How to kill a Marlboro?

How do I kill a Marlboro. I can’t do shit once it unleashes Bad Breath, which it always does on the first turn. I can use the ability "Encounter None" when I’m wandering the places where I know it’s in the area, but I need the Marlboro tentacles eventually if I’m going to get the Doomtrain summon.

Oh, by the way: Squall happened to get knocked out of confusion once it happened. He was berserked, so I couldn’t do anything but watch. He managed to hit the Marlboro 5 times (each for 9999 damage) before dying. STILL didn’t kill it.

The Malboro uses bad breath to torture the player, which may have been a reference to cigarettes causing bad breath

Short answer: Quistis, Initiative, low HP, Degenerator.

Long answer: You need to beef up your status defences. If you get StDefX4 for at least one character (Cerberus will learn this by itself), then junction 100 Pain, Confuse, Berserk and Sleep, this will protect you against all statuses except gradual petrify I think, and this gives you the chance to heal up. If you can’t get a perfect status defence for everyone then just do this for one character. In that case it’s often best to leave one person in bad condition, because if you heal everyone it’ll probably use Bad Breath again much quicker. Its other attacks shouldn’t be too bad once you’ve got control of the battle, so finish it off however you like.

They’ve got a lot of HP, especially if you’re fighting on the Island Closest To Heaven/Hell, where they’ll always be level 100. If you don’t want a long battle you can always go for Degenerator, although it’s really not necessary if you set up your defences right.

Short answer: Quistis, Initiative, low HP, Degenerator.

Long answer: You need to beef up your status defences. If you get StDefX4 for at least one character (Cerberus will learn this by itself), then junction 100 Pain, Confuse, Berserk and Sleep, this will protect you against all statuses except gradual petrify I think, and this gives you the chance to heal up. If you can’t get a perfect status defence for everyone then just do this for one character. In that case it’s often best to leave one person in bad condition, because if you heal everyone it’ll probably use Bad Breath again much quicker. Its other attacks shouldn’t be too bad once you’ve got control of the battle, so finish it off however you like.

They’ve got a lot of HP, especially if you’re fighting on the Island Closest To Heaven/Hell, where they’ll always be level 100. If you don’t want a long battle you can always go for Degenerator, although it’s really not necessary if you set up your defences right.

That’s what I was thinking…thanks : ) All I really want to protect against is Confuse and Berserk. But I didn’t get the GF that has defense against statuses (I forget her name).

Orbitz.

I tend buff one of my players with protection against all statuses that cause me to lose control of that character. (i.e. Confusion, Berzerk, Petrify, Stop).

Then I equip that player with treatment.
Marlboro hardly uses bad breath for anything other than opening move.

The reward for completing the second portion of the Shumi Village sidequest is a Status Guard, which can be used to grant any GF the ST-Def-Jx4 ability. Which you can then use to junction all four of the ones that Noob mentioned.

ST-Def -100 Pains

Thats the best way, or give that bitch a Tic-Tac!

Well, I was going to mention Pain, which does give you a great boost against a lot of statuses, but Noob’s idea actually seemed better, since it’s focused on the ones that specifically can stop up a character from acting and if you junction 100 to each of those, it fully blocks it, whereas I don’t think Pain will do that. (It just gives you a chance, as opposed to a guarantee.)

Ah, i see your point, I can just remember beeing god like powerful by that point in the game. Hunting Marlboros i would usually just use the "Def" preset in the junction setting.

Also, when hunting Malboros, be sure to have completed the Odin sidequest. A couple times for me, Gilgamesh has come and used Zantetsuken in the middle or beginnning of battle, which is, needless to say, extremely helpful.

Marlboro hardly uses bad breath for anything other than opening move.

I’ve had a few battles where it uses bad breath every time I get my characters "esuna-ed", so you can’t really bank on it not using bad breath again.

I need the Marlboro tentacles eventually if I’m going to get the Doomtrain summon.

This has been mentioned many times in other posts, but you don’t need to actually beat malboros to get malboro tentacles. The two ways (that I know) around this are:

1. 4 Malboro cards refine into 1 Malboro tentacle (Dr. Kadowaki and Card Queen in particular seem to have lots of them)
2. Mugging Malboros also gives Malboro tentacles

When I want to get Doomtrain, I just give one player the Mug ability (or two if you have Bahamut), and auto-haste, and just mug it like crazy.

Degenerator.

Well, of course, if you have Initiative and can get it selected right away, sure. Considering how few cards it takes, carding isn’t really a bad strategy either, especially if you keep an eye out for opportunities for Malboro cards (either of the two Olde suggested are a great choice) and are even halfway decent at the card game / have a decent set.

I’ve had a few battles where it uses bad breath every time I get my characters "esuna-ed", so you can’t really bank on it not using bad breath again.

Well, you could always petrify 2 characters beforehand and equip the remaining character with 100 Stat-Def J of Confuse, Berzerk, Petrify, Stop. Inflict the remaining character with zombie (to protect against doom), and equip auto-haste (protect against slow).

Then basically you have a character who’s ATB gauge is independent of Marlboro’s Breath.

Well, you could always petrify 2 characters beforehand and equip the remaining character with 100 Stat-Def J of Confuse, Berzerk, Petrify, Stop. Inflict the remaining character with zombie (to protect against doom), and equip auto-haste (protect against slow).

Then basically you have a character who’s ATB gauge is independent of Marlboro’s Breath.

yes, but then your remaining character is vulnerable to sleep. And if he takes damage while he’s asleep if Malboro uses Eerie Soundwave or that acid move, there’s no way to heal him (b/c of zombie). Also, if that character dies, it’s game over. I really don’t see the good of that tactic.

Pray for Odin

Well, of course, if you have Initiative and can get it selected right away, sure. Considering how few cards it takes, carding isn’t really a bad strategy either, especially if you keep an eye out for opportunities for Malboro cards (either of the two Olde suggested are a great choice) and are even halfway decent at the card game / have a decent set.

Collecting 20-24 Malboro cards (4 to a Tentacle) is actually a LOT more time consuming that getting one Gesper card (common level one!) only ONE of which is needed for a Black Hole, and get Degenerator.

Well, you have a point there, but that’s assuming you’re also at a point where you have Initiative available to pair with Degenerator.

In all my years of playing this game I never defeated or attempted to defeat one of these guys. Odin came & killed it for me but thats it.

In all my years of playing this game I never defeated or attempted to defeat one of these guys. Odin came & killed it for me but thats it.

It’s probably a fuck-load easier with Ribbon for the bastards with Chocobo World.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but can’t you mug him and run away?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but can’t you mug him and run away?

Yes you can but its still gotta = death.