Conquer Balzack in Dragon Quest IV

AntMag.NET

Alright, so you've gathered everyone you can possibly get in the game! Before we push the main story forward, let's make sure Ragnar is up to snuff. If you've got the Full Plate Armor and the Strength Ring from the Mini Medal King, equip him with those. Then, spend a little time grinding around until Ragnar's level is close to the rest of the party. Once that's done, save your game and let's head to Zamoksva Castle – Alena's old stomping grounds.

Zamoksva Castle is just east of Zalenagrad, so don't worry if you feel a bit turned around. As soon as you arrive, you'll notice something's seriously wrong. The place has been taken over by baddies! We need to sort this out, so head upstairs to the throne room and chat with the King. Surprise! It's not the real king at all, but Balzack in disguise! Yikes!

BOSS SHOWDOWN: Balzack

This is hands-down the hardest battle you've faced so far. Balzack is way tougher than the last boss you fought, and he attacks twice every turn. He'll either hit one of your party members with a normal attack or blast your whole group with magic. You could try to counter his magic with Meena's spell, but be warned: that'll also make your characters resistant to friendly healing spells, so it's usually not worth it.

A solid, if slow, strategy is to have Meena cast Midheal every single turn. If the party needs even more healing than she can provide, have the Hero chip in with their Midheal spell. When the Hero isn't busy keeping everyone alive, they can join the others in wailing on Balzack with normal attacks. Expect to revive fallen party members with Meena's Zing spell a few times – it's tough, but persistence pays off. You might need a bit of luck, but hey, who hasn't tried the same thing three times?

Party: Hero, Alena, Ragnar, Meena
My Level: 21
Difficulty: Hard

After Balzack bites the dust, head downstairs and into the castle's treasure room, which was previously blocked by flames. Inside, you'll find the Flute of Revelation, a Seed of Strength, and the Magma Staff. If Meena's in your party, let her equip the staff, and feed that seed to your Hero.

Now, let's trigger the next major event. Travel to Strathbaile Town, located north of Burland Castle. When you sleep at the inn there, you'll have a strange dream about the Flute of Revelation. The dream will show you exactly where you need to use it – near a tower with a red-haired person standing inside. We'll get to that later, though. For now, we're heading to a rather peculiar place called Femiscyra.