to use this skill more effectively. This will draw the Oblins' attacks, although Betty Jr's durability reduces the risk.

Nobody can stop me

The description of this skill is still very short with Update 1.2. In fact, the number that describe the skill power bonus is missing at level 15.

When this skill is activated, Betty Jr will charge forward almost immediately, dealing damage to all Oblins in the way and stunning them. Because the starting delay is very small and because this skill does not require Betty Jr to be in the middle of a group of Oblins, the chances of this skill getting interrupted by a stun is very small. Betty Jr may still be stunned during a charge, though.

And this skill potentially puts Betty Jr in the middle of a group of Oblins. Stunned Oblins. With low HP. While Betty Jr has lots of HP and does not want to share.

This skill is good at the start of battle against melee Oblins. They'll come charging into the path of this skill. Because of the quick execution time and the fact that the targets will be stunned, Oblins with stun are less of a problem.

However, this skill is bad against ranged Oblins who may not be standing in a nice little line. Even if they are, the player has to aim Betty Jr properly to hit all the Oblins in the line.

'Nobody can stop me' is not as easy to use as 'Superhard Stonehead' as the former is best used untargeted. Some practice is necessary to learn the contact area of the skill and to aim.

To target an Oblin simply click on it. To use this (or any) skill untargeted, click on the ground and drag in the direction you wish to attack. Then, as Betty Jr moves in that direction, activate the skill. Betty Jr will attack in that direction and will not alter its aim.

Also, care should be taken if the party has range buddies that have low defense (especially a Wizz with the List of Death equipped). If Betty Jr charges too far from the buddies with 'Nobody can stop me', the buddies will run after Betty Jr - out of safety and potentially into danger.

Burping Fire

'Burping Fire' has a much smaller area of effect compared to Betty's version of the skill. However, there is a much shorter delay before fire comes out. It is easy to use, especially against an immobile boss or in the faces of charging Oblins.

If this skill is used targeted, Betty Jr will adjust its aim if the target moves. Also, Betty Jr is immobile while it is burping fire, unable to step out of the way of Oblin attacks.

Bone of dinosaur

'Bone of dinosaur' is what makes Betty Jr durable. Although Betty Jr's base HP is lower than that of Worrier's, with this skill, Betty Jr may easily have the higher total HP. Worth investing into if Betty Jr is going to charge recklessly into battle. Also, the skill increases the HP bonus gained from equips.

I have not noticed anything regarding the 'faster HP regen' in the description. I usually have Betty Jr with high HP Regen anyway, just in case there is a bonus.

Update 1.2 does not have absolute numbers for the skills in the description. The previous version of this article has numbers from the previous update, but it is uncertain if the numbers have been changed with Update 1.2.

The previous version: Buddy Rush: Betty Jr's Skills

Buddy Rush: Contents

Army Attack Review

Army Attack on Facebook, by Digital Chocolate is a turn-based strategy game with elements from Facebook's city-building games. Their previous game Zombie Lane left me with a good impression of their games, so I have hopes for Army Attack.

No, I didn't review Zombie Lane. Was too lazy. Basically, it is a standard Facebook farming game with zombie-hunting thrown in. And less dependence on neighbors. There, game reviewed.

Army Attack is down for maintenance for 30 minutes, which is why I am here writing this review... Oh look, the game is back online... 'scuse me while I go spend a few Energy.

The grass is greener on our side!

Sorry for the little Photoshopped censoring in the screenshot, but names need to be hidden from 'certain people'. The screenshot is taken from fullscreen mode. With fullscreen mode, the game does look and feel like a traditional turn-based strategy game.

Army Attack plays like the usual turn-based strategy game. The player produces units and sends them to beat up the opposition. Each unit occupies a square. Each unit can move a specific number of squares and has range and stats. The usual turn-based strategy stuff.

The difference is that Energy is expended to play a turn. After the player makes a move, the AI makes its move. Sort of like chess. You do know what chess is, don't you? (Wikipedia to the rescue!)

Like the usual Facebook-games, energy replenishes after time. There are items that give Energy and the resource can sometimes be found while doing a turn.

Coordinated Attack!

Battles would take forever if attacks cannot be coordinated. As it is, when the player clicks to attack an enemy, all of his/her units that are in range will attack. Thus, the player can surround an enemy unit to do more damage.

Of course the enemy can do the same. And if the target survives, it will then counterattack.

Production.

As with the usual Facebook city-building game, the player can produce/sell goods through transactions that take real time to complete.

Collections.

Another usual Facebook city-building gameplay element is the collections, where the player gathers items to complete collections. The player may trade items with friends to help them complete their collections too.

Of course, friends is a part of Facebook games. In addition to sharing and gifting items, the player can lend some help on his/her friends' battlefields by throwing over some artillery support, healing their troops or speeding up production.

And another staple of Facebook games: there is that annoying window that appears splat on the screen whenever the player is out of energy to tell him/her so.

If you are interested in a traditional turn-based game, there are other games that do not require friends or waiting. However, if you would like a turn-based game to play with friends, something casual and not too punishing, then may I recommend Army Attack. The action may be slower, but hey, your friends need time to catch up!

Buddy Rush: Skully on the Job

I took Skully out on the mission 'Prove your friendship 2' (Chapter 2, Mission 5). In this mission, the player has to gather tissues by beating up Mumblins. After that, the player has to return to the starting point to deliver the tissues.

Shooting for Tissues

I noticed that this mission has been improved in Update 1.2. First, as in the screenshot, the tissues are placed nicely above ground. Previously, the tissues would be buried in the sand.

Another thing I noticed is that after enough tissues have been gathered, Skully walks faster, which is convenient. In the previous version, the main character has to walk all the way back to deliver the tissues with the same default speed.

I wonder if there are any other missions that have been improved. The mission above is the first that I have noticed with a change.

In other news, the article on Skully's skills is going to be a while. Thus far, with the extra exp awarded for the first four chapters, Skully has been leveling quick. This means that Skully will be of a higher level with higher stats than that originally intended for the early chapters. Because of that, Oblins die too quickly for me to try and observe the effects of Skully's skills.

It does help make leveling Skully less stressful, though.

Buddy Rush: Contents

Buddy Rush: Set Items

I was looking through my friend's characters and I came across this:

Set Item!

The green writing at the bottom may be a little hard to read for people with red-green blindness. It says, "SetEffect: Evade +5%, Att+32, HitSpeed+2%". My friend had all four of Genzir's items equipped.

I wonder what the other sets do. And I wonder if the purple Guardian items are also a set.

Update 23 May 2011:
I just completed my own set with the following:

Guardian Set!

There are four items in the Guardian set. Two are with Genzir, one with YA 86 and the last is with Farjegnon.

Have fun completing your collections! :p

Update 1 January 2011:
Just a little warning that if you delete the last of a Raid purple item, it disappears from the Raid Boss' screen too.

Deleting a Raid item removes it from the Raid Boss loot!

Buddy Rush: Prove Set (1.3)

Buddy Rush: Titanium Set (1.3)
Buddy Rush: Genzir's Set (1.3)
Buddy Rush: Guardian Set (1.3)
Buddy Rush: Farjegnon's Set (1.3.3)

Buddy Rush: Armored Tiger's Set (1.5)

Buddy Rush: Jinie's Set (1.4)

Buddy Rush: Philosopher's stone Set (1.5)
Buddy Rush: Bangbang's Set (1.5)

Buddy Rush: Ivardark's Set (1.6.2)
Buddy Rush: Genzir the Storm's Set (1.7.0)

Buddy Rush: Oblinium Set (1.7.2)

Buddy Rush: Pioneer's Set (1.7.3)
Buddy Rush: Grim Reaper Set (1.8.1)
Buddy Rush: Bloody Set (1.8.1)

Buddy Rush: King's Set (1.5)
Buddy Rush: Lord's Set (1.6.2)

Buddy Rush: Fishing Set (1.8.1)

Buddy Rush: Tiger Set (1.3.3)

Buddy Rush: Glory Set (1.4)
Buddy Rush: Dog Collar with Medal Set (1.4)

Buddy Rush: Jeweless Sword Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Magic Cane Set (1.5)
Buddy Rush: Titanium Armor Set (1.6.3)
Buddy Rush: Titanium Sword Set (1.6.3)
Buddy Rush: Ancient Bow Set (1.7.2)
Buddy Rush: Ancient Dagger Set (1.7.3)
Buddy Rush: Magical Golden Pistol Set (1.8.2)

Buddy Rush: Rusty Master Craftsman Set (1.8.1)
Buddy Rush: Gold Fish Set (1.8.1)

Buddy Rush: Worrier's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0) (Incomplete)
Buddy Rush: Boorseye's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Wizz's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Aiki Lu's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Botherella's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Vivich's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0) (Incomplete)
Buddy Rush: Nagne's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Vampino's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.1)
Buddy Rush: Flow's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Skully's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Toxy's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0) (Incomplete)
Buddy Rush: Healury's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Arpu's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0) (Incomplete)
Buddy Rush: Choppin's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Oblinia's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Jacky's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)
Buddy Rush: Betty Jr's Level 99 Purple Set (1.8.0)

Note:

Oblinium Pickax (red) and Oblin's Pickax (red) do not make a Pickax set.
Voodoo Candle (red) and Magical Ground Bone (red) do not make a Magic Square set.
There is no Centurion's (red) set from Challenge.
There is no Commander's (red) set from Challenge.

Buddy Rush: Contents

Buddy Rush: Bride of May

Looks like I did not have to wait long to afford a costume.

I just got this today!

And of course the mad dash to the postbox after that, praying all the while that there would be no (network) errors.

So many chips, they have to be delivered in two packages.

Thankfully there was no error. Can you imagine the dilemma if I got two packages of 20 chips each? To report or not to report?

Anyway, I promised myself that if I ever get a 20-chip reward, I would buy a Wedding Dress.

Such purity.

Sure, I could have waited for a costume event when the price would be discounted. But I was getting tired of the old Pink Assault dress uniform anyway.

All dressed up and ready, I took the lovely bride out to spread the blessing.

Bad time for a screenshot! (YA 86 was about to charge.)

And the day got better.

Knocked its jaws out!

After the week's bad news (personal secret story, sorry), it was nice to have a few goodies to cheer me up. :)

Buddy Rush: Contents

Handful of Sand is in Beta

The next Fernham High story is going to be Handful of Sand, which has just entered Beta.

Yeah, I do my writing the same way I write programs. Computers can be very strict with grammar. Anyway, Beta means that the story is basically complete. I just need to run tests to make sure that there are no bugs and that all the features are working fine. Translated to writing, that means looking for grammar mistakes and making sure that the text has the intended effect.

Handful of Sand is 35% longer than Gloriously Messed-up, which is partly why it took so long to write. The other reason, you can guess easily. I hope to start publishing by the end of next month (June) but who knows what will happen. I could get super-productive and start early.

Or a good game may come along to distract me.

The following is the current version of the story's summary:

After a visit to a fortune teller, Sandy Gould believed that she would be rich one day. But she did not know how or when. While attending high school, she would attempt to make her fortune come true. Some of what she attempted, if not all of them, are not recommended that anyone at home try.

Update 27 June 2011:
Reviewing the story is taking longer than I expected. At this rate, I'd be lucky to start publishing Handful of Sand by the end of July.

Buddy Rush: New Girl on the Block

I finally decided to create a Skully.

Guess why I called her Dana.

I am not planning to power-level her like I did with Betty Jr so it is likely to take me more than a month to reach level 60. Then again, I may get bored and play with her lots anyway. :)

Plus, with Update 1.2, the exp given in missions up to Chapter 4 has been increased.

First Day on the Job.

I took Skully out on a mission. So far, I noticed that her attack can be interrupted. If she is hit after her first shot, she recoils and the second shot does not come out.

I also noticed that although most of her Spiral Shots miss, those that do deal significant damage. Significant, when compared to her regular attack. I will keep playing with her and see what else I learn.

Oblin, let's play!

Buddy Rush: Contents

Buddy Rush: Raid Mode, YA 86

A section on the changes in Update 1.3 has been added further below.
Update 13 July 2011: Note that this article is less likely to be updated now that I have completed all sets associated with YA 86.

The second Raid Mode is against YA (Yelling Allosaurus? Yesterday's Antique? Yodeling Armor?) 86. It is available once level 68 is reached.

Update 6 December 2012:
The mini-wave update 1.7.2 on 30 October reduced YA-86's HP to 0.35M and made the raid available to characters of level 35. The old existing Titanium set has been renamed with an 'Antique' prefix.
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1.5 Million HP is a lot.

YA 86 is similar to Betty, the hidden boss of Chapter 4, and Betty Jr. Like Betty and unlike Betty Jr, YA 86 gives a fair bit of warning before using special skills. This gives enough time to run or pray for a stun.

Its 'Superhard Stonehead' does considerable damage to buddies around it, so consider running.

Its 'Nobody can stop me' charge attack is particularly dangerous. It can potentially hit twice (if unlucky) and knock out a buddy. Even if the buddy survives, he/she/it will be stunned and vulnerable to subsequent attacks.

Update 20 May 2011:
I find that running away from 'Nobody can stop me' increases the chance of getting hit twice. And since the buddies will be together, it is more likely that more of them will be hit. If you are not certain that you make a clean getaway, it may just be best to stand and take the hit to minimize damage.

Also, if running, run at an angle. YA 86 will adjust its aim at the start of the charge. Once it starts charging, if you are running at an angle, you may just lead the buddies off YA 86's path of ouch-giving.

That metallic Mark2 in the middle with the Worrier, that's not on our side.

However, the most dangerous of YA 86's attacks is its version of 'Burping Fire'. Unlike both Betty and Betty Jr, YA 86's version of the skill stuns. A buddy grazed by it will likely suffer the subsequent full force of the blast as he/she/it is unable to run. Unless the buddy is a tank, he/she/it is unlikely to survive (Hint: Use a consumable to heal during the blast). When YA 86 prepares for this attack, either run or pray for a stun, fervently.

No, I am not going to attempt to get a screenshot of that. I do not want to be anywhere near when YA 86 breathes fusion fire.

Fusion Reactor Overload! (Yeah, I should be so lucky...)
Hey, Wolfgan, this is no time to lie around.

The raid location is similar to the one with Genzir, although with a snowy theme like that of Loocos (Chapter 3). Even the pattern on the ground is the same (compare screenshots here with those in the Genzir raid). Gems and pillars appear, although 'Wake up!! Buddy!' does not seem to spawn as often. Then again, it may seem that way since I need that gem more often. And YA 86 can activate pillars.

Also, nice Mark2s will appear once in a while to deliver healing potions and treasure chests. So, save some inventory space for the latter.

New to this map are rocks falling out of the sky. They do not seem to do much damage - if any, negligible compared to the regular attacks of YA 86.

Losing buddies...

So far, I find that the best character to control against YA 86 would be a support character. I need to be ready to run, always. A support character can hang back and grab loot, healing potions, gems and pillars. With low Atk and damage skills, a support character is less likely to attract YA 86's attention.

I tried using a damage-dealer character as the main character. It requires some skill to use against YA 86. This is because I have to concentrate on actually doing damage and being prepared to run, in addition to grabbing stuff. And a damage-dealer character is more likely to attract YA 86's attention. If the main-character damage-dealer goes down, the raid is over!

As long as the main character survives, buddies can be brought back with the 'Wake up!! Buddy!' gem. That is why it is important to keep the main character out of danger.

I have not tried a tank as the main character. A tank is likely to survive YA 86's special skills. However, a tank's place is next to YA 86 and therefore, more likely to be hit by YA 86's special skills. Also, a tank would have to walk two extra steps from its position next to YA 86 to grab goodies.

As always, Botherella's Curse helps reduce the damage taken for a brief moment, though YA 86 recovers from its effects sooner. Aikilu's Roar helps boost the buddies' Atk for a while.

Instead of a Vivich, I brought coconuts (from Chapter 8, Mission 1, 'Gather the yummy coconuts') so I could bring an extra damage-dealing buddy.

Whether or not to have tanks is up to the player. They are not there to soak damage since YA 86 will usually go for buddies who do lots of damage. Instead, they provide a reliable drain to YA 86's HP without adding worry to the player. They can be left on their own since they are durable enough to survive. And if they come with lots of HP Regen, they can recover on their own so the player can concentrate on keeping the damage-dealers in the party alive.

Update 20 May 2011:

Negative effects on YA 86 helps a lot since most of the damage comes from the big guy.

Stuns like Aikilu's Shooting Dumpling, Nagne's Kiss of Death and Betty Jr's 'Nobody can stop me' as well as stun effects from equips can cancel YA 86's special attacks. Or at the very least keep YA 86 dormant for a few seconds.

Interrupts like Vivich's Lotus Slap, Nagne's Leaf Slash and Wolfgan's (Botherella's Summon) bite and delay YA 86's attack for a second, after which, YA 86 may give up and try something else.

Wizz's Freezemail slows down YA 86's attacks and movement speed. The latter effect helps a lot when running from YA 86's 'Nobody can stop me' special. Presumably Skully's 'Don't Move!' has similar effects, though I have not tried it out yet.

As mentioned above, Botherella's Curse reduces YA 86's Atk for a few seconds, reducing damage taken.

Update 26 May 2011:
I took Nagne as the main character against YA 86 expecting to have a hard time. Surprisingly, I find that he is good.

Being up close to YA 86, I can easily see its actions clearly. And if I see something I do not like (like its preparation for Burping Fire), I can give it the Kiss of Death. Alternatively, I can use the Leaf Slash to buy a few seconds for another buddy to stun him (bring buddies with Stun like Aikilu, Nagne or Betty Jr). Or for YA 86 to be distracted by a pillar.

In addition to that, Nagne's higher attack (compared to a support character) means that the pillars he activates will do more damage.

Update 1.3
Update 23 June 2011:
The effects of the pillars and the drops of the extras have been changed, as reported in the article on Genzir's Raid. The 'Wake up!! Buddy!' gem is still available, though it rarely appears, usually when the player does not need it.

YA 86's 'Superhard Stonehead' is now extra painful, potentially KOing weak buddies who receive both hits. Having a decent Def reduces the danger by a lot. Having high HP is not enough - it may save the character from an attack, but it will take longer to recover the lost HP.

YA 86's 'Nobody can stop me' seems to do less damage, though it still Stuns. This skill can be avoided by being very close to YA 86, like, right-under-it close. It is a bit difficult to squeeze all the buddies under there.

A Worrier with lots of skill in Blunt Aura (the last skill) will give buddies bonuses to Stun (10% at level 20 at the time of writing). This, combined with buddies with high attack speeds can keep YA 86 from mischief. Now if the auras stack, consider two Worriers. :)
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And for all of you who are just here for the loot (and those of you who are not):

Eh? Disappointing.

Some of the loot I have received (the number after is the number of tries):

Titanium Leaf (purple!) - 7, 7, 6

Wings of Guardian (purple!) - 6, 7, 7
Hyper Size Composite Potion - 8 (It's YA 86 and I still get this purple!?)

Stura of Nirvana (blue) - 7, 8
Titanium Teeth (purple!) - 8, 7
Boots of Black Knight (red) - 6
Ancestor's Tales (red) - 7 (Gah!!!)
Luxury Folding Fan (red) - 6 (Gah!!! x2)
Damascus Knife (red) - 6
Silver Staff (red) - 5 (That does it. Going to go play with Farjegnon for a while.)
Prove of Courage (purple!) - 9
Titanium Scales (purple!) - 8
Jade Frog of Liu (blue) - 7
Boots of Black Knight (blue) - 6
Stura of Nirvana (red) - 6
Spell Book of Wizz the Great (red) - 6 
(Updated 16 June 2011)

The following is the loot I received after Update 1.3:
Titanium Leaf (purple!) - 9, 5 (At this rate, I'll have all of YA 86's.)
Ancestor's Tales (blue) - 7
Wings of Guardian (purple!) - 8, 6
Titanium Scales (purple!) - 7, 5, 6
Luxury Folding Fan (red) - 7
Spell Book of Wizz the Great (red) - 7
Titanium Teeth (purple!) - 6
Stura of Nirvana (red) - 7
Spell Book of Wizz the Great (blue) - 6
Boots of Black Knight (blue) - 6, 6
Stura of Nirvana (blue) - 6
Prove of Wisdom (purple!) - 5 (Completed the Prove set on 7 July 2011, after 35 tries!)
Hyper Size Composite Potion - 5
Cloak of Master (blue) - 6
Jade Frog of Liu (red) - 6
Silver Staff (red) - 5
Titanium Eye (purple!) - 5 (Completed the Titanium set on 13 July 2011, after 44 tries!)
Boots of Black Knight (red) - 6
(Updated 13 July 2011)

The following is the loot I have received after the Daily Quest mini-wave of the Eighth Wave:
Mace (red) - 1
All About Oblins (blue) - 1 (It's a book)
Mace (blue) - 1
(Updated 14 January 2012)

The following is the loot I have received after the Ninth Wave:
Titanium Teeth (purple!) - 1
Mace (blue) - 1
All About Oblins (blue) - 1
(Updated 5 March 2012)

The following is the loot I have received after the Challenge Mode mini-wave of the Ninth Wave:
Witch's Necklace (red) - 1
Titanium Scales (purple!) - 1
(Updated 14 April 2013)

This article is dedicated to Wolfgang for the many times back in Update 1.2 he stayed behind to distract YA 86 so that the buddies could run away from major ouchie. We've visited you in the hospital, dude.

Buddy Rush: Contents

... ... ... can you come back later?