BOSS: KISHIN BISHAMONTEN (2)

Learn how to beat the tricky Kishin Bishamonten (2) in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster. This guide covers his skills, weaknesses, and the best strategies to use.

Stats / Weaknesses:

• Affinity: Immune to all, Reflects Fire, Weak to Ice
• Skills: Hellfire, Agidain, Maharagidain, Megidoraon, Reppu-Ha, Taru-Kaja, Maka-Kaja, De-Kaja, Randomizer, Dragon's Eye

Phases:

1. Phase 1: The Stat Game
   Bishamonten loves to buff himself. He'll often cast Taru-Kaja four times to boost his physical attack, or Maka-Kaja four times for his magic. Then, he'll unleash a powerful attack like Reppu-Ha or Megidoraon. If you try to buff yourself, he'll immediately hit you with De-Kaja and then two Randomizers, which can really mess up your strategy. He'll also spam Tetrakarn and Makalakarn to block your physical and magical attacks, only to follow up with Megidoraons.
2. Phase 2: The Debuff Defense
   The key to this fight is keeping stats normalized. Bishamonten can't counter your debuffs if you hit him with them first. If he uses Randomizer, hit him back with De-Kunda. If he starts boosting himself, use De-Kaja on him. He also has a hidden weakness: he can't raise his Accuracy or Defense if you lower them. So, use Raku-Nda (which lowers Defense) and Fog Breath (which lowers Accuracy) liberally. Randomizer can also work here. This will make your physical attacks much more effective.

Strategy:

• Constant Stat Management: The absolute most crucial part of this fight is keeping both your party's stats and Bishamonten's stats at normal levels. If he gets his Power or Magic boosted too high, you're in serious trouble, even if you're a high level. Use De-Kaja to lower his stats and De-Kunda to remove his buffs.
• Exploit Ice Weakness: Bishamonten is still weak to Ice, so make sure your party has strong Ice-based skills like Agidain or Bufudyne. Keep hammering him with these.
• Debuff Him Heavily: Don't be afraid to use Raku-Nda and Fog Breath. Lowering his Defense and Accuracy makes him much easier to hit with physical attacks and less likely to land critical hits on you.
• Prepare for Big Hits: Bring demons with Fire-blocking abilities or Physical-blocking abilities to help mitigate the damage from his strongest attacks, especially if he gets boosted stats. This will help you survive those devastating Megidoraons.
• Patience is Key: This fight isn't about brute force; it's about outsmarting Bishamonten and controlling the flow of battle by keeping his stats in check. Don't get discouraged if he pulls off a cheap combo; just reset his stats and keep the pressure on with Ice attacks.