lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

If you are stuck in the Dunan Unification Wars; or wish for more details on the gameplay systems, this is the place.
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arhcamt
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lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by arhcamt »

*WARNING*
*CONTAINS SPOILER*
*DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED THIS GAME*




i've been trying to find ways to do the 'easy' way to do this before she becomes unavailable and only now i finally managed to do so. :)) it's not that hard actually, it's just that you have to be meticulous in you playthrough. (this works too for riou btw. and it feels so good having a payback for gorudo with lv 99 riou and jowy.)


the method
=========

fight a group of highland soldiers and commander in the rockaxe with only lv 39 nanami/riou, fortune rune equipped. (i'm not sure whether 40 or 41 or 42 works but mine is 39 and it works.)


the problem
==========

how to keep riou/nanami at lv 39 until that point?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by keeping them dead during battle once they've hit the level. but of course easier said than done. however, there's something that could help you in achieving so, which is fire lizard rune. the bearer gets 50% of damage dealt and it's definitely an easier way to keep your character dead by just simply attacking rather than just wait for the enemy to attack him/her. fire lizard can be found in a treasure chest inside sindar ruins. the enemy salamander also drop it so you might want to look for extras (one is enough, two is better) from it. once you have it then attach the rune to riou & nanami's weapon.

how to get the fortune rune?
--------------------------------------
you can get it from the guardian deity reward. i went for the rabbit-turtle-rabbit-turtle combination. rabbit head (rabbit plan #4) can be purchased from greenhill item shop rare finds (after liberation), turtle body (turtle plan #3) is dropped by enemy hawkman in rakutei, rabbit legs (rabbit plan #2) can be purchased from banner village item shop rare finds, and turtle tail (turtle plan #1) is dropped by enemy rockadillo in lakewest-two river area. once you have it all just give those to jude and make the guardian deity. you'll get both prosperity and fortune rune after.


the how-to
========

the are many ways to do this of course but i find this setting works best for me(example given is getting nanami to lv 99 first):
- get riou's speed above nanami either by giving him winged boots (can be purchased from kyaro or gregminster item shop rare finds) or gale rune (get the rune from koyu) or both. you need to get his speed higher because you want him to attack first so that he's sure to be dead by the end of battle.
- buy a wind rune from jeane and have a raura turn it to scrolls. have nanami equip the shredding scroll (or simply use the one you get from neclord if you still have it). you can also buy a sacrificial jizo and give it to nanami just for prevention. magic ring (banner pass treasure chest or crom item shop rare finds) is nice too for its +15 magic.
- go outside your castle and kill riou by attacking random enemies. this is to make that riou will die after his first attack on the next battle.
- go to rockaxe castle and find a group of highlanders and commander. have riou attack and nanami use the shredding. the damage from fire lizard will kill riou and the shredding hopefully will kill all the enemies. if not then just use attack or use the remaining scroll.
- and that's it, you have your lv 99 nanami! :D


you can also do this with the 6 pixies of rakutei and you're not gonna need that fortune rune but in my opinion it's actually harder because you need to also bring futch and humprey and you need both of them dead too at the of the battle. that's why i prefer to do this with the highlanders + commander in rockaxe castle because i find it easier to control.

once you have you lv 99 nanami you can just repeat the steps for riou. if you have riou at lv 99 you can see jowy at lv 99 too during gorudo battle. and you can actually do it for everyone else if you want but it's much more practical to do it in l'renouille.

and i guess that's it. i might've missed something so if you have questions feel free to ask. thanks! :D
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ninjaluc79
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by ninjaluc79 »

According to the Suikoden 2 bestiary, the Highland soldiers at Rockaxe Castle are at level 51 (including the Commander), so you need to be at level 36 (45 with Fortune Rune), not 39 as you claim.

I thought you were talking about the ones in L'Renouille (level 54, Commander is at 56), but when you said Nanami, it's clear to me that you are really pertaining about those guys at Rockaxe.

How about the M-Knights (level 53)? You need to be at level 38 (47 with Fortune), perfect for those no-rune-slot guys that join you at uber high-levels if you want them at level 99 as early as Rockaxe. And also, just in case you mess up with the Highlands.
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arhcamt
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by arhcamt »

i tried with 6 m-knights but they don't die after the shredding, which resulted in nanami getting killed instantly so it's safer to go with the highlanders + commander group. i have little knowledge about the level requirement so i just assume 39. if it's 36 or 45 with fortune then it's better because the level range is wider. :D
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ninjaluc79
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by ninjaluc79 »

In Suikoden, the EXP received per enemy is based on the difference between character's level and enemy's level.

SUIKODEN'S EXPERIENCE TABLE

You are actually right about the level 39 requirement to get to 99, since one character can receive only 60,000 EXP at the maximum.
Level 36 will only become level 96, not 99. I stand corrected on this one, so your argument about the level 39 requirement for the level 99 trick without the Fortune Rune.

Now, you can only have level 54 and above enemies if you want a level 39 character get to level 99. Level ranges vary for different levels.

The trick is essentially about boosting up a character to a necessary level from a given level, under certain conditions.

The level 39-99 boost is a classic example. You need at the most 60,000 EXP to get to level 99 from level 39, and enemies that are 15 levels or more above you give 10,000 EXP each. Which means at level 39, you need 6 enemies that are level 54 or more. Definitely not the Highlands at Rockaxe (level 51).

@ level 36: 10,000 * 6 = 60,000. Boosted only up to level 96. Meh.
@ level 39: 9,000 * 6 = 54,000. Boosted only up to level 93.

The same applies if you have a Fortune Rune, only that the EXP is doubled.

At level 45, you can gain 5,100 * 6 * 2 = 61,200 EXP, well over the EXP amount needed to reach level 99.

But at level 46, you can gain only 3,900 * 6 * 2 = 46,800 EXP. That can only get you to level 93 at the most.

Therefore, there's no way you can get to level 99 before L'Renouille without the Fortune Rune except at the Pixies starting Rockaxe liberation.
So, if you want to boost Nanami to level 99 before she dies at Rockaxe and still want to take on the Highlanders instead of the M-Knights, she has to be at level 45 and she must have a Fortune Rune equipped. There is no other way.

For the Pixies (level 55):

@ level 40, no Fortune Rune: 10,000 * 6 = 60,000. LEVEL 99.
@ level 41, no Fortune Rune: 9,700 * 6 = 58,200. LEVEL 99.
@ level 42, 200 EXP, no Fortune Rune: 9,300 * 6 = 55,800. Level 98 only.
@ level 49 with Fortune Rune: 5,100 * 6 * 2 = 61,200. LEVEL 99.
@ level 50, 200 EXP, with Fortune Rune: 3,900 * 6 * 2 = 46,800. Level 97 only.

The magic numbers at Pixies therefore are 41 (without Fortune) and 49 (with Fortune). At least you can still try Mt. Rakutei before going into the castle.

Now, Genshu has a problem. He joins you at level 49, no extra rune slots to place the Fortune Rune in.(Stupid Swallow Rune!)
Anyways, let's have a test at L'Renouille with the Highlands + Commander troops (54 and 56, respectively)

NO FORTUNE RUNE:

@ level 39: 10,000 * 6 = 60,000. LEVEL 99.
@ level 40, 500 EXP: 9,700 * 5 + 10,000 = 58,500. LEVEL 99.
@ level 41, 500 EXP: 9,300 * 5 + 10,000 = 56,500. Level 98 only.
@ level 42, 300 EXP: 9,000 * 5 + 9,700 = 54,700. Level 97 only.
@ level 49, 500 EXP: 3,900 * 5 + 6,000 = 25,500. Genshu can only reach level 75! T_T

WITH FORTUNE RUNE:

@ level 49: (3,900 * 5 + 6,000) * 2 = 51,000. LEVEL 99.
@ level 50, 800 EXP: (2,600 * 5 + 5,100) * 2 = 36,200. Level 87 only.

As you can see above, Pixies are actually a better option for the Level 99 trick than the Highlands + Commander group at L'Renouille, just in case you screw up.
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arhcamt
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by arhcamt »

ah i see. too bad with genshu. guess i just gotta do it the hard way.
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ninjaluc79
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by ninjaluc79 »

There's more to Genshu, but yeah, you have to do it the hard way for him to get to 99:

Level 49, 400 EXP, no Fortune Rune, vs 6 Pixies = 5,100 * 6 = 30,600 EXP. Level 80.

Better.
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highwind44029
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by highwind44029 »

I got Nanami to Level 99 with a Fortune Rune, fighting the Wallflowers outside Greenhill post-liberation.
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ninjaluc79
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by ninjaluc79 »

Yes, it is possible. Nanami has to be at Level 39 with Fortune Rune and fight 6 EyeFlowers outside of Greenhill post-liberation.

Congratulations, highwind44029.
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highwind44029
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by highwind44029 »

My Riou had to settle for like Level 91 though. I'm trying to find the best way to level Riou at the highest possible level before the boss fights against Lucia and the Zombie Dragon at Greenhill.
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by ninjaluc79 »

Hmmm, that's a tough call. It's usually very hard to level up to the max without the Fortune Rune from the Guardian Deity, which we won't normally obtain until after Greenhill's liberation.

Unless you want to cheat a Fortune Rune in, there's no other way we can level up our characters to level 99 before Greenhill Liberation.

EDIT: You can always try keep Riou at level 39 until Rockaxe liberation so that he will be level 99 by the time he teams up with Jowy Blight in the battle against Gorudo. He is one of the characters who suffer from the level 99 glitch. It is because Jowy Blight's level is based on Riou's level (+5).
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highwind44029
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by highwind44029 »

The only way I can keep Riou at a low level is to take people that can go through Lucia/Karayans, the Highlands that you run into, and the Bone Dragon by themselves WITHOUT going over the Level 49 limit so that they can still hit Level 99 when I take them to L'Renouille later. Otherwise, I need to boost Riou to Level 99 (the highest I got was Level 91, although theoretically it looks like Level 93 is possible with Kookaburras x6) and have him take on everything in Greenhill all by his lonesome. (Note: The Bone Dragon's one tough SOB and I had a hard time when I first fought it with just Riou. Took me a while to figure out that Revenge Earth/Clay Guardian will help A LOT against its physical attacks.)
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by ninjaluc79 »

In Greenhill Liberation, the group of Highlands x 5 + Commander you run into can get Riou to Level 94 from Level 34, 700 EXP. But at least it's before the battle with Lucia.

But if you really want to boost up even before re-taking Greenhill, the Kookaburra x 6 group is pretty much worth it if it can only get you to level 92 (from level 32, to be exact). From there it will take you 1,400 battles before level 99 (@ 200 battles per level)
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highwind44029
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by highwind44029 »

The Highlands are only Level 47 though so they would only give 9300 EXP each.

@Level 34, 500 EXP: 10000 EXP (Commander) + 9300 EXP * 5 (Highlands) = 56500 EXP. Level 91
@Level 33, 500 EXP: 10000 EXP (Commander) + 9700 EXP * 5 (Highlands) = 58500 EXP. Level 92
@Level 32, 0 EXP: 10000 EXP * 6 (Commander and Highlands x5) = 60000 EXP. Level 92 (although you can try and get Riou to 995 EXP so you can jump to Level 93 in one battle.)

So it's basically the same as with the Kookaburras x6 at Level 32.
highwind44029
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Re: lv 99 nanami (and riou) method

Post by highwind44029 »

Update (after nearly ten years lol) since I finally picked the game up again recently:
I was able to get both to Level 99 in the same playthrough by doing the same method. Kill 6 EyeFlowers outside Greenhill post-liberation with a Fortune Rune at Level 39 or below (didn't test the lower limit, but I can confirm that as low as Level 31 is pretty safe, Level 40 will only get boosted to like Level 87). As previously discussed, the best way to keep Riou dead for most of the game is to equip him with a Fire Lizard Rune and make sure you don't equip a Fire Emblem so he dies faster.

Nanami likes to join your party a lot, but it's fine to keep using her (and Riou) until Matilda. The boss fight against the Worm at Banner Pass might boost her above Level 39 so I wouldn't recommend bringing her here or on the main team to fight Luca Blight. After that, Nanami will join you at the peace treaty. The best way to deal with the unavoidable fights against Highland soldiers is to bring an all-female (or mostly female) party equipped with Blue Ribbons and strip Riou and Nanami's armor. Don't bring Sheena or Oulan/Hoi so they don't guard Nanami or Riou at critical health respectively.

During the Neclord chapter at Tinto she will force herself into the party, but most of the fights are avoidable. Be sure to survive the fight with Neclord in the mines though, you get a game over screen if you die. The only unavoidable fight here is Sierra. You can also do the Blue Ribbon strat, it's just a bit more difficult since Viktor is in the party. If you made it through this will both Riou and Nanami below Level 40, then you're well on your way. Put Nanami in your convoy for the Neclord fight and you should only need to worry about killing Riou (easy with Fire Lizard.)

The next problem is going to be keeping your other characters below Level 50. Based on my experience, you are going to need a total of three squads: one for Neclord, one for Lucia/Karayans in Greenhill Forest, and one for the Bone Dragon at Greenhill. Here's what I used for my runs:
Neclord - Riou (dead), Viktor (Fury/Double-Beat), Wakaba (Fury), L.C. Chan (Fury), Kahn (Resurrection), Yoshino (Resurrection/Water) - one turn kill with Twin Fighter ATK, 2 hits from Viktor and 2 Charm Arrows
Lucia/Karayans - Riou (dead), Georg (Double-Beat), Oulan (Fury), Sheena (Fury/Double-Beat/Double-strike), Killey (Fury/Double-Beat), Clive (Double-Beat)
Bone Dragon - Riou (dead), Gantetsu (Resurrection), Luc (Cyclone), Meg (Wind), Stallion (Wind), Nina (Resurrection)

Thankfully all of them capped at Level 49, so I could level them at L'Renouille later.

Image
Image
(Nanami has a Wind Hat on so mine has 210 base SPD)

Obviously, you can also do this for the rest of the characters that are Level 39 or below. The great thing about the EyeFlowers is they don't attack at all (or at least that I know of) so it's a really safe way to level characters to 99, especially the squirrels.
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