Soulcalibur IV Walkthrough
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Version: 2.00 - October 21st, 2009
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Copyright 2008-2009 Elixym - All rights reserved.
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This guide is intended for personal, private use.  It may not be placed on
any web site or distributed publicly on any other form of media without
advance written permission.  Other than for personal use, reproduction of
this guide or any part of it without permission is strictly prohibited, and
a violation of copyright.  Before requesting permission to post this guide
please make sure you agree to these terms:
1. You cannot sell, commercialize, or place ads with the guide.
2. You must leave it exactly as it is, complete and unmodified.
3. You must be willing to take the guide down if I ever request it.
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All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Contact: E l i x y m (at) Y a h o o (dot) c o m
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Sections:
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0. Sections
1. Introduction
2. Contact Info
3. The Tower of Lost Souls
4. Descending the Tower
5. Honors
6. Unlockables
7. Arcade Mode
8. Story Mode
9. Credits
Search for "X#X" to jump to the section you want, replacing the # with the
section number shown above.  Press CTRL+F to search.
Many thanks to [@U] RealmOfKreation, who suggested indexing the guide.
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Introduction
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Hello and welcome!  This is my attempt at writing a walkthrough for
Soulcalibur IV.  Having never written a walkthrough before, I may have
gotten in over my head a little, but it's definitely been interesting, and
fun.  This walkthrough, which began simply as a bunch of notes about the
Tower of Lost Souls, eventually grew to cover all the different modes of
the game, how to unlock all of the extra characters, how to earn the
Honors, etc.  It's been over a year since the last time the guide was
updated; there was always one more thing to finish, and then one more
thing, and then. . . well, you get the idea.   But, after finally finishing
all the rereading, rethinking, and rewriting that had to be done, and
overcoming many difficulties (like when my X360 fried itself, leaving me,
in the midst of my efforts, with nothing but a Red Ring of Death), the new
and possibly final update to this guide is complete.
You'll notice that in a lot of places an item, strategy, etc., will be
marked with "[@U]".  This indicates that I didn't discover it myself, it
came from tips people sent to me.  For strategies and suggestions, which
already require a lot of space, the contributors' names are listed along
with the "[@U]" marker.  For things such as items or entries in a list, the
names of the contributors will be listed down in the Credits section.  I
arranged it this way to keep everything easy to read.
One last thing, the guide was written while playing the game entirely
offline, so anything involving patches or downloadable content couldn't be
covered.
Well, that's about it.  I hope the guide is helpful to you!
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Contact Info
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Contact: E l i x y m (at) Y a h o o (dot) c o m
I believe that this guide may finally be finished, but, of course, you're
still welcome to send me a question or suggestion if you feel like it.
Just keep in mind that new suggestions might not make it into the guide
unless further updates become necessary.  If you do send me information of
some sort, please also include a name to credit you by, just in case.  If
you don't receive a reply from me, it doesn't mean that I didn't find your
e-mail helpful or that I'm ignoring you.  It simply means I'm getting a lot
of mail, and I may not be able to reply to all of it.  Many thanks to all
who have sent contributions!
Requests to post this guide on other sites will probably take some time
to consider.  Also, make sure you've seen the terms at the top of the
guide.  (Basically I want you to treat the guide as Gamefaqs does.)  If you
agree to the terms, contact me and I will consider your request.
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The Tower of Lost Souls
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Welcome to the Tower!  May you not become a Lost Soul in your quest through
this fun but frustrating mode.  There are two paths to choose from in the
Tower of Lost Souls; Ascending, and Descending.  However, before you can
choose to Descend, you must first Ascend to the 20th Floor or beyond.  This
section is about Ascending the Tower.
In Ascending, you'll make your way up through the Tower's 60 floors by
fighting the many foes that guard them.  Most of the floors are grouped in
sets of two or three, and you must clear the whole set to move onward.
Each floor has a treasure, a prize you can unlock by fulfilling a specific
acquisition condition.  Exactly what that condition is will not be made
clear until you have fulfilled it; instead, you are given a hint to help
you figure out what you must do.  While some of these hints are obvious,
others are very obscure.  To be honest, there are some I might never have
figured out, if not for all the help I received from others (thanks, guys!)
The equipment you can acquire in the Tower of Lost Souls can also be made
available for purchase by earning certain amounts of Honors.  (See the
Honors section for more detail.)  If you've already purchased the item that
was a particular floor's treasure, you will receive a reward of Gold in its
place.  However, the amount you receive will usually be quite a bit less
than what you spent on the item.  Acquiring treasures from the Tower is a
much thriftier way to go.
All right then!  I'm going to list each floor, then the treasure you can
acquire there, then the hint for that floor, then the actual acquisition
condition, and, lastly, some suggestions on easy (possibly cheaty) ways to
fulfill this condition.  Since each floor in a set will usually have a
different acquisition condition, you'll need to go through each set several
times, using whichever characters, skills, and attacks are most effective
for a specific floor.
As you read through the guide, you'll see "[@U]" in a lot of places--this
means the idea didn't come from @me.  :)  If you don't see a name by the
marker, just check out the Credits section to see who contributed the info.
Good luck, and happy ascension!
Floor 1
Item: Soldier's Hat OR 1000 Gold
Hint: "Do not part with your vitality."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage with no damage taken.
Suggestions: It might be a good idea to choose a character with a long
weapon, such as Siegfried, Kilik, or Seong Mi-Na.  The enemies on this
floor aren't very difficult to defeat, though, so anyone you like would
probably be fine.  With characters who don't have a long weapon, you might
want to try repeatedly using throws.  This seems to work fairly well, but
since throws require you to be close to your opponent, there is a chance
that you might get hit.  [@U] Wyhdis suggested using Siegfried's Thrust
Throw attack to Ring Out the opponents while maintaining a safe distance.
Floor 2
Item: Warrior Trousers OR 1000 Gold
Hint: "Only weak fools perish in the darkness."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage with no Ring Out from either
parties.
Suggestions: This is pretty simple.  Just stay away from the edges of the
stage, and be careful to avoid using attacks that are likely to send your
opponent out of the ring.  Also, you might want to have one of the Nullify
Ring Out skills, just in case something goes wrong.
Floor 3
Item: Pauldrons OR 1000 Gold
Hint: "You are not alone."
Acquisition Condition: Switch with an ally 2 or more times.
Suggestions: This is the easiest acquisition condition there is.  All you
have to do is switch characters a few times, and you're done.  To switch,
simply press whichever button is set as "SWT" in the controls.  The default
setup would have this on the Right Bumper (or R1, for the PS3).  You'll
have your treasure almost instantly.  I wish more of the floors were like
this. . . .
Floor 4
Item: Warlord's Belt OR 1000 Gold
Hint: "Unleash attacks that strike and seize."
Acquisition Condition: Performed 3 attack throws.
Suggestions: I did this with Siegfried, using his Thrust Throw attack.
Flap Jack (while crouching, A+G) and Over Toss (while crouching, B+G) are
also attack throws, and they're even easier to perform.  If you want to use
a different character, but you don't know their attack throws, just check
the Move List (attack throws are marked by AT in an orange circle).  You
can select the Move List from the Pause Menu during battle.
Floor 5
Item: Clergy Clothes OR 1000 Gold
Hint: "Lure into the abyss."
Acquisition Condition: Defeated an enemy by Ring Out.
Suggestions: Siegfried and Raphael both have attacks that are great for
getting Ring Outs.  Siegfried's Thrust Throw, Flap Jack, and Over Toss all
work quite well, and Raphael's B+G throw, Unending Stings, is just plain
awesome.
Floor 6
Item: Wonder Jacket OR 1500 Gold
Hint: "Catch the enemy with your own hands."
Acquisition Condition: Threw an opponent.
Suggestions: There isn't much to say, is there?  ;)
Floor 7
Item: Warrior Trousers [@U] OR 1500 Gold
Hint: "Strike with precision."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage without missing any attacks. [@U]
Suggestions: [@U] Ushinotane advised selecting a character who is slow and
has a long reach, recommending Nightmare's combo, down-back and B, A+B,
down+B.  My favorite attack to use here is Siegfried's Maelstrom (while
rising, press the horizontal attack button twice).  Maelstrom has a very
wide range, and even though there are two swings to it, the first one can
miss without causing you to fail the condition, as long as the second swing
hits.  Also, there's a chance that it might Ring Out the opponent if
they're near the edge of the ring--which is a good thing, because if you
can end the battle quickly, you'll have less opportunities to fail.
Another good option would be to use throws to get Ring Outs on purpose.
[@U] elemental_drago said that Vader's A+G throw is good for this, if
you're standing with your own back to the edge of the ring.  [@U] Elitany
recommended using The Apprentice's B+G throw, Force Impact, for a Ring Out
(and, as with Vader's, you should be standing with your own back to the
edge).  So if you don't have Vader, try this instead.
Floor 8
Item: Armor Ring: Ice Mirror OR 1500 Gold
Hint: "You are not alone."
Acquisition Condition: Switch with an ally 2 or more times.
Suggestions: Another easy one.  Cool!  But don't get used to it. . . .
Floor 9
Item: Scarlet Blossoms OR 1500 Gold
Hint: "Become a shield to repel the blade."
Acquisition Condition: Guarded the opponent's attack 3 times in a row.
Suggestions: This isn't necessarily easy, but there isn't much to be said
about it, either.  Just keep trying.  [@U] jordlittle pointed out that you
should use a character who has a lot of HP, and whose Soul Gauge recovers
easily.  Soul Gauge Boost A and Soul Gauge Recovery would be good skills to
have.
Floor 10
Item: Silver Boots [@U] OR 1500 Gold
Hint: "The best offense is a good defense."
Acquisition Condition: Guarded the opponent's attack 10 times in a row.[@U]
Suggestions: Like the last floor, only much, much harder.  If you have
Yoda, [@U] HolyPenguin18 had the excellent idea of using him for this
condition, so that you won't have to worry about throws interrupting your
guarding, and you can just concentrate on watching the opponent.  Guard
normally against mid attacks, guard low if you see a low attack coming, and
if the opponent uses an Unblockable Attack, just move out of the way.
(High attacks won't hit Yoda at all.)  Also, [@U] jordlittle pointed out
that you should use a character who has high HP, and whose Soul Gauge
recovers easily.  Soul Gauge Boost A and Soul Gauge Recovery would be good
skills to have.
Floor 11
Item: Grim Horn OR 2000 Gold
Hint: "Use your ultimate attack without reservation."
Acquisition Condition: Defeated all enemies with Critical Finish.
Suggestions: The easiest way I've found to get a Critical Finish is by
repeatedly using Yun-Seong's Avenging Claws attack (forward, vertical,
vertical).  Just keep at it until the opponent's Soul Gauge flashes red,
and then once or twice more after that.  Eventually, the opponent will
flash with reddish lightning for a second, and their Soul Gauge will
shatter, turning from red to black.  This is your opportunity to perform a
Critical Finish, but you'll have to do it quickly.  Press the Left Bumper,
or L1 for the PS3.  (It can also be customized to a button you choose.)
If you did it in time, you get to watch as your character delivers the
finishing blow to your opponent in a short cutscene.  After that, you'll
have to start over again with the next foe.  Getting Critical Finishes
against all of them is going to be pretty difficult, since they'll probably
start Guard Impacting your Avenging Claws at some point.  Just keep trying,
though, and eventually it should work out.
Floor 12
Item: Magus Cloth OR 2000 Gold
Hint: "Lure them all into the abyss."
Acquisition Condition: Defeated all enemies by Ring Out.
Suggestions: Siegfried's Over Toss is especially useful for this battle,
since it will allow you to toss opponents over the low walls in the stage,
meaning that you can get Ring Outs without having to break down the other
walls.  Just back up to one of the low walls, crouch down, and use Over
Toss to throw the opponents out of the ring.  If you end up on the inside,
you can use Flap Jack instead, but remember that this attack doesn't throw
them as high as Over Toss would, so it will be more difficult this way.
Floor 13
Item: Pegasus Sallet OR 2000 Gold
Hint: "Do not let the walls contain your rage."
Acquisition Condition: Destroyed all the walls within the stage.
Suggestions: I'd recommend taking Siegfried.  Back up to the wall you
intend to break, and then use Thrust Throw.  If you manage to stab the
opponent, Siegfried will then swing them up and smash them down on the
opposite side, right into the wall.  Repeat the process with the remaining
wall, and then you'll have your treasure.
Floor 14
Item: Phantom Pavilion-Seesaw (It's a stage).
Hint: "A true warrior does not seek protection; repel the blade."
Acquisition Condition: Performed 3 or more Guard Impacts.
Suggestions: If you have trouble performing Guard Impacts, just customize a
character with the skill Auto Impact A, and keep guarding until you get the
treasure.
Floor 15
Item: Submission Belt [@U] OR 2000 Gold
Hint: "Devote your strategy to a singular strike."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage only with A & G. [@U]
Suggestions: You can use horizontal strikes and guard, and also A+G throws.
You can't use vertical strikes or kicks without failing the condition.
Floor 16
Item: Warlord's Pauldrons OR 2500 Gold
Hint: "The victor emerges at the final moment."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage with time remaining at 0.
Suggestions: I couldn't find a way to make this easier myself. . . the
opponent always seems to know enough to attack you right at the last
instant, interrupting you just enough to ruin everything.  [@U] Jake
suggested that you attack the opponent until their health is low enough for
one more hit to defeat them, and then use Cervantes's Shadow Flare attack
when the remaining time is down to one second.  If the opponent runs toward
you or gets close to you, however, Jake suggested using Dread Slash, an
Unblockable Attack that sweeps in front of you.
Another option, suggested by [@U] Beejinator, Wyhdis, and YHChang, is to
use a throw with a lengthy animation.  The time will continue to run down
as the throw is taking place, so you can do it a little early, say with
about two or three seconds left.  That way, if something goes wrong, you
may still have time to try something else.  A good throw to use might be
Astaroth's Maelstrom Divide, which is his A+G throw.  If you use this when
there are two seconds left on the timer, it should hit when the time
remaining is 0.
The first few times you try, something will probably go wrong.  Ah well.
Just keep at it, and take a break to cool off if you start getting the
impulse to throw your controller at something. . . .  ;)
Floor 17
Item: Arm Bandages [@U] OR 2500 Gold
Hint: "Master the ceaseless dance."
Acquisition Condition: Executed a 5+ combo. [@U]
Suggestions: [@U] Ushinotane suggested using Amy's Stocatta Rampage
Crescendo attack (back+B+K) for a 9 hit combo.
Floor 18
Item: Kouchu Kabuto OR 2500 Gold
Hint: "Explore the boundaries of the stage."
Acquisition Condition: Stood on all corners of the stage.
Suggestions: It might be a good idea to choose a character who can move
quickly, so that you can get where you're going faster.  Nullify Ring Out A
would be a good skill to have, because in order to stand at the corners of
the stage, you'll need to be very close to the edge of the ring--prime
Ring Out territory.  Not nice.
Floor 19
Item: Demonic Kabuto OR 2500 Gold
Hint: "Fight with your allies."
Acquisition Condition: Switched with an ally 5 or more times.
Suggestions: You have to switch characters five times rather than twice,
but this really doesn't make much difference.  It's still easy.
Floor 20
Item: Life Gem: Sun OR 2500 Gold
Hint: "Hand down judgement with one swing."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage with a Critical Finish.
Suggestions: In order to fulfill the condition, you must defeat the last
opponent in this battle with a Critical Finish.  Repeatedly using
Yun-Seong's Avenging Claws attack is the best way I know of to do this.
Use this attack to damage the opponent's Soul Gauge until it starts
flashing red.  This means you're getting close, so be ready.  Keep using
Avenging Claws until you see the opponent stagger and flash with reddish
lightning.  That's when you can perform your Critical Finish.
Floor 21
Item: Longhua Qipao OR 3000 Gold
Hint: "Give in to the abyss."
Acquisition Condition: Voluntarily performed a Ring Out.
Suggestions: Simply moving to the edge of the ring and jumping out can
fulfill this condition, as long as the opponent doesn't hit you while
you're doing it.  An easier way, suggested by [@U] ShadowSlasherZ, is to
take Cervantes and use Geo Da Ray, while you're near the edge of the ring
and facing it.  Another good option, suggested by [@U] Wyhdis, BlueZero4,
and nick Alcatarion, is to use The Apprentice's Force Flip (A+K and a
direction).  And, last but not least, Yoshimitsu's Manji Dragonfly is also
an effective way to give in to the abyss.  Just press up+B+K, and then
fly back out over the edge of the ring.
Floor 22
Item: Honor Boots OR 3000 Gold
Hint: "Interrupt your opponent's attacks with your own."
Acquisition Condition: Performed 4 or more Counter Hits.
Suggestions: Counter Hits (Attack Counters, Side Dash Counters, and Back
Dash Counters) occur when you strike an opponent while they're attacking
you, moving sideways, or moving backwards.  It might be helpful to choose
a character whose attacks are fast, such as Taki for example.  Still, I did
it with Siegfried, so even slow characters shouldn't have too much trouble
with this.  If you do have trouble with it, though, customizing your
character with the skill Auto Counter A might help.
Floor 23
Item: Frilled Skirt OR 3000 Gold [@U]
Hint: "Become a shield to repel the blade."
Acquisition Condition: Guarded the opponent's attack 3 times in a row.
Suggestions: Just keep an eye on the opponent, and guard their attacks as
well as you can.  [@U] jordlittle pointed out that you should use a
character who has a lot of HP, and whose Soul Gauge recovers easily.  Soul
Gauge Boost A and Soul Gauge Recovery would be good skills to have.
Floor 24
Item: Protect Gem: Cardinal Direction [@U] OR 3000 Gold
Hint: "Surpass the limit of power with one attempt."
Acquisition Condition: Performed a combo with a total damage over 240. [@U]
Suggestions: [@U] xxGroomexx suggested using Astaroth's Discus Breaker
attack for this condition, and it works very well indeed.  You should
probably customize Astaroth with as high an Attack stat as you can manage,
to make sure enough damage is done.
Floor 25
Item: Zhuque Changpao OR 3000 Gold
Hint: "Apprehend with your hands multiple times."
Acquisition Condition: Threw 5 times.
Suggestions: Nothing special to this.  I love the easy ones, don't you?
Floor 26
Item: Warthog Cuirass [@U] OR 3500 Gold
Hint: "Master the never-ending dance."
Acquisition Condition: Executed a 10+ combo. [@U]
Suggestions: [@U] Chaos ZX suggested using Amy's Dread Coffin~Stocatta
Rampage Crescendo attack for the 10+ combo.  You have to walk back and
press the vertical attack button, have it hit an attacking opponent, and
then press the vertical attack button again.  Another option, suggested by
[@U] TheKench, is to use Amy's Falling Prayer and then Stocatta Rampage
Crescendo (forward B+K, back B+K, B).  Either way works well, so choose the
one that's easiest for you.
Floor 27
Item: Iron Gauntlets [@U] OR 3500 Gold
Hint: "Do not part with your vitality."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage with no damage taken.
Suggestions: This will be more difficult than the last floor that had this
acquisition condition, since the foes here are more skilled, and therefore
much more likely to part you from your vitality.  As I said for that
earlier floor, choosing a fighter who has a long weapon could be a good
idea; repeatedly using throws might also work.  [@U] Wyhdis suggested using
Siegfried's Thrust Throw attack to Ring Out the opponents while maintaining
a safe distance.
Floor 28
Item: Aculeus Suit [@U] OR 3500 Gold
Hint: "Keep jolting the opponent's defense."
Acquisition Condition: Opponent guarded a Guard Break attack at least
twice.
Suggestions: Yun-Seong's Avenging Claws is the attack I'd use, since it's
fast and very easy to perform.  If you'd prefer to use another character,
just look in the Move List for attacks marked with GB in a blue circle.
Floor 29
Item: Menghu Boots OR 3500 Gold
Hint: "Fight with your allies."
Acquisition Condition: Switched with an ally 5 or more times
Suggestions: Another easy one!  Yay!
Floor 30
Item: Spirit Gem: Nonuple Heads OR 3500 Gold
Hint: "A fearless warrior triumphs."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage without guarding.
Suggestions: Ouch.  This can be a pain, simply because guarding gets to be
such a habit.  Any character is as good as any other for this condition, so
choose anybody you like.  The battle itself isn't particularly hard, but
since you can't guard, you still might take a pounding.  Because of this,
you might want to customize your chosen character with some extra HP.
Floor 31
Item: Longming Qipao [@U] OR 4000 Gold
Hint: "Rely on impeccable timing for victory."
Acquisition Condition: Performed 5 or more Just Inputs. [@U]
Suggestions: [@U] Vordred discovered this awesome way to fulfill the
condition.  Take Maxi, and use his Fury~Right Outer attack (B+K,B,B,B,A).
If you press B+K, and then simply mash the vertical attack button, you will
often get a Just Input (or sometimes two or three).  Maxi will flash white
for a second when you successfully do the Just Inputs.  Another awesome way
to do it, suggested by [@U] Rude Samurai, is to use Nightmare's Quick
Revenge (Additional Attack).  To perform the attack, press forward and the
vertical attack button, then press the vertical attack button again as the
stab hits.  It's quite easy to get the timing right, and works nearly every
time.  Both of these ways are easy and work extremely well.  Maxi or
Nightmare--choose whoever you like better.  ;)
Floor 32
Item: Vane Mask [@U] OR 4000 Gold
Hint: "Apprehend the yielding enemy."
Acquisition Condition: Performed a low throw. [@U]
Suggestions: [@U] DigiLuigi informed me that a low throw is a throw that
will only work against a crouching opponent (in the Move List, low throws
will specify "Against crouching opponent").  DigiLuigi recommended using
Astaroth, who has four low throws, and also mentioned that Cassandra,
Xianghua, and Rock have low throws as well.  I used Cassandra's Seraphim
Cyclone, because it was easier for me to get past the first two floors of
this set with her.
Floor 33
Item: Battle Dress OR 4000 Gold
Hint: "Unleash attacks that strike and seize."
Acquisition Condition: Performed 3 attack throws.
Suggestions: Siegfried's Thrust Throw, Flap Jack, and Over Toss are all
good attack throws.  Like I said before, though, if you'd rather use
someone else, just look at the Move List and use attacks that are marked by
AT in an orange circle.
Floor 34
Item: Power Gem: Warrior Princess OR 4000 Gold
Hint: "A true warrior does not seek protection; repel the blade."
Acquisition Condition: Performed 3 or more Guard Impacts.
Suggestions: Create a character with the skill Auto Impact A.  After that,
all you have to do is keep guarding until the skill performs the Guard
Impacts for you.  Before long, the treasure should be yours.  Nifty, isn't
it?
Floor 35
Item: Warthog Pauldrons OR 4000 Gold [@U]
Hint: "Do not escape, hide, or seek protection."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage without switching characters.
Suggestions: Since you won't be able to switch out for healing, you should
make sure your characters have another way to heal themselves--the skill HP
Drain A would be very helpful, and of course you should try to give them as
much HP as possible.  [@U] Duck of Doom noted that if one character is
defeated and another takes their place, it doesn't count as switching, so
you will be able to use both characters if necessary.  As you're going
through Floors 33 and 34, you should try to keep your first character out
of battle as much as possible.  Then, once you get here, you will be able
to use the healthier character while the one who took most of the damage
has a rest.  Hopefully, by the time your first character falls, the second
will have regained a fair amount of health.
Floor 36
Item: Parlor Blouse [@U] OR 4500 Gold
Hint: "The victor emerges at the final moment."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage with time remaining at 0.
Suggestions: This is a pain, just like the other "victor emerges at the
final moment" battle.  [@U] Jake suggested that you attack the opponent
until their health is low enough for one more hit to defeat them, and then
use Cervantes's Shadow Flare attack when the remaining time is down to one
second.  If the opponent runs toward you or gets close to you, however,
Jake suggested using Dread Slash, an Unblockable Attack that sweeps in
front of you.
Another option, suggested by [@U] Beejinator, Wyhdis, and YHChang, is to
use a throw with a lengthy animation.  The time will continue to run down
as the throw is taking place, so you can do it a little early, say with
about two or three seconds left.  That way, if something goes wrong, you
may still have time to try something else.  A good throw to use might be
Astaroth's Maelstrom Divide, which is his A+G throw.  If you use this when
there are two seconds left on the timer, it should hit when the time
remaining is 0.
Floor 37
Item: Siren's Helm [@U] OR 4500 Gold
Hint: "Use your ultimate attack without reservation."
Acquisition Condition: Defeated all enemies with Critical Finish.
Suggestions: Yun-Seong, it's your turn again!  Ha ha.  Anyway, remember;
repeatedly using Yun-Seong's Avenging Claws attack is a very effective way
to get Critical Finishes quickly.  And quickly will be necessary, because
you've got very limited time to do this in.  (Same goes for all the battles
in this set.)  Even with Yun-Seong, it's still very hard, so you should
probably customize him with the skill Soul Gauge Damage A.  It can make a
big difference.
Floor 38
Item: Gorgon Fauld OR 4500 Gold
Hint: "Lure them all into the abyss."
Acquisition Condition: Defeated all enemies by Ring Out.
Suggestions: At first glance, this doesn't seem so bad, does it?  Ring
Outs?  Well, think again.  First there's the time limit, which is a big
problem.  Second, there's the fact that ALL of the opponents in this
battle have the Nullify Ring Out A skill.  Unbelievable, isn't it?  This
makes it very hard to get the Ring Outs you need.  You've got to try again
and again--with the time ticking away all the while.  Combine that with the
fact that most of the foes have an Auto Grapple Break skill as well, and
you've got a heck of a tough condition to meet.  Siegfried to the rescue!
Flap Jack and Over Toss are very helpful here, since Auto Grapple Break
skills do not affect them.  Stand near the edge of the ring and just keep
using them, Flap Jack if the enemy is on the side near the edge, Over Toss
if you are the one on the edge side.  Other useful attacks include Thrust
Throw, (if you're on the edge side) and Maelstrom (when the opponent is
near the edge).  Keep in mind that these attacks deal more damage than
Flap Jack and Over Toss, so be careful that you don't defeat the opponents
before you can send them out of the ring.  Good luck.
Floor 39
Item: Kingfisher Greaves [@U] OR 4500 Gold
Hint: "Do not give up the place you stand."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage without changing position.
Suggestions: This acquisition condition is a little confusing.  What
exactly does "changing position" mean?  Well, basically, it means walking,
running, etc.  You can pretty much use any attacks you want, even if they
seem to make you change position pretty drastically, as long as you only
press the attack buttons and the guard button--no directionals.  If your
opponent knocks you down, use the guard button to rise, don't roll.
Floor 40
Item: Deer Head [@U] OR 4500 Gold
Hint: "Master the ceaseless dance."
Acquisition Condition: Executed a 5+ combo. [@U]
Suggestions: [@U] Ushinotane suggested using Amy's back+B+K attack,
Stocatta Rampage Crescendo, for the earlier floor with this acquisition
condition.  It works very well for this floor, too.
Floor 41
Item: Minotaur [@U] OR 5000 Gold
Hint: "Rely on impeccable timing for victory."
Acquisition Condition: Performed 5 or more Just Inputs. [@U]
Suggestions: [@U] Vordred discovered this awesome way to fulfill the
condition.  Take Maxi, and use his Fury~Right Outer attack (B+K,B,B,B,A).
If you press B+K, and then simply mash the vertical attack button, you will
often get a Just Input (or sometimes two or three).  Maxi will flash white
for a second when you successfully do the Just Inputs.  Another awesome way
to do it, suggested by [@U] Rude Samurai, is to use Nightmare's Quick
Revenge (Additional Attack).  To perform the attack, press forward and the
vertical attack button, then press the vertical attack button again as the
stab hits.  It's quite easy to get the timing right, and works nearly every
time.  Both of these ways are easy and work extremely well.  Maxi or
Nightmare--choose whoever you like better.  ;)
Floor 42
Item: Demonic Gloves OR 5000 Gold
Hint: "Suppress your opponent's abilities."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage without letting opponents invoke
a skill.
Suggestions: Zasalamel is the only character in this battle who has a skill
to invoke, namely HP Burst.  You need to get rid of him before he uses it.
The simplest option would be to try for a Ring Out, but you'd have to get
lucky for this to work, since Zasalamel has Nullify Ring Out A.  Raphael's
Unending Stings and Siegfried's Flap Jack and Over Toss are good attacks to
use for this.  If you don't want to depend on luck, though, another option
would be to use the Soul Gauge Vamp skill to drain Zasalamel's Soul Gauge.
If you can keep it low enough, he won't be able to use his HP Burst.  If
you decide to try this, you should give both of your characters Soul Gauge
Boost C as well as Soul Gauge Vamp, so that they can both use it several
times.  Before you damage Zasalamel (and thus before he has any reason to
use his HP Burst) use Soul Gauge Vamp until the white glow around his Soul
Gauge disappears.  This means that it's too low for him to use HP Burst.
After that, just try to defeat him.  When his attacks hit you, his Soul
Gauge will recover, so keep an eye on it.  If the white glow reappears, use
Soul Gauge Vamp to lower it again.
Floor 43
Item: Repel Gem: Iron Shell OR 5000 Gold
Hint: "Seize from the enemy's blind spot."
Acquisition Condition: Performed a back throw.
Suggestions: You could try using Ivy's Embrace of Guilt or Embrace of Lust
attacks.  (They're practically the same thing, except that one is with her
weapon in its Sword State, and the other is with her weapon in its Coiled
State.)  When they hit, these attacks turn the opponent away from you.
Combine that with a throw, and you've got a good chance to fulfill this
condition.
Floor 44
Item: War Cloak [@U] OR 5000 Gold [@U]
Hint: "Only weak fools perish in the darkness."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage with no Ring Out from either
parties.
Suggestions: Remember this?  From way, way back on Floor 2?  Wow, it's been
a while.  Anyway, remember to stay away from the edges, avoid using attacks
with high Ring Out potential, and maybe customize your character with the
skill Nullify Ring Out A.
Floor 45
Item: Tiger Lily Kabuto OR 5000 Gold
Hint: "Earn victory with only your raw strength."
Acquisition Condition: Defeated enemies without equipping any skills.
Suggestions: To fulfill the condition you'll need to customize a character
without any skills.  That's easy enough to do, but the problem is that the
enemies on Floors 45 and 46 take very little damage, making it difficult
to defeat them within the time limit.  One way to get around this might be
to take Yun-Seong and go for a Critical Finish by repeatedly using his
Avenging claws attack.  However, if this doesn't work for you, I'd advise
using attack throws, since they seem to hit for as much damage in this
battle as they would in any other.  A good one that does a lot of damage,
suggested by [@U] Matt, is Raphael's Preparation Parry~Cranial Scraper,
which is performed by walking back and pressing the vertical attack button.
Astaroth's Poseidon Tide Rush (Attack Throw) is another good option.  It's
a horizontal attack, so it can hit an enemy who's walking around you, and
it does quite a bit of damage as well.  And then, there's always the old
favorites, Siegfried's Flap Jack, Over Toss, and Thrust Throw.
Floor 46
Item: Butterfly Sallet OR 6000 Gold
Hint: "Earn victory with only your raw strength."
Acquisition Condition: Defeated enemies without equipping any skills.
Suggestions: See the suggestions for Floor 45.
Floor 47
Item: Succubus Boots OR 6000 Gold
Hint: "Apprehend with your hands multiple times."
Acquisition Condition: Threw five times.
Suggestions: Like the other throw-related acquisition conditions, this
isn't too hard, but it will be a little trickier this time because the
opponents in this battle have the Invisible skill.  You can still throw
them, but figuring out where they are can be a pain.  Keep an eye on your
own character, because the closer their head is to the HP bar, the closer
you are to the opponent.  By watching for this, you can figure out when the
opponent is close enough to be thrown.
Floor 48
Item: Life Gem: Jade OR 6000 Gold
Hint: "Fight while unseen."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage with a character equipped with
the skill "Invisible."
Suggestions: All you have to do here is customize your characters with the
Invisible skill--you don't even have to actually use it.  Technically, only
the character who wins the battle has to have the skill, but you should
probably give it to both of them anyway, so that you won't have to worry
about which one you're using at the end of battle.
Floor 49
Item: Horns of Calamity [@U] OR 6000 Gold
Hint: "Strike with precision."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage without missing any attacks. [@U]
Suggestions: There are three opponents on this floor, and they can all
turn invisible, which makes this floor much harder than the last one with
this condition.  It's difficult to say whether a high Attack stat or high
HP is more important here.  Theoretically, the higher your Attack stat, the
fewer times you will have to swing, and the less you swing, the less
opportunities you'll have to miss.  However, surviving against invisible
opponents isn't easy.  Since you can't see what's going on, you'll probably
walk right into a lot of attacks, which makes HP pretty important too.
A particularly useful attack to use is Siegfried's Maelstrom (while rising,
press the horizontal attack button twice).  The first swing of the two can
miss without causing you to fail the condition, as long as the second swing
connects (and because of Maelstrom's wide range, it usually does).  Since
it's a low attack, the opponent can't duck under it, and since it's a
horizontal attack, it isn't easy for them to sidestep it, either.  As an
added bonus, Maelstrom might Ring Out the first two opponents if they
happen to be standing near an edge.  Just use this attack over and over
again.  As long as they aren't behind you, or all the way on the far side
of the screen, it should work.
Another thing you could try, suggested by [@U] Elitany, is the Apprentice's
Force Impact throw.  It's very handy, because you might be able to Ring Out
the first two opponents with it (they have Nullify Ring Out A, but not S).
Plus it does a lot of damage, so it's also useful against the third
opponent, who can't be defeated by Ring Out.
When the opponent turns invisible, you can still get an idea of where they
are by looking at how close your own character's head is to the HP bar.
The closer it is, the closer your character is to the foe.  In addition,
[@U] marauder340 noted that you can see Zasalamel's golden eye even when he
is invisible; it leaves behind a trail of light, so you can use this to
tell where he is if you look closely.
Floor 50
Item: Tiger Lily Breastplates [@U] OR 6000 Gold
Hint: "Master the never-ending dance."
Acquisition Condition: Executed a 10+ combo. [@U]
Suggestions: [@U] Chaos ZX suggested using Amy's Dread Coffin~Stocatta
Rampage Crescendo attack for the 10+ combo.  You have to walk back and
press the vertical attack button, have it hit an attacking opponent, and
then press the vertical attack button again.  Another option, suggested by
[@U] TheKench, is to use Amy's Falling Prayer and then Stocatta Rampage
Crescendo (forward B+K, back B+K, B).  Either way works well, so choose the
one that's easiest for you.
Floor 51
Item: Tiger Lily Fauld OR 7650 Gold
Hint: "Interrupt your opponent's attacks with your own."
Acquisition Condition: Performed 4 or more Counter Hits.
Suggestions: To get Counter Hits, try to hit the opponent while they're
attacking you, moving sideways, or moving backwards.  You'll most likely
fulfill this condition just by fighting as you normally would, but if not,
try giving your character the skill Auto Counter A.
Floor 52
Item: Feathered Wings [@U] OR 7650 Gold
Hint: "Hand down judgement with one swing."
Acquisition Condition: Cleared the stage with a Critical Finish.
Suggestions: An easy way to get a Critical Finish is to repeatedly use
Yun-Seong's Avenging Claws attack.  Customizing him with the skill Soul
Gauge Damage A will make it work even faster.  Remember, you have to get a
Critical Finish against the final opponent in order to fulfill the
acquisition condition.
By the way, if you're just trying to win this set of floors and you're not
worried about getting the treasure, The Apprentice is probably the best
character to choose.  His B+G throw, Force Impact, is a great way to Ring
Out Amy's three henchmen (none of them have Nullify Ring Out or Auto
Grapple Break skills).  It's also useful against Amy herself, because even
though you can't ring her out, Force Impact does A LOT of damage, and seems
to ignore her high Defense.
Floor 53
Item: Blade Ring: Demon Lord OR 7650 Gold
Hint: "Lure them all into the abyss."
Acquisition Condition: Defeated all enemies by Ring Out.
Suggestions: Raphael's Unending Stings throw, and Siegfried's attack throws
Flap Jack, Over Toss, and Thrust Throw are all very handy for Ring Outs.
Floor 54
Item: Leviathan Pauldrons OR 7650 Gold
Hint: "Do not let the walls contain your rage."
Acquisition Condition: Destroyed all the walls within the stage.
Suggestions: Siegfried might be a good character for this.  Position
yourself with your back to the wall you intend to break, and then use
Thrust Throw.  If you manage to stab your opponent with it, Siegfried will
then smash them into the wall behind you, breaking it.
Floor 55
Item: Priestess Kimono [@U] OR 7650 Gold
Hint: "Unleash attacks that strike and seize."
Acquisition Condition: Performed 3 attack throws.
Suggestions: Siegfried's Thrust Throw, Flap Jack, and Over Toss are all
good attack throws.  But. . . you're probably pretty tired of hearing about
them by now, considering that I've mentioned them for almost every floor
in the Tower.  ;)  If you'd like to use some other character, but you don't
know their attack throws, look in the Move List for attacks marked by AT in
an orange circle.
Floor 56
Item: Leviathan Burgonet [@U] OR 10000 Gold
Hint: "Surpass the limit of power with one attempt."
Acquisition Condition: Performed a combo with a total damage over 240. [@U]
Suggestions: [@U] Reiko Sama suggested customizing Yoshimitsu with the
Asura Helm, Executioner's Gorget, Nightmare Pauldron, Leviathan Gauntlets,
Demonic Trousers, Nightmare Greaves, and Mechanical Hands Yin, as well as
the weapon Hihiirokane, and the skills Auto Counter C, Auto Unblockable
Attack A, Start Dash A, and HP Drain C.  (If you don't have the Leviathan
Gauntlets yet, the Executioner's Braces might work instead.)  Then, he said
to use Yoshimitsu's vertical attack until the first Lizardman is defeated,
and then, after the announcer says "K.O.," use Yoshimitsu's Sword Impale
attack (walk back and press the vertical attack button).  This should
defeat the next Lizardman in one hit, as he comes running in.  Reiko Sama
also mentioned that using this trick on the previous floors of this set can
make it easier to get here.  Another attack that can deal enough damage to
fulfill the condition, suggested by [@U] xxGroomexx, is Astaroth's Discus
Breaker.  Make sure you customize him with as high an Attack stat as
possible.
Floor 57
Item: Voodoo Armlets OR 10000 Gold
Hint: "Give in to the abyss."
Acquisition Condition: Voluntarily performed a Ring Out.
Suggestions: The next three floors are quite possibly the biggest challenge
Ascending has to offer.  They're so difficult, in fact, that I've decided
to devote the suggestions space to a strategy for simply surviving them.
*I've even added some alternate methods.  (See Floor 59.)  They're a bit
less complicated, so you might want to check them out first.*
Well anyway, here goes.  Take The Apprentice and Tira as your team.  They
should each have almost two full bars of HP.  The Apprentice should have
the skill HP Drain A, and Tira should have the skills HP Drain B,
Strengthen Vertical, and also Appeal.  In order to get these skills and the
HP, give them both the special equipment called Life Gem: Sun.  Equip Tira
with Soul Edge and give The Apprentice his fourth Lightsaber from the top
of the weapon list.  On Floor 57, your opponents are Cassandra, Sophitia,
and Talim.  This floor is where The Apprentice comes in handiest.  By using
his B+G throw, Force Impact, while you're standing fairly close to an edge,
you can Ring Out these three pests before they do too much damage. . .
hopefully.  It can be a pain, because Cassandra is difficult to grab,
Sophitia has Nullify Ring Out B, and Talim has Nullify Ring Out A.  Still,
it's the easiest way to get through this floor without losing too much HP.
If either member of your team ends up with less than a full green HP bar,
it might not be worth your time to continue with it.  You should probably
just go back and try again if this happens--you'll be needing every drip of
HP you can get for the next two floors.  To Be Continued. . .
(By the way, if you've already finished these floors and you're looking
for suggestions on how to get the treasure, check out Floor 21.)
Floor 58
Item: Tiger Pauldrons OR 10000 Gold
Hint: "Earn victory with only your raw strength."
Acquisition Condition: Defeated enemies without equipping any skills.
Suggestions: . . .Continued from Floor 57.  On this floor, the opponents
you will face are Setsuka, Mitsurugi, and Cervantes.  This floor is Tira's
specialty, so switch out the Apprentice and let him rest for a bit.  :)
It's time to try out the move I like to call "All right!  This is fun!
Here I go!  How's that?!" (press up+B+K, and keep mashing it).  (If Tira is
gloomy, she'll say some other lines instead.)  "All right!  This is fun!"
is actually a combination of moves, which I'll describe now in a bit more
detail.  The first time you press up+B+K, you will perform the move
Updraft, where Tira leaps high into the air.  Pressing them again makes
Updraft become Diving Talon Thrust, a Guard Break attack that hits as she
comes back down.  This attack will often leap you over the opponent,
leaving you facing away from them.  When you press up+B+K a few times while
you are facing away, it performs the attack Retro Noise, which slashes
behind her twice.  (These moves don't all require ALL of these buttons,
however, pressing a few extra buttons doesn't hurt, and this way you can
just keep mashing the same ones over and over again.)  Updraft/Diving Talon
Thrust is handy, because Tira leaps up into the air, which moves her out of
danger and can also sneak in an attack on the way down.  Retro Noise is
especially useful for damaging your opponents, since they'll walk right
into it a lot of the time.  (Maybe since you're facing away, they don't
expect to be attacked?)  Have Tira use these moves against Cervantes and
Mitsurugi.  Whenever Setsuka appears, switch The Apprentice back in and
have him use throws against her.  (Tira probably shouldn't fight Setsuka if
you can help it, since Appeal will lower her stats.)  To Be Continued. . .
(By the way, if you've already finished these floors and you're trying to
get the treasure, you can still use this same strategy, you'll just have
to do it without the help of any skills--this includes weapon skills, so
Tira will need a different weapon.)
Floor 59
Item: Voodoo Greaves [@U] OR 10000 Gold
Hint: "The best offense is a good defense."
Acquisition Condition: Guarded the opponent's attack 10 times in a row.[@U]
Suggestions: . . .Continued from Floor 58.  In this, the final floor of
the set of doom, we continue our Force Impact and "All right!  This is
fun!" party.  Your opponents in this battle will be Tira, Astaroth, and
Nightmare.  Tira is the first opponent.  You should use The Apprentice and
try your best to ring her out before Astaroth comes in (if you can get rid
of Tira in the beginning, neither Astaroth nor Nightmare will be able to
switch out for healing).  When Astaroth shows up, you have an opportunity
to heal yourself a bit.  If you use Force Impact while you're standing at
the center of the ring, it should send Astaroth flying to the far edges.
You can wait for him to run back in, and then repeat the process, healing
The Apprentice with HP Drain and allowing Tira to rest at the same time.
If you don't need healing, just use Force Impact to Ring Out Astaroth, and
Nightmare will appear.  He's the last psycho standing between you and
Floor 60, so go get him!  I'd start by bringing Tira in and having her use
"All right! This is fun!" while The Apprentice has a breather.  Appeal will
raise her stats against Nightmare, so it should be pretty effective.  Be
careful, though, because Updraft/Diving Talon Thrust can send you right out
of the ring if you do it near an edge.  When Tira gets hurt, switch the
Apprentice back in and keep on throwing until it's Tira's turn again.  Keep
in mind that you'll need to improvise a bit here and there--any strategy
will only get you so far.  Good luck, hope to see you on Floor 60!  ;)
(By the way, if you've already finished these floors and you're looking
for suggestions on how to get the treasure, check out Floor 10.)
Alternate Methods:
If the Tira/Apprentice suggestion doesn't work very well for you, here
are some alternate strategies for Floors 57, 58, and 59.
1. [@U] Nickoli suggested using a team of two Cervanteses, customized with
200% Attack and HP Drain A.  After that, just keep using Shadow Flare, and
see how it goes.
2. [@U] Disdamn suggested using a team of Amy, (customized with about 185%
HP, Shave Damage B, and HP Drain A) and the Apprentice or Zasalamel to
Ring Out opponents with throws.  For Amy, he mentioned three simple moves
you'll need: Heavy Mandritti (back+A) a side-step high attack, Falling