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Final Fantasy 16tackles the age-old RPG problem of whether to go fully open-world or linear enough to tell a tight story by deciding to have its cake and eat it too - sizable regions of the realm of Valisthea can be explored, but the big story beats happen in action-packed stages. Caer Norvent, the location of the ‘Headwind’ main quest, is an early example.
Related:Final Fantasy 16: Stillwind Walkthrough
Clive and Cid, his newfound friend and ally, venture into the depths of this castle keep in search of someone our hero is more than a bit irritated with. Will he find his man? Maybe he should use our guide to guarantee the deed is done.
Early Escapade
Of course, no deep dive would be complete without Torgal. We’ll be thankful for his presence along the way. And do be sure to check the Abilities screen in the game’s menu, since you may have accumulated a good chunk of points to spend en route here.
Follow the winding path toward thedungeons, where, alas, Clive does not locate the Dominant of Fire. Once past the amusing three-part gate-opening fiasco, press on, and pretty soon you’ll hear some chatter. Caer Norvent’s first fight looms.
The bad news is, if you let them,the enemies will try to keep you down at the entryand slowly wear you down. The good news is, they’ll still collapse like paper mache to simple strikes.
The following door isn’t your destination, but check it anyway to trigger dialogue. Tap L3 andTorgal will run over to a new exit, a slim window. Slide on through. Grab the Wyrrite and Steelsilk ahead on the current floor. There’s a Potion up a short staircase by a corpse to your right. Turn back around after its acquisition.
Ignore the main path for a secandhead upstairsfor another battle. Fairly small field here, so Torgal will be helpful in keeping foes at bay.Scarlet Cyclonewill whip them all up in one great huff, making for easy pickings.
The Royal Tognvaldr
Open the gate on the opposite end. You can spam magic on the poor enemies beneath you here for an easy time. There’s atreasure chestto your right afterward with five spools of Steelsilk.
A Bloody Hide is hanging out ahead, between the two available doors. Behind the first door (the one to your right) is a small group of soldiers you can pretty easily juggle with Scarlet Cycle, or keep launched in midair for some aerial slashes for good measure.
Now go through the other door.A lone Royal Tognvaldr spawnsin this outdoor walkway. Don’t underestimate him. Keep moving, andavoid his Raitan attackwhich marks area-of-effect (AOE) dots in a straight line toward you. He’ll also useKatan, a powerful forward-facing flame attack.
you’re able to close the gap withPhoenix Shiftand blast him withaerial thrusts. Best of all, parryingcan stop the Tognvaldr in his tracksifyou can time it just right. Don’t forget to pull up those Eikonic abilities when he’s staggered.
After the fight, get the Potion, and don’t miss thetreasure chestup ahead withThe Favor of Fire (Scarlet Cyclone).This handy accessory ups that skill’s damage somewhat.Ascend the staircase.
Three Waves
Grab the two Sharp Fangs as you climb the staircase, and give chase to the pair ofRoyal Intelligencers,which totally doesn’t feel like we’re being led into a trap. Once they’ve stopped running and joined their allies, use Breakthroughattacks like Rising Flames, and if you may, wrap around any stragglers to hit them from behind.
Asecond waveof enemies will approach consisting mostly of enemy hounds. Their bite can be painful. On the other hand, they’re quite susceptible to Upheaval’s potential for collateral damage, and they’re lightweight enough to all come crumbling down with it.
Athird and final waveis, hypothetically, the hardest. Yet you’re able to actuallykeep them bunched up inside the small area from whence they cameif you’re quick enough with Phoenix Shift (or just run very fast). Use Heatwave to keep them all whipped in a frenzy until they’re done.
Should you fail to get to them in time, they’ll spread out. At this point, we’d say the mage is the biggest threat, so have Torgal distract any of the more knightly sorts long enough to dispatch him.
Suparna And Chirada
There’s a Potion to your right as you enter the next area, and then Bloody Hides to your left. When you’re ready, open the gate into the chapel. Some tense Cid-and-Benedikta fare here, followed by aboss fight against Benedikta’s ‘sisters’, Suparna and Chirada.
We’ve found them to be deadlier when it’s two-against-one - which might seem like common sense until you factor in that the survivor’s stats are raised sharply after the first of them falls.Focus on Suparna, keeping her locked on. The pair have several major attacks, but the one you really need to watch out for involves them tracing AOE lines -several horizontally down the floor- and then they come charging over them.
ensure toposition Clive between the AOE linesevery time, or else he’ll be struck and stumble back.
Block the one who does so, then hammer away at her with attacks like Scarlet Cyclone if you’re able to position yourself at herbackside,which seems to give the other sister some measure of pause even though friendly fire, er, totally doesn’t exist in this game.
If you get caught between the sisters, Heatwave tends to push them back and away from each other, separating them from a combined lethality. Phoenix Shift toward Suparna quickly.
When Chirada remains, she inherits Suparna’s power, but you’ll have a far easier time staggering her now that there’s a lone foe on the field. Use aStrength Tonicif you’ve got one. Be advised, she’ll be swifter with her projectiles, but don’t worry if you’re hit a few times. They’re not too strong.
To The Green Tower
Just Clive and Torgal now. After climbing the stairs ahead, take aleft into the bedroom for a Meteorite, then goright. Enter this door to find astoreroom with a Potion, a High Potion, and a Favor of Fire (Heatwave). Good stuff. Now keep going. You’ll hit upon the first encounter of the dungeon with mages who can heal their allies, but it’s a rapid enough pace not to get bent out of shape. Just slaughter.
Climb the stairs, retrieve the measly two gil, ascend the ladder, and kill the Intelligencers and their hounds. A quick Scarlet Cyclone and Heatwave combo should be sufficient. There’s a Potion downstairs afterward; nab it, then goupstairs. The two guys here can be put down with someMagic Bursts. In fact, our Clive kept swinging in midair for five seconds after their doom.
Go up some more for a Wyrrite, then go through the gate by the fallen foes. There are enough soldiers hereto heed the advice to take out the mages first, lest they keep the curing up. Don’t forget they can attack, too! Aerial juggling will do great again, but won’t be wide enough for everyone, so follow it up with more Scarlet Cyclone and a good melee combo to the face.
Up the stairs, and anotherTognvaldris here - this time with backup hounds.Get rid of the hounds first, sothey won’t bother you as the Tognvaldr taps into his Raitan and Katan. You have some experience with this opponent now, so hopefully, that translates to an easier time.
If you’re comfortable with your Precision Dodge game, you cancontinue the assault against the Tognvaldr even as he uses Raitan. Remember, Torgal can be called forth tosichim, and you can use that time to your advantage in order to set up a string of Charged Magic, or - all the better - go hard against him with your favorite Eikonic trump cards.
Grab the Potion and HIgh Potion, and ascend this last staircase. Two foes, nothing noteworthy, and two pinches of magicked ash behind them. Another Potion and a Bloody Hide round off the loot in Caer Norvent.Prepare yourself well before opening the door;it’s time to challenge Benedikta, and you can read all about the fight in the guide linked below!
