OPTIONAL BOSS: SWORD DANCER #3 (2)

Learn the best strategy to take down the powerful Sword Dancer #3 in Tales of Symphonia. Get tips on party setup, spell deactivation, and crucial attack timings.

Alright, let's talk about the Sword Dancer #3. This guy can be a real pain, especially for the first time you run into him. His physical hits can take a huge chunk out of your health, even when you're guarding, and his spells? Absolutely devastating. We're talking 500+ damage per hit if you're not blocking, and his magic can just melt your party.

Stats / Weaknesses:

• Name: Sword Dancer #3
• Location: Iselia Forest
• HP: 99,999
• TP: 888
• ATK: ???
• DEF: ???
• XP: 15,000
• Gald: 30,000
• Items dropped: EX Gem Lv1, EX Gem Lv2
• Steal: ???
• Elemental Info: Weak to Light, Strong against None, Absorbs None

Strategy:

First off, let's get your party set up. If you're around level 63-64 like I was (Lloyd 64, Raine 64, Genis 63, Zelos 63), you're in a good spot. The key is to manage your party's abilities. For Genis, turn off everything except for Explosion, Cyclone, Ground Dasher, Indignation, Gravity Well, and Force Field. For Zelos, deactivate all his spells except for Guardian, First Aid, Healing Stream, and Healing Wind. This keeps him focused on support.

Now, let's set up their battle strategies:

• Genis: Set him to 'Attack Freely', 'At Once', and 'Don't Pursue'.
• Raine: She should be on 'Attack Freely', 'Heal', and 'Don't Pursue'. Keep her healing!
• Zelos: Set him to 'Attack Freely', 'Heal', and 'Skills and Magic'. This last one is important; it stops him from getting too close and potentially getting himself into trouble.

A lot of people think you absolutely need an 'All-Divide' for this fight, but honestly, you don't. The Sword Dancer's most dangerous spell is 'Indignation'. When you see 'Indignation' pop up on your screen and Genis isn't the one casting it, that's your cue to run! Get out of the circular area it creates immediately. Try to cancel his 'Indignation' with a Unison Attack if you can.

For Unison Attacks, aim for combinations like Sword Rain: Beta, Ray, Lightning Blade, and Ground Dasher. This can unleash Prism Stars, which is a super powerful attack combining Raine's Ray and Genis' Ground Dasher. It's incredibly effective.

During my fight, I went through about 3 Lemon Gels, 8 Pineapple Gels, 9 Life Bottles, 1 Energy Tablet, and 1 Spirit Bottle. It's a tough fight, but once you get the hang of his patterns and manage your party effectively, you'll eventually take him down.

After this tough battle, Lloyd will receive the 'Kusanagi Blade', which is his second-best weapon in the game. Nice!