Neos (Second Visit)

Your guide to the second visit to Neos in Dragon Quest VIII. Learn strategies to defeat Marcello and progress through the story.

Alright, so you've found yourself back in jail. Don't worry, it's a familiar spot! The good news is you get to keep all your gear. The best way to get things moving here is to just talk to everyone. Head up to the gate, and a scene will kick off.

Once you're free to move again, go to the gate where Yangus is hanging out. Another scene will play. After that, chat with the priest near Angelo for yet another bit of story.

After a pretty long cutscene, talk to Rolo to wrap things up in this area. You're finally free!

Heads up: Make sure you've done absolutely everything you want to do here in Neos – especially any treasure hunting or codex entries – before you head into the Cathedral. Once you're done with the city, save your game and head over to Neos. You'll notice that the 'Dark Icon' is looming over the city, which means things are about to get serious. Go into the Cathedral for another scene.

Get ready, because we're finally going to battle Marcello himself!

Marcello - Boss Fight

• Level: 37
• HP: 4,000
• EXP: 11,200
• Gold: 0
• Drop: N/A

Attacks

• Sword Swipe: 100-135 damage
• Wind Sickles: 70-125 damage
• Kafrizzle: 65-135 magic damage
• Heavenly Portal: 70-135 damage to all party members
• Thwack: Chance to instantly KO party members
• Disruptive Wave: Removes all status buffs from your party

Strategy

Okay, so Marcello's got that annoying Disruptive Wave again, and to make matters worse, he also has Thwack, which can instantly knock out your party members. Plus, he gets two actions per turn! His regular physical attacks can also hit pretty hard, so keep those HP topped up.

• Hero and Yangus: Have them both Psyche Up once, then go all out with Attacking. The Hero might need to chip in with some healing if things get dicey.
• Angelo: Try to get at least one Kabuff up as soon as possible. If you have the MP to spare, cast Oomph on a party member who could really use the extra damage. Otherwise, focus on keeping everyone's HP high with Healing.
• Jessica: Start her off by casting Magic Barrier to reduce magic damage, especially from his Kafrizzle. After that, have her cast Oomph on Yangus (or whoever is dishing out the most damage) and then use Acceleratle to speed up your party.

If Marcello hits you with Disruptive Wave, don't panic! Just reapply your buffs as soon as you can. Your priorities should be Oomph, Kabuff, and Magic Barrier. It's also a really good idea to stock up on extra Yggdrasil Leaves before this fight, just in case you get really unlucky with Thwack.

After the battle, you'll get to watch an epic scene. Looks like the world is in pretty dire straits! Marcello will then give you his Templar Captain's Ring before heading off.