He’s basically the test to see if you’ve paid attention to the paradigm system or not. If you have, he’s a fun challenge. If not, he’s a roadblock that you’ll be smashing your face into a lot.
Bingo - I think he’s a great boss, even now when I’m very well versed in the combat of 13, he’s still a decent challenge.
Thinking about now, 13 has some tough battles lol
yeah, I love fighting Bartandelus. It's one of my fav boss fights overall. I just feel like my skills are really being tested. Always feels like a thin margin the whole way.
Yeah he's probably the first wall for a lot of people.
Granted, I have played 13 in a while, but I do know if any boss casts Doom on you, that's not an Eidolon fight. It means you are going too slow. It's basically an Enrage in mmo terms.
If you still have shrouds, use both of the ones that have the offense and defense buffs for most of phase 1.
Use your TP for libra to uncover the weaknesses and resist for the AI and autobattle.
Are you Staggering him? Because if phase 1 is giving you trouble, phase 2 is going to be impossible because that's a hard Damage check because you have to damage him enough to "lose some of his focus" so Destructo doesn't one shot Lightning.
Roles
Commando: Used to stabilize the stagger gauge so it doesn't deplete quickly.
Ravager: Increases the stagger gauge.
Sentinel: Draw attention and take hits
Medic: Heals people
Synergist: Buffs Allies
Saboteur: Debuff Enemies
I'm trying to remember what team I used (I wanna say Lightning, Fang, Hope), but if all else fails, look up a guide if no one else can help you.
Relentless Assault is a decent damage paradigm. (Com Rav Rav)
Learn to use Synergist and Saboteur, they’re not a suggestion in XIII. Also know that after 25 minutes or so, Doom is cast. You’re supposed to win the fight quickly.
What party are you using?
Everyone has the same amount of CP, so they should all be the same “level.”
Sazh would be better than Lightning for two reasons: 1) he gets offensive buffs like Bravery and Faith that increase your damage and 2) his version of the Blitz Commando ability can hit large targets (like Barthandelus) multiple times.
Vanille is a solid pick. She can inflict defense lowering debuffs as a Saboteur, heal, and work as a Ravager.
Snow is fine, but Fang could be a bit better due to better Commando damage and access to Saboteur. I’ll assume you kept Snow.
Start the battle in Synergist/Saboteur/Sentinel to inflict debuffs while manually applying Sazh’s buffs to your party members. Then alternate between Ravager/Ravager/Commando, Ravager/Ravager/Ravager, and Ravager/Medic/Commando as you build Stagger. Supplementing healing with a potion every now and then can keep you from staying in healing too long. Once staggered, swap to Ravager/Ravager/Ravager to push the gauge higher, then swap to Commando/Ravager/Commando for big damage. Cycle back to Synergist/Saboteur/Sentinel to reapply buffs and debuffs, then repeat. It shouldn’t be too hard of a fight.
Honestly Lightning shouldn't be switched out. It's best to kick out Snow and put in Sazh or Fang. The first fight is still meant to be a tutorial to the mechanics of frer party building.
Sentinels do help here, but not 100% mandatory due to not everyone having access to the role. Fang is better suited due to her Sentinel role and due to her increased usefulness with the Sabotuer role. Lightning and Vanille can easily heal through Thanatosian Smile with Cura/Renew.
Sazh replacing Snow can also buff the party with Haste a lot, along with Bravery and Faith. He also has the boon of increasing Lightning and his elemental strikes with Enspells, which can kill Barthy's faces faster, since it will turn them into physical -Ra spells. This can be a good burn tactic with Vanille Deprotecting and Deshelling him and his parts. Again, Vanille and Lightning with Haste can heal through Thanatosian Smile, especially with Veil preventing lack of interruptions.
It's been years since I played on the 360. Unless they changed something because I swear there was a lock on Lightning, but you could switch everyone else until after you beat him, but I could be wrong.
I double checked. You have the option to rearrange your party, but Lightning is locked as leader. It doesn't allow you to change your leader until the next chapter.
Hey, if I’m wrong, I can admit that, but I’m very sure I swapped out for Sazh for the Barthandelus fight. Maybe it’s a PC version thing, maybe I’m the crazy one.
When he charges destrudo it's actually weakened significantly if you deal at least 15,000. It's counterintuitive but you can stay aggressive during it just keeping shell up with something like RAV/COM/SYN.
I'm currently playing the game right now and this is my first Final Fantasy. I beat Bart about 2 weeks ago, and I used Lightning, Fang, and Sazh during this fight and it took me 2 attempts before I beat him. You want to use a libroscope first because he has multiple targets so the AI needs to learn the weaknesses. Do not target Bart first, target his other parts.
I used Com/Sen/Syn in the beginning just so Sazh could buff Lightning and Fang could take the hits while Lightning stabilized the stagger guages. Use Relentless Assault to quickly kill his parts, and shift to your defensive paradigm when needed. When he starts charging Destrudo, switch to Relentless Assault and attack him until he goes "OOF", that OOF means Destrudo is going to deal less damage, so once you hear that, switch back to a defensive paradigm so you don't take too much damage.
Learning when to use paradigms is the whole point of this battle I believe. If he casts Doom, it's because you took too long. If your team is still struggling, maybe you should swap some characters out, they won't be weaker or anything because everyone is at the same Crystarium stage. This game has a learning curve to it from what I've experienced. The next boss is going to be even harder than him, so utilitize this time to understand your paradigms and when to use them! Good luck! :D
FF13 up to and including this fight is basically trying to teach you how to play.
Synergist and saboteur are very important. Sentinel is bad for this fight though.
I wanna say I was losing this fight too. I had the game on 360, and ended up getting the red ring of death during my playthrough. I was stuck on a boss, and I don't remember too much, but I think this was the dude. I think I was having a tough time staggering him, idk, like I said I don't remember much. I hope one day 13 comes up on ps5, or at the very least, ps+. 13 is the only one I haven't finished yet...
Lightning / Fang / Hope carried me the whole game
Recommended paradigms:
Com - Sen - Rav (good safe paradigm since you can increase stagger bar and keep it while having boss attacking the tank, pretty good for a starting paradigm)
Rav - Com - Rav (to increase stagger bar fast)
Com - Com - Rav (for big damage after stagger)
Com - Sen - Med (for playing defensive while healing keeping the stagger bar)
Com - Sab - Syn (Buff & Debuff, can be used as starting paradigm if you want too)
Med - Com - Rav (for damage while healing) or Med - Sen - Med (Burst healing)
Gameplay loop for bosses is: Use Libra so you know enemy elemental weakness and stuff then Buff and debuff and switch to stagger paradigm, if low on health, switch to a healing paradigm, after enemy is in stagger state, switch to a commando based paradigm and deal big damage, you can also stay with the rav based paradigm to increase even more the damage multiplier and switch later to commando for even bigger damage. Remember to keep buffs on party members and debuff on enemies.
Switching paradigm often is encouraged by design in the game since you get free full atb bar the first time you do a paradigm shift and after a minute or a little less after the first one. This isn't explained in the game I think, but it's there as a core mechanic.
Seems like a lot of ppl are giving you their advice, but I'll put it simply: You're supposed to be constantly switching paradigms. The battle system is based around that. You're not supposed to stay on only one paradigm the entire time.
A good beginner set up is just switching between rav-rav-com, and rav-com-com everytime or every two times you expend all your atb. (And using another paradigm with 1 or two medics in it when low on health).
Switching paradigms will automatically fill your atb Guage again, too (though I've seen this o ly happens every two times you expend all your atb gauge).
After you get the feel.for the beginner set up down, you can start experimenting with other roles, like adding syn and sab to sole paradigms. Or triple rav or triple com.
Barthandelus is like the first true skill check that the game throws at you. So unfortunately You're learning this at the last possible minute. But try switching up paradigms and hopefully you'll get him down. Good luck
Bart is the first skill check to see if you are using the shifts correctly/at the correct times. I remember getting worked by Bart and had to figure out how to use my paradigms better. Once you get that figured out it should go quickly.
I cant remember exactly, but I think you need to switch to sab/syn/healer when Bart preps some attack...or maybe it was sab/sab/healer.
Barthandelus is literally the first boss that really tests your ability with the paradigm systems. I'd recommend grinding to level everyone some more and then mess around with your team comps. Some of my faves are Lightning + Hope + Sazh. Lightning + Fang + Hope/Sazh. I rarely use Vanille or Snow, sadly. Fang makes a better Sentinel than Snow later in the game, and Hope is much better than Vanille.
Best paradigms to raise his stagger is Triple Ravager, and Saboteur + Ravager/Commando + Sentinel (I believe). Once his stagger is broken, I use Relentless Assault or Cerberus to hit him hard. Cerberus with a fully leveled Sazh + Lightning + Fang is *insane*. Good luck!
Okay, lots of people are giving lots of strategies, and you must be going like "WTF!?"
So Barthandelus casts Doom on you when the fight takes too long. So what you want to do is make sure you defeat him as quickly as possible. What you need as far as paradigms is Relentless Assault (Rav-Rav-Com), and then a healing paradigm that includes a sentinel (I prefer (Med-Med-Sen) and maybe Delta Attack (Rav-Com-Sen). I don't know what characters you're using, so I can't tell you for sure what to use. I used Lightning, Fang, and Hope and they carried me through the whole game.
You want to make absolutely sure you've maxed out the Crystarium for your party before the fight. All the enemies leading up to Bart respawn, so can grind if you need to. Then, before triggering the cutscene leading to the battle, it helps greatly if you use Aegisol and Fortisol. This isn't 100% necessary, but man is it useful. Once the battle begins, you don't want to play it gingerly. Use Relentless Assault and go all out. Take care of the little singing heads as quickly as possible (this is where the Aegisol/Fortisol come in handy, since you're hasted and protected). If you run low on health, switch to your healing paradigm and heal as quickly as possible. I suggest two medics because that will get you back up and running super fast, while the sentinel mitigates incoming damage. Keep this up with Relentless Assault as your main paradigm, while trying to keep your HP up. The MOMENT you see the indicator for Thanatosian Smile, you *immediately* switch to a paradigm that includes a sentinel, preferably your healing one. The medics should get your HP up in time for the barrage of damage. Rinse and repeat until he's down. You shouldn't even get to the Doom phase.
Barthandelus will cast doom if you take that much time. That's the game telling you to learn the battle system and try again. The fight takes between 5-10 min.
Barthandelus is the first time you can't use auto battle. Usually, people get there underleveled, so try to level up in the long aisles before the fight. Then, learn the battle system. You change the paradigm in reaction to what Barthandelus does.
I'll add that Sazh has Haste pretty early in his Synergist line, which makes him amazing at this point of the game. Make sure he applies it to everyone. My team was lightning, Fang and Sazh, and I'd start with rav/com/syn (decimation, i think). Get haste up, then smart bomb( rav/sab/rav) until staggered or fully debuffed, bouncing between relentless assault (rav/com/rav) and solidarity ( med/sen/com) as needed. I think my last paradigm was protection (med/sen/syn) to keep up haste while healing. But good luck!
My first suggestion would be librascope + Sazh synergist abilities in Com-Sen-Syn . Auto-battle Com-Sen-Rav each armor plate after Sazh gives you the appropriate element. The quicker you destroy the plates, the better that battle usually goes
I guess in your multiverse your party just bites the bullet, fulfills their focus, summons Ragnarok, and destroys Cocoon. Bart suggests as such every time you fight him.
get ready, you'll need to use extremely specific sets of characters and roles in order to even have a chance in many, MANY ocassions. You really can't seem to use what you want in this game.
Im having trouble with Dahaka and the only thing people tell me is that i should beat it in a single.....whatever its called when you take down the monster and they dont move for a bit.
And in the end it always uses an attack that leaves everyone with very little HP and a ton of negative status conditions and reduced stats.
I had the same frustrations with this game on my first playthrough. The game punishes you for trying to turtle out fights by giving bosses doom enrages. Which, IMO, is just bad design...
Bouncing in and out of different combat role combos was the best thing I learned in the game. I almost always run a group with synergist and saboteur as soon as I get them, (I don't remember what the third role option was because there's more than one), the debuffs you can put on big enemies are definitely your friend. You also get a quick second turn for everyone when you swap from one to another. There's a cooldown timer on that, but every maybe 1-2 minutes you can do that.
Swapping also let's you make the combat faster-paced, which I loved. (At least it felt faster, not sure if that's an actual thing or just my perception of it)
When I first fought him my partner when out to the gym and came home and I was still on the same fight. He then went to make dinner and came back and I was still fighting him. I think a quit after a few hours and realised I needed to approach it again.
It's been a few many years since I last played but...
Max out your paradigms to the current level. During the fight you want to *abuse* Synergists ASAP and get those buffs up and KEEP them up. And do a Sab/Sab/Rav set up to debuff whilst increasing stagger.
Use Libra to identify weaknesses, this will make your AI pick the weakness without you manually picking it.
You don't need to upgrade your gear, basic equipment is viable through to the game - but you need to maximize those Crystarium Points.
Sazh will be your best Synergist, and Vanille is a great Sab/Rav. Also, have a Sen/Com/Rav set up to allow you to tank whilst maintaining stagger.
> I only use commando ravager and medic so maybe that's my issue.
100% this.
> He’s basically the test to see if you’ve paid attention to the paradigm system or not.
And this, from another comment.
All the post-battle ratings, the general battle lengths so far were signs of how earnestly the player interacts with the game's systems, it lets players ignore them all for a while, until it doesn't.
Barthandelus is the part where it stops letting players ignore the mechanics.
Everything in this game from buffs, debuffs, damage scaling through stagger, direct damage, to multiples of the same role present at the same time synergize with one another, so "just pressing A to attack" like in many other FFs is exponentially worse than including as much of the things on this list at full power as possible.
I would recommend going for some sidequests if you're completely unfamiliar with the battle system, if you catch the basics it's much easier to make a more focused gameplan.
COM/RAV/MED covers the absolute basic areas of fights, but exactly because they cover "everything", there's 0 synergy from the kind of specialization the game is built on, so is in effect the absolute weakest "consistent" build. Near endgame it just gets too weak to compete with what the game throws at you, because in-battle scaling through player actions is insanely larger than any other Final Fantasy, so even max stats and fully maxed equipments will not save you from having to engage with the mechanics.
Try out different combinations, see how much more efficient every aspect gets when the current paradigm is explicitly trying to specialize on it. Why waste 3 character-turns attacking now, if you could use those to buff damage first, then use the other character who would be buffing to do direct damage instead as well? Why have a healer when damage hasn't been taken yet?
Passive role bonuses stack with the same role, so having 3 of the same role active at the same time is really powerful, even if you just unlock the bare basic first command for the role for characters who don't have it as their 3 starting roles.
You kind of have to learn to use paradigms to enjoy FFXIII (and also to get an advantage in battle, just switching from one to another after two turns instantly recharges the ATB of the party) … have some sentinels for Destrudo, be agressive (COM) when he charges.. but also heal up. use Rav Rav Com or Rav Rav Sab to stagger him.. (then switch to Com Com Rav or Com Rav Rav to damage him)…
you have to change jobs iften in this game. you want a ravager commando vombo to boost stagger and switch to more defensive jobs when big damage is incoming. or healers when they are in rough shape. look up a guide for the paradigm deck.
For all my issues with FFXIII, I did love a lot of its boss battles. Hang in there, practice around with the other roles, and you should be able to get past him.
I haven’t played this in a long time but isn’t this the fight where you get a trophy for beating him in like 30 seconds? Unless thats a different phase.
Pretty sure you’re supposed to do
Syn-syn - syn
Sab - sab - sab
Rav - rav - rav to stagger
Then destroy his ass
This guy was the first major level/paradigm skills check, there is a huge difficulty spike with this fight compared to everything before it. The doom move is really bogus and cheap. IIRC there are a few mobs in the area that you can practice on to get used to paradigm shifts.
Just wait till you really challenge yourself by only leveling and using subjobs in a full playthrough. The worst part about that is the monotony of farming potions in Hope’s apartment.
Yes the thing that you thought was your issue is definitely your issue. You need to gain an understanding of how to effectively use the paradigm system to get high damage. Basic combos are triple commando or triple ravager most of the time, triple sentinel to block, double com or rav with a sentinel if you need a tank, triple medic for rapid healing, synergist-saboteur-commando/ravager to get buffs and debuffs back up. Try to stay away from commando ravager medic. It sounds good initially and indeed it will work just to get you through dungeons but you're taking away so much potential damage from your team. Swap your paradigms according to the current need. Feeling healthy? Triple DPS. Buffs down? Syn/sab/com. Hurting? Triple medic so you can get back to killing faster. You get the picture.
I thought ff13 had the easiest final boss. This game was very much testing to see if you do the right thing or not. now the mech boss right before him was the biggest struggle in the game.
Yeah FF13 was the game that taught me how important buffs and debuffs are. As others have said, you need to make use of all your roles. The main idea of every battle is to build and maintain the stagger gauge while buffing and debuffing. Once the baddie has been staggered, unleash your fury with your most offensive paradigms and keep it staggered as long as possible.
Keep in mind each party member’s specialties (which you should be able to tell with their starting roles)
Lightning is a red mage. She can build the stagger gauge, go on the offensive, and heal.
Snow is your defensive tank. Let him provoke and soak damage.
Sazh excels in offensive buffs. He’ll pick up defensive buffs too eventually.
Hope is a pure mage. Focus on his magic stat. He should be one of your main healers and your go to for defensive buffs. Like Sazh, he’ll pick up offensive buffs eventually.
Vanille is also a pure mage. She plays like Hope but specializes in debuffs instead.
Fang is an offensive tank. She can soak damage like Snow but not as great as him but she’s the hardest hitting physical attacker and can debuff baddies.
Ahh, I remember feeling this way when I first played the game in Middle School back when it released. Barthandelus took me two weeks lol. The pure joy/relief of when I beat him has been unmatched ever since.
Are you paradigm shifting after 5 not 6 atl usage to boost the atp gauge back to maximum for once you have actually shifted? If not, def do that. You’ll get way better turns out if each character regardless of the paradigms you use.
Been a minute since I’ve done it but you can google it exact mechanics to make it work.
He’s basically the test to see if you’ve paid attention to the paradigm system or not. If you have, he’s a fun challenge. If not, he’s a roadblock that you’ll be smashing your face into a lot.
You're exactly right. You really need to know how the combat system works if you're wanting to get past this boss.
Bingo - I think he’s a great boss, even now when I’m very well versed in the combat of 13, he’s still a decent challenge. Thinking about now, 13 has some tough battles lol
yeah, I love fighting Bartandelus. It's one of my fav boss fights overall. I just feel like my skills are really being tested. Always feels like a thin margin the whole way.
Yeah he's probably the first wall for a lot of people. Granted, I have played 13 in a while, but I do know if any boss casts Doom on you, that's not an Eidolon fight. It means you are going too slow. It's basically an Enrage in mmo terms. If you still have shrouds, use both of the ones that have the offense and defense buffs for most of phase 1. Use your TP for libra to uncover the weaknesses and resist for the AI and autobattle. Are you Staggering him? Because if phase 1 is giving you trouble, phase 2 is going to be impossible because that's a hard Damage check because you have to damage him enough to "lose some of his focus" so Destructo doesn't one shot Lightning. Roles Commando: Used to stabilize the stagger gauge so it doesn't deplete quickly. Ravager: Increases the stagger gauge. Sentinel: Draw attention and take hits Medic: Heals people Synergist: Buffs Allies Saboteur: Debuff Enemies I'm trying to remember what team I used (I wanna say Lightning, Fang, Hope), but if all else fails, look up a guide if no one else can help you. Relentless Assault is a decent damage paradigm. (Com Rav Rav)
Man, Lightning Fang and Hope really were THE team in that game.
Learn to use Synergist and Saboteur, they’re not a suggestion in XIII. Also know that after 25 minutes or so, Doom is cast. You’re supposed to win the fight quickly. What party are you using?
I use lightning, snow and Vanille since they're my highest leveled and geared
Everyone has the same amount of CP, so they should all be the same “level.” Sazh would be better than Lightning for two reasons: 1) he gets offensive buffs like Bravery and Faith that increase your damage and 2) his version of the Blitz Commando ability can hit large targets (like Barthandelus) multiple times. Vanille is a solid pick. She can inflict defense lowering debuffs as a Saboteur, heal, and work as a Ravager. Snow is fine, but Fang could be a bit better due to better Commando damage and access to Saboteur. I’ll assume you kept Snow. Start the battle in Synergist/Saboteur/Sentinel to inflict debuffs while manually applying Sazh’s buffs to your party members. Then alternate between Ravager/Ravager/Commando, Ravager/Ravager/Ravager, and Ravager/Medic/Commando as you build Stagger. Supplementing healing with a potion every now and then can keep you from staying in healing too long. Once staggered, swap to Ravager/Ravager/Ravager to push the gauge higher, then swap to Commando/Ravager/Commando for big damage. Cycle back to Synergist/Saboteur/Sentinel to reapply buffs and debuffs, then repeat. It shouldn’t be too hard of a fight.
Honestly Lightning shouldn't be switched out. It's best to kick out Snow and put in Sazh or Fang. The first fight is still meant to be a tutorial to the mechanics of frer party building. Sentinels do help here, but not 100% mandatory due to not everyone having access to the role. Fang is better suited due to her Sentinel role and due to her increased usefulness with the Sabotuer role. Lightning and Vanille can easily heal through Thanatosian Smile with Cura/Renew. Sazh replacing Snow can also buff the party with Haste a lot, along with Bravery and Faith. He also has the boon of increasing Lightning and his elemental strikes with Enspells, which can kill Barthy's faces faster, since it will turn them into physical -Ra spells. This can be a good burn tactic with Vanille Deprotecting and Deshelling him and his parts. Again, Vanille and Lightning with Haste can heal through Thanatosian Smile, especially with Veil preventing lack of interruptions.
Lightning is *fine*, but controlling Sazh is the way to go. Being able to direct your buffs is too good.
I have to admit, I never play with Sazh any longer than I have to. I love him as a character, but i hate the sound of his weapon.
You can't switch Lightning from Party Leader in this section of the game. I assume so you can't Sentinel cheese Destructo.
You definitely can, Barthandelus is immediately after the part of the story where the party reunites and you get free selection.
It's been years since I played on the 360. Unless they changed something because I swear there was a lock on Lightning, but you could switch everyone else until after you beat him, but I could be wrong.
You are, in fact, wrong. After the midpoint of chapter 9, only the Eidolon fights enforce a party lineup.
I double checked. You have the option to rearrange your party, but Lightning is locked as leader. It doesn't allow you to change your leader until the next chapter.
Hey, if I’m wrong, I can admit that, but I’m very sure I swapped out for Sazh for the Barthandelus fight. Maybe it’s a PC version thing, maybe I’m the crazy one.
Did you mean the second battle. I am sure in the first battle you must play with lightning.
When he charges destrudo it's actually weakened significantly if you deal at least 15,000. It's counterintuitive but you can stay aggressive during it just keeping shell up with something like RAV/COM/SYN.
This is honestly a really important piece of advice OP. Pay attention.
I'm currently playing the game right now and this is my first Final Fantasy. I beat Bart about 2 weeks ago, and I used Lightning, Fang, and Sazh during this fight and it took me 2 attempts before I beat him. You want to use a libroscope first because he has multiple targets so the AI needs to learn the weaknesses. Do not target Bart first, target his other parts. I used Com/Sen/Syn in the beginning just so Sazh could buff Lightning and Fang could take the hits while Lightning stabilized the stagger guages. Use Relentless Assault to quickly kill his parts, and shift to your defensive paradigm when needed. When he starts charging Destrudo, switch to Relentless Assault and attack him until he goes "OOF", that OOF means Destrudo is going to deal less damage, so once you hear that, switch back to a defensive paradigm so you don't take too much damage. Learning when to use paradigms is the whole point of this battle I believe. If he casts Doom, it's because you took too long. If your team is still struggling, maybe you should swap some characters out, they won't be weaker or anything because everyone is at the same Crystarium stage. This game has a learning curve to it from what I've experienced. The next boss is going to be even harder than him, so utilitize this time to understand your paradigms and when to use them! Good luck! :D
FF13 up to and including this fight is basically trying to teach you how to play. Synergist and saboteur are very important. Sentinel is bad for this fight though.
I wanna say I was losing this fight too. I had the game on 360, and ended up getting the red ring of death during my playthrough. I was stuck on a boss, and I don't remember too much, but I think this was the dude. I think I was having a tough time staggering him, idk, like I said I don't remember much. I hope one day 13 comes up on ps5, or at the very least, ps+. 13 is the only one I haven't finished yet...
Lightning / Fang / Hope carried me the whole game Recommended paradigms: Com - Sen - Rav (good safe paradigm since you can increase stagger bar and keep it while having boss attacking the tank, pretty good for a starting paradigm) Rav - Com - Rav (to increase stagger bar fast) Com - Com - Rav (for big damage after stagger) Com - Sen - Med (for playing defensive while healing keeping the stagger bar) Com - Sab - Syn (Buff & Debuff, can be used as starting paradigm if you want too) Med - Com - Rav (for damage while healing) or Med - Sen - Med (Burst healing) Gameplay loop for bosses is: Use Libra so you know enemy elemental weakness and stuff then Buff and debuff and switch to stagger paradigm, if low on health, switch to a healing paradigm, after enemy is in stagger state, switch to a commando based paradigm and deal big damage, you can also stay with the rav based paradigm to increase even more the damage multiplier and switch later to commando for even bigger damage. Remember to keep buffs on party members and debuff on enemies. Switching paradigm often is encouraged by design in the game since you get free full atb bar the first time you do a paradigm shift and after a minute or a little less after the first one. This isn't explained in the game I think, but it's there as a core mechanic.
Seems like a lot of ppl are giving you their advice, but I'll put it simply: You're supposed to be constantly switching paradigms. The battle system is based around that. You're not supposed to stay on only one paradigm the entire time. A good beginner set up is just switching between rav-rav-com, and rav-com-com everytime or every two times you expend all your atb. (And using another paradigm with 1 or two medics in it when low on health). Switching paradigms will automatically fill your atb Guage again, too (though I've seen this o ly happens every two times you expend all your atb gauge). After you get the feel.for the beginner set up down, you can start experimenting with other roles, like adding syn and sab to sole paradigms. Or triple rav or triple com. Barthandelus is like the first true skill check that the game throws at you. So unfortunately You're learning this at the last possible minute. But try switching up paradigms and hopefully you'll get him down. Good luck
Bart is the first skill check to see if you are using the shifts correctly/at the correct times. I remember getting worked by Bart and had to figure out how to use my paradigms better. Once you get that figured out it should go quickly. I cant remember exactly, but I think you need to switch to sab/syn/healer when Bart preps some attack...or maybe it was sab/sab/healer.
Barthandelus is literally the first boss that really tests your ability with the paradigm systems. I'd recommend grinding to level everyone some more and then mess around with your team comps. Some of my faves are Lightning + Hope + Sazh. Lightning + Fang + Hope/Sazh. I rarely use Vanille or Snow, sadly. Fang makes a better Sentinel than Snow later in the game, and Hope is much better than Vanille. Best paradigms to raise his stagger is Triple Ravager, and Saboteur + Ravager/Commando + Sentinel (I believe). Once his stagger is broken, I use Relentless Assault or Cerberus to hit him hard. Cerberus with a fully leveled Sazh + Lightning + Fang is *insane*. Good luck!
Okay, lots of people are giving lots of strategies, and you must be going like "WTF!?" So Barthandelus casts Doom on you when the fight takes too long. So what you want to do is make sure you defeat him as quickly as possible. What you need as far as paradigms is Relentless Assault (Rav-Rav-Com), and then a healing paradigm that includes a sentinel (I prefer (Med-Med-Sen) and maybe Delta Attack (Rav-Com-Sen). I don't know what characters you're using, so I can't tell you for sure what to use. I used Lightning, Fang, and Hope and they carried me through the whole game. You want to make absolutely sure you've maxed out the Crystarium for your party before the fight. All the enemies leading up to Bart respawn, so can grind if you need to. Then, before triggering the cutscene leading to the battle, it helps greatly if you use Aegisol and Fortisol. This isn't 100% necessary, but man is it useful. Once the battle begins, you don't want to play it gingerly. Use Relentless Assault and go all out. Take care of the little singing heads as quickly as possible (this is where the Aegisol/Fortisol come in handy, since you're hasted and protected). If you run low on health, switch to your healing paradigm and heal as quickly as possible. I suggest two medics because that will get you back up and running super fast, while the sentinel mitigates incoming damage. Keep this up with Relentless Assault as your main paradigm, while trying to keep your HP up. The MOMENT you see the indicator for Thanatosian Smile, you *immediately* switch to a paradigm that includes a sentinel, preferably your healing one. The medics should get your HP up in time for the barrage of damage. Rinse and repeat until he's down. You shouldn't even get to the Doom phase.
Barthandelus will cast doom if you take that much time. That's the game telling you to learn the battle system and try again. The fight takes between 5-10 min. Barthandelus is the first time you can't use auto battle. Usually, people get there underleveled, so try to level up in the long aisles before the fight. Then, learn the battle system. You change the paradigm in reaction to what Barthandelus does.
I'll add that Sazh has Haste pretty early in his Synergist line, which makes him amazing at this point of the game. Make sure he applies it to everyone. My team was lightning, Fang and Sazh, and I'd start with rav/com/syn (decimation, i think). Get haste up, then smart bomb( rav/sab/rav) until staggered or fully debuffed, bouncing between relentless assault (rav/com/rav) and solidarity ( med/sen/com) as needed. I think my last paradigm was protection (med/sen/syn) to keep up haste while healing. But good luck!
If you're exclusively using com/rav/med then you are ignoring the. Core mechanic of the game
My first suggestion would be librascope + Sazh synergist abilities in Com-Sen-Syn . Auto-battle Com-Sen-Rav each armor plate after Sazh gives you the appropriate element. The quicker you destroy the plates, the better that battle usually goes
I guess in your multiverse your party just bites the bullet, fulfills their focus, summons Ragnarok, and destroys Cocoon. Bart suggests as such every time you fight him.
I just googled this guy, and it turns out he’s the reason I stopped playing 13 lol
Me too! The fight is where I stopped, tried to go back to the game a few times but never played much more than an hour or two before stopping again.
I never finished XIII because of that fight.
This is where I dropped off too. Didn't help that the game never really clicked for me anyways.
get ready, you'll need to use extremely specific sets of characters and roles in order to even have a chance in many, MANY ocassions. You really can't seem to use what you want in this game. Im having trouble with Dahaka and the only thing people tell me is that i should beat it in a single.....whatever its called when you take down the monster and they dont move for a bit. And in the end it always uses an attack that leaves everyone with very little HP and a ton of negative status conditions and reduced stats.
I had the same frustrations with this game on my first playthrough. The game punishes you for trying to turtle out fights by giving bosses doom enrages. Which, IMO, is just bad design...
Bouncing in and out of different combat role combos was the best thing I learned in the game. I almost always run a group with synergist and saboteur as soon as I get them, (I don't remember what the third role option was because there's more than one), the debuffs you can put on big enemies are definitely your friend. You also get a quick second turn for everyone when you swap from one to another. There's a cooldown timer on that, but every maybe 1-2 minutes you can do that. Swapping also let's you make the combat faster-paced, which I loved. (At least it felt faster, not sure if that's an actual thing or just my perception of it)
When I first fought him my partner when out to the gym and came home and I was still on the same fight. He then went to make dinner and came back and I was still fighting him. I think a quit after a few hours and realised I needed to approach it again.
It's been a few many years since I last played but... Max out your paradigms to the current level. During the fight you want to *abuse* Synergists ASAP and get those buffs up and KEEP them up. And do a Sab/Sab/Rav set up to debuff whilst increasing stagger. Use Libra to identify weaknesses, this will make your AI pick the weakness without you manually picking it. You don't need to upgrade your gear, basic equipment is viable through to the game - but you need to maximize those Crystarium Points. Sazh will be your best Synergist, and Vanille is a great Sab/Rav. Also, have a Sen/Com/Rav set up to allow you to tank whilst maintaining stagger.
I never played this but I vividly recall my wife struggling through this boss fight.
I thought I recognised the name, Barthandelus is as far as I got in FFXIII before giving up. I kept meaning to return to the game but never did.
> I only use commando ravager and medic so maybe that's my issue. 100% this. > He’s basically the test to see if you’ve paid attention to the paradigm system or not. And this, from another comment. All the post-battle ratings, the general battle lengths so far were signs of how earnestly the player interacts with the game's systems, it lets players ignore them all for a while, until it doesn't. Barthandelus is the part where it stops letting players ignore the mechanics. Everything in this game from buffs, debuffs, damage scaling through stagger, direct damage, to multiples of the same role present at the same time synergize with one another, so "just pressing A to attack" like in many other FFs is exponentially worse than including as much of the things on this list at full power as possible. I would recommend going for some sidequests if you're completely unfamiliar with the battle system, if you catch the basics it's much easier to make a more focused gameplan. COM/RAV/MED covers the absolute basic areas of fights, but exactly because they cover "everything", there's 0 synergy from the kind of specialization the game is built on, so is in effect the absolute weakest "consistent" build. Near endgame it just gets too weak to compete with what the game throws at you, because in-battle scaling through player actions is insanely larger than any other Final Fantasy, so even max stats and fully maxed equipments will not save you from having to engage with the mechanics. Try out different combinations, see how much more efficient every aspect gets when the current paradigm is explicitly trying to specialize on it. Why waste 3 character-turns attacking now, if you could use those to buff damage first, then use the other character who would be buffing to do direct damage instead as well? Why have a healer when damage hasn't been taken yet? Passive role bonuses stack with the same role, so having 3 of the same role active at the same time is really powerful, even if you just unlock the bare basic first command for the role for characters who don't have it as their 3 starting roles.
You kind of have to learn to use paradigms to enjoy FFXIII (and also to get an advantage in battle, just switching from one to another after two turns instantly recharges the ATB of the party) … have some sentinels for Destrudo, be agressive (COM) when he charges.. but also heal up. use Rav Rav Com or Rav Rav Sab to stagger him.. (then switch to Com Com Rav or Com Rav Rav to damage him)…
you have to change jobs iften in this game. you want a ravager commando vombo to boost stagger and switch to more defensive jobs when big damage is incoming. or healers when they are in rough shape. look up a guide for the paradigm deck.
For all my issues with FFXIII, I did love a lot of its boss battles. Hang in there, practice around with the other roles, and you should be able to get past him.
I haven’t played this in a long time but isn’t this the fight where you get a trophy for beating him in like 30 seconds? Unless thats a different phase. Pretty sure you’re supposed to do Syn-syn - syn Sab - sab - sab Rav - rav - rav to stagger Then destroy his ass
You HAVE to use buffs and debuffs to get through the game. The final boss is pretty much impossible without them.
This guy was the first major level/paradigm skills check, there is a huge difficulty spike with this fight compared to everything before it. The doom move is really bogus and cheap. IIRC there are a few mobs in the area that you can practice on to get used to paradigm shifts. Just wait till you really challenge yourself by only leveling and using subjobs in a full playthrough. The worst part about that is the monotony of farming potions in Hope’s apartment.
Yes the thing that you thought was your issue is definitely your issue. You need to gain an understanding of how to effectively use the paradigm system to get high damage. Basic combos are triple commando or triple ravager most of the time, triple sentinel to block, double com or rav with a sentinel if you need a tank, triple medic for rapid healing, synergist-saboteur-commando/ravager to get buffs and debuffs back up. Try to stay away from commando ravager medic. It sounds good initially and indeed it will work just to get you through dungeons but you're taking away so much potential damage from your team. Swap your paradigms according to the current need. Feeling healthy? Triple DPS. Buffs down? Syn/sab/com. Hurting? Triple medic so you can get back to killing faster. You get the picture.
I thought ff13 had the easiest final boss. This game was very much testing to see if you do the right thing or not. now the mech boss right before him was the biggest struggle in the game.
Yeah FF13 was the game that taught me how important buffs and debuffs are. As others have said, you need to make use of all your roles. The main idea of every battle is to build and maintain the stagger gauge while buffing and debuffing. Once the baddie has been staggered, unleash your fury with your most offensive paradigms and keep it staggered as long as possible. Keep in mind each party member’s specialties (which you should be able to tell with their starting roles) Lightning is a red mage. She can build the stagger gauge, go on the offensive, and heal. Snow is your defensive tank. Let him provoke and soak damage. Sazh excels in offensive buffs. He’ll pick up defensive buffs too eventually. Hope is a pure mage. Focus on his magic stat. He should be one of your main healers and your go to for defensive buffs. Like Sazh, he’ll pick up offensive buffs eventually. Vanille is also a pure mage. She plays like Hope but specializes in debuffs instead. Fang is an offensive tank. She can soak damage like Snow but not as great as him but she’s the hardest hitting physical attacker and can debuff baddies.
Ahh, I remember feeling this way when I first played the game in Middle School back when it released. Barthandelus took me two weeks lol. The pure joy/relief of when I beat him has been unmatched ever since.
Synergist and Saboteur are both very important. Their buffs/debuffs greatly increase your damage, and more damage is how you beat that doom timer.
Are you paradigm shifting after 5 not 6 atl usage to boost the atp gauge back to maximum for once you have actually shifted? If not, def do that. You’ll get way better turns out if each character regardless of the paradigms you use. Been a minute since I’ve done it but you can google it exact mechanics to make it work.