Generally speaking, equipment in a Dragon Quest game progresses in a linear fashion. You’ll reach a new town, find shops filled with items that you’d like to have and set out on a mission of gold gathering before purchasing the items that you need. This repeats itself quite a few times throughout any title in the series, but as you approach the late game things do tend to get a little more compliance. Alchemy recipes, quests and rare opponents can muddy the waters somewhat, and it can be hard to know how best to optimise your team members. Below then, are a few equipment targets to aim for with each of your possible party members.
Hero
- Sun Crown – Greatly increased resistance to Fuddle and Snooze
- Sacred Armour – 30 HP restored each round
- Metal King Shield – Reduces damage from Frizz, Sizz, Bang, Fire Breath and Ice Breath spells by approximately 30 Points
We’ve established many times that the Hero of DQ8 is far and away the best healer available in the game, thanks mainly to his knowledge of Omniheal and a skill that halves all of his MP costs. This doesn’t mean that he cannot contribute with damage, and for at least the first half of the game this is likely what he’ll do, but you’re mainly going to want to keep him alive and active, especially when he’s restoring health.
First up is the Sacred Armour, which is rather self explanatory in that it will restore 30 HP per round, and having your healer constantly topped up is never a bad thing. The Metal King Shield synergises well with this by reducing spell damage from a great deal of forms, meaning he’ll not only often take less, but have a greater proportion of it restored by the armour. Finally, grabbing the Sun Crown is a great way to avoid two of the most annoying ailments in the game; Fuddle and Snooze. Both of these will knock out your ability to heal, and when the game features some very difficult post game bosses, having a full heal every single round is crucial in emerging victorious.
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Yangus
- Skull Helm – Cursed, Attack Power reduced to 0
- Dark Robe – Evasion +25%
- Big Bad Boss Shield – Reduces damage from Frizz, Sizz, Bang, Whoosh, Crack, Fire Breath and Ice Breath by around 50%
Given that equipment, outside of accessories, rarely increases the damage done by a character, Yangus is mainly looking for ways to increase his defensive capabilities. By far our favourite piece here is the Dark Robe, because that 25% has the potential to completely eliminate an enemy turn; one missed boss attack means a round that doesn’t require healing, freeing your team up to do other things and get ahead of the game. Similarly, the Big Bad Boss Shield reduces incoming damage from a huge amount of spells, though it should be noted that PS2 players will only have access to the Big Boss Shield, which only gives an increase in defence, albeit a big chunk at 50 points.
No doubt however, you have spotted the Skull Helm, and are wondering why we would recommend such a thing. Well, Dragon Quest 8 is unfortunately home to some of the worst item drop rates in the entire series, and whilst Yangus can steal items using his Scythe weapon, he’s liable to quickly defeat the opponents from which he thieves. Popping this helm on will ensure that he can steal as many times as he wants in a single encounter, without dealing damage to the target, virtually guaranteeing a drop for those with enough patience!
Jessica
- Happy Hat – Restores MP whilst walking
- Divine Bustier – Evasion +25%
- Goddess Shield – Reduces damage from Frizz, Sizz, Bang, Whoosh, Crack, Fire Breath and Ice Breath by around 50%
Given that she possesses tremendous magical power, Jessica is as close as a character comes to being a ‘glass cannon’ in Dragon Quest 8, mainly thanks to her lower defence and health. Whilst there are a few pieces of equipment that will boost this damage further, we’re much more inclined to ensure that she stays alive, hence our inclusion of the Divine Bustier and Goddess Shield. Having Evasion increased by 25% is a massive bonus on such a squishy unit, and the shield will do a great job at reducing damage from spells that she doesn’t avoid. Regarding the helm, there are actually a few Wisdom boosting models that you could opt for, but we much prefer the Happy Hat; having a constant stream of MP, along with her excellent staff mastery skill, will keep the spells flying no matter the dungeon length.
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Angelo
- Phantom Mask – Evasion +12%
- Dragon Robe – Reduces damage from Frizz, Sizz, Bang, Crack, Fire Breath and Ice Breath by around 50%
- Sacred Armour – 30 HP restored each round
- Goddess Shield – Reduces damage from Frizz, Sizz, Bang, Whoosh, Crack, Fire Breath and Ice Breath by around 50%
Given the possibility that Angelo may be your main source of healing, our recommendations are somewhat similar to that of the Hero, in that you’ll want to keep him alive as much as possible. He does have some different options however, like the Evasion boosting Phantom Mask, but our absolute favourite in this regard is the Sacred Armour, because it essentially acts like -30 reduction for every form of incoming damage. Whichever character you choose to be the main healer should probably wear this, for that added safety and confidence. Outside of these two items, we tend to opt for the best damage reduction possible, which tends to be the Dragon Robe and Goddess Shield. These offer high defence and great spell reductions as bonuses, which again serve Angelo well in his more supportive role.
Morrie
- Phantom Mask – Evasion +12%
- Jester’s Outfit – Reduces all spell damage taken by 33%, apart from Zap-type
- Metal King Shield – Reduces damage from Frizz, Sizz, Bang, Fire Breath and Ice Breath spells by approximately 30 Points
Staying true to his character, Morrie is all about getting in on the action, dealing damage and encouraging teammates. Unfortunately, the years have finally caught up with him, so whilst he is very good at both attacking and buffing, he’s not that great at taking damage. To mitigate this, you’ll want to load him up with the very best defensive options possible, like the Phantom Mask that increases his Evasion, or the Metal King Shield that provides huge defence and spell damage reduction. Unique to Morrie is the Jester’s Outfit, which provides a good amount of defence, reduces almost all incoming spell damage and even changes the way his character looks. Where others might have a little more give in their roles and as such equipment choices, these are pretty solidified as the best options for him.
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Red
- Kunoichi Headband – Agility +15
- Sun Crown – Greatly increased resistance to Fuddle and Snooze
- Cap’n’s Clothes – Increased steal chance by 50%
- Goddess Shield – Reduces damage from Frizz, Sizz, Bang, Whoosh, Crack, Fire Breath and Ice Breath by around 50%
Being one of the most unique party members available, Red’s equipment choices are a little different. This is because the most efficient way to play her role, which is entirely focused around dealing damage, is to prioritise her Dosh Toss skill over anything else. With enough cash invested she’ll deal tremendous damage every single round, eclipsing almost any other skill you have available to you. Given that she passively increases gold simply by investing into her Roguery skills, which essentially funds her Dosh Toss skill alone, her remaining actions should revolve around stealing items, for which the Cap’n’s Clothes are absolutely incredible, especially when you consider the low drop rate in Dragon Quest 8.
Outside of this frankly essential piece of equipment, you can either focus Red into damage reduction and ailment resistance with the Sun Crown, or ensure that she goes first in battle with the Agility boosting Kunoichi Headband. It’s rare that you’ll meet opponents that go before her, but it’s nice to have this extra to ensure that it’s always the case. Finally, should she be a mainstay in the team for tough battles, the Goddess Shield will be a huge help in keeping her alive; much like her 3DS version joining partner in crime Morrie, she doesn’t exactly have the best defences.
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Categories: Dragon Quest VIII