Metaphor: Refantazio Bandit Chief Cistus Guide

Quick Links

  • Navigating The Disgraced Ruins
  • Preparation And Party Setup
  • How To Defeat Bandit Chief Cistus And Homo Sandro
  • Rewards

As a seasoned adventurer with countless battles under my belt, I can confidently say that taking down Bandit Chief Cistus and his Human manifestation, Homo Sandro, is no walk in the park. But with the right team composition and a bit of strategy, you’ll find yourself walking away with some sweet loot and increased Courage!

In the concluding phase of the game “Metaphor: Refantazio,” you’re gearing up for your ultimate showdown with Louis. During your preparations, there are several options available to you, but among the strategic tasks, one notable bounty involves confronting Bandit Chief Cistus within the Disgraced Ruins.

The reward is named “Apostles of the Apocalypse,” and you can claim it starting from September 26th, at the recruitment center.

Interestingly, aside from the one you’re currently pursuing, there are two other endgame rewards as well. These involve tracking down the Kokamordos and the relentless Ordemos, known as Grudge’s Fang.

Before you can get your hands on Cistus and his goons, the first hurdle you’ll need to clear is the Disgraced Ruins dungeon itself. Even getting some valuable items and treasure in it can get tedious, but that’s where I come in.

We’ve prepared a guide to help you quickly navigate the dungeon and a strategy section on how to beat Bandit Chief Cistus, including his second phase, which can catch you by surprise if you’re going with a blind mindset here.

Navigating The Disgraced Ruins

Prior to delving into the intricate maze-like structure of this dungeon, let me first outline the types of foes you’re likely to face here.

Enemy Weakness Resistances/Immunity
Bandit (Hooded) Pierce, Strike
  • Resists Lightning, Wind, Dark
Bandit Fire, Ice
  • Resists Slash, Pierce, Strike, Dark
Sword General Malmorta Strike, Light
  • Resists Slash, Pierce, Dark
  • Blocks Lightning
Spear General Malmorta
Bow General Malmorta
Trove Imitec Light
  • Resists Dark
Bloodcoin Imitec
Dark Elementa Light
  • Repels Dark

Fortunately, the majority seem to be Bandits or the skeletal Malmorta soldiers you’re accustomed to, and occasionally there are Mimics among them. You can spot these Mimics when they appear as chests or in hallways using Gallica’s Fairy Vision.

Allow me to explain the navigation for a moment as it’s quite interesting: Essentially, nearly every level in this game features an additional pathway on its side, which can be used to revisit lower levels to find hidden treasure chests or manipulate wall levers.

Beginning from the ground floor, you’ll find your primary target, or rather, Bandit Cistus, positioned on the lowest level. Upon entering, take a left turn and promptly pick up the Gold Beetle, which is marked on the map provided above.

As a fan, I’d advise you to veer right for the moment, heading down to the lower level. Once there, taking the first turn to the left will lead you back up to the upper floor, helping you bypass a wall and create a shortcut.

After pulling the lever, jump down and continue until you’ve reached the third level. Then, veer left into an inner passageway. Climb the ladder there to return to the first floor. Here, you’ll find the two chests that were previously inaccessible due to blocks.

  • Tektite Monocle (Bloodcoin Imitec)
  • Pure White Shoes

Are you still following? Once you’ve gathered the treasure chests, make your way back to where we descended from the third floor. Continue down to the fourth floor, and when you reach it, turn left at the first opportunity, as indicated in the image above, to find another set of treasure chests.

  • Sancturion Gloves
  • Talisman of the Night (Bloodcoin Imitec)

It seems that many walls you can reach by pulling these levers are primarily used as a means to retrace your steps and return to the entrance. If you wish, you can open them all at the end of your exploration.

The fifth floor acts more like a bridge leading to the following one. In reference to the sixth floor, pictured below, you can find a hidden storage area that holds the Magla Feast, a Deluxe Spread.

In the very same corridor, ascend the staircase that leads to a concealed passageway on the fifth level, where you will find two hidden treasure chests. One of these contains Shingen’s Emblem and the other holds Bishamonten’s Emblem, both powerful weapons suitable for a Commander-type character.

You’ve almost finished; move straight to the lowest level without making any detours, and in the last room you’ll find, the one on this floor that houses a treasure chest with the Great Sage’s Thwab. However, beware as it is guarded by two Bloodcoin Imitecs.

If you prefer, you can ascend to the higher levels using ladders to uncover the enclosed areas. However, I must emphasize that it’s not particularly beneficial, so I would recommend saving your game at Plateau and instead start preparing for the showdown against Bandit Chief Cistus.

Preparation And Party Setup

This entire boss fight is divided between two separate targets: Bandit Cistus and his goons (The two different Bandit enemies). Then you get the unexpected surprise encounter with his Human abomination, Homo Sandro. I’ve listed both of their weaknesses below:

Boss Weakness Resistances/Immunity
Bandit Chief Cistus Light
  • Resists Dark
Homo Sandro Strike
  • Repels Slash, Pierce, Lightning
  • Resists Light

Let’s discuss the arrangements for the parties to be prepared, considering the bosses’ absence, and take note of the inherited abilities I’ve outlined in my notes, as well as their selected roles or character types.

Party Members Archetypes Notes
Protagonist Prince The Radiance Skill is pretty good on the Prince to damage Cistus and his cronies. Inherit Void Wave from Soul Hacker and possible Strike spells from the Brawler Archetype.
Hulkenberg Dark Knight/Paladin Notable skills to have is both Holy Knight’s Proclamation (Knight) and Shield Formation (General), with the former allowing her to tank damage and the latter boosting our defense against Homo Sandro.
Junah Persona Master Preferably, equip the Cleric’s Mask since she’ll be the healer of our team, and try to have the Archetype leveled past Rank 10 to unlock the Dance of Purgelight.
Basilio Trickster Debuffer/DPS against Homo Sandro. Inherit skills like Charge and Powerful Pulverizer or Slam Strike from Basilio’s Berserker/Destroyer Archetype.

Before diving into our strategy against these two bosses, here are some extra considerations to keep in mind during the battles:

  • Cycling weaknesses against Cistus: Most of the first phase involves juggling weaknesses to hit Cistus and his goons with multi-hit attacks. If you take both Bandits out before the turn ends, Cistus will attempt a turn to summon them back.
  • Dance of Purgelight: This skill from Junah comes in the clutch against Homo Sandro to apply a one-time weakness so you can expose them via the Protagonist’s Light skills.
  • Inherit Further Strike Skills: If you have room on Hulkenberg and Junah’s skill inheritance slots, you can slot in more Strike skills to maximize your damage against Homo Sandro.
  • Optional Party Members: If you’re looking to maximize that Strike damage on Homo Sandro, Strohl with the Pugilist or Martial Artist Archetype works great here.
  • Homo Sandro Attacks: Watch out for notable attacks like the Ceremonial Stomp, which damages and lowers a party member’s Attack/Defense/Agility, and the Slam Shatter, which hits everyone.

How To Defeat Bandit Chief Cistus And Homo Sandro

In simpler terms, both battles aren’t overly complicated to navigate. If your character level isn’t significantly lower than required, you should be able to manage just fine by following the strategy I’ve outlined below. To begin, focus on defeating Cistus and his two associates first.

As a gamer, I’m leveraging my versatile combo abilities, such as the Protagonist’s Luminous Aura and Junah’s Fiery Embers, to strike down all three foes simultaneously. Since they’re always exposing their weaknesses, each successful hit grants me additional turn icons.

Make note of employing either Hulkenberg or Basilio’s Pierce/Strike attacks against the Hooded Bandit, as the other version is immune to them. Don’t forget to cast the Vidyartha debuff on Bandit Chief Cistus too, which will weaken his defensive and offensive abilities.

If you successfully eliminate both of Cistus’s assistants prior to his move, he typically summons reinforcements during his next turn. Furthermore, if you are well-equipped and have a high enough level, these minions will not inflict significant damage.

This approach makes it simple to clean up this battle repeatedly since the challenging task follows next, where you must vanquish the human embodiment of Cistus, known as Sandro.

Instead of relying solely on exploiting Basilio to target Hamo Sandro’s weakness, I also employed the “Junah’s Dance of Verdure or Purgelight,” a strategy that leaves him vulnerable once. This momentary weakness can then be capitalized upon using the “Protagonist’s Void Wave skill” we acquired earlier.

For the main character’s role, let’s call it the Kingly Characteristic, the ultimate attack is called Royal Blade Synthesis, dealing extra harm to creatures akin to humans, making it particularly effective against Sandro Humans.

To maximize your defense, keep Hulkenberg’s “Shelter Formation” active at all times. While Basilio’s “Powerful Pulverizer” will be a valuable asset as a secondary attacker, it is crucial to prioritize Vidyartha to maintain debuffs and secure an edge in the battle.

If your damage-dealing character encounters the Ceremonial Stomp, it’s advisable to use Dekunda to purify, as you wouldn’t want to miss an attack and forfeit turns. Additionally, maintain a defensive stance and heal when required. And remember, this bounty is at your disposal.

Rewards

Upon vanquishing Bandit Chief Cistus and Homo Sandro, in addition to collecting the bounties available at the Recruitment Center, these are the rewards that come your way.

Boss Rewards
Bandit Chief Cistus 4193 EXP
708 Archetype EXP
1451 MAG
6250 Money
Frostbite Axe
Homo Sandro 8100 EXP
720 Archetype EXP
3000 MAG
223 Money
Talisman of the Divine
115,000 Money (172,500 if you have Catherina’s Bounty Bonus skill active)
Increased Courage (4 notches)

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2024-12-16 17:39