Castlevania: Lament of Innocence In-Depth Sub-Weapon Guide By Jin Kim (goshuJINsama) v1.0 October 28, 2003 =============================================================================== Contact Information =============================================================================== Any comments/questions/contributions can be sent to my email address. I'll respond whenever I have the spare time. E-mail: anjinmito@hotmail.com Copyright 2003 Jin Kim (goshujinsama) =============================================================================== Disclaimer =============================================================================== You should all know the drill by now! This document is copyrighted Jin Kim 2003. This guide cannot be duplicated or used in any way unless you give credit to me. All trademarks and copyrights in this guide are the property of their respective trademark and copyright holders. You can always find the latest version of this guide at www.gamefaqs.com. Other than that, there isn't much else to say, so let's get this guide started! =============================================================================== Version Histories =============================================================================== v1.0 -- The beginning of this guide! Summarized the results of my various sub- weapon tests, as well as listing any other miscellaneous useful info. ======== Contents ======== 1. Introduction 2. Subweapon+Orb Introduction 3. Knife 4. Axe 5. Holy Water 6. Cross 7. Crystal 8. General Orb Properties 9. Overall Monster Weaknesses 10. Frequently Asked Questions 11. Future Updates =============================================================================== 1. Introduction =============================================================================== When playing games with multiple gameplay options, I tend to want to reach my full potential by choosing the best options at my disposal. Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (henceforth referred to as LoI) has several such gameplay options, such as a plethora of whip combos, relics, subweapon+orb combos, and the real-time menu. This guide will deal with the combination of a castlevania staple (subweapons) and the new orbs, hopefully relieving some myths and likewise shedding some light on some combos. =============================================================================== 2. Subweapon+Orb Introduction =============================================================================== Taking its roots from the GBA Castlevania game, Harmony of Dissonance, Leon can now combine his several subweapons (Knife, Axe, Holy Water, Cross, and Crystal) to perform several different functions. These can range from offensive (missile attacks, boomerangs) to defensive (shields, high-speed lunges) and everything in between. If an enemy has a weakness against a subweapon, that weapon will do 50% more damage than listed. Likewise, if they have a tolerance, the weapon will do 50% less damage than listed. Since nearly every single monster in this game has a weakness or tolerance against certain subweapons, it's extremely difficult to make objective comparisons of combos during a typical play through the game. Also, it seems that different enemies have different defense, so one cannot just compare damage against two different enemies together. Therefore, I have tested all the following subweapon combinations on a boss, usually the Flame Elemental or Doppelganger (both of which have no subweapon weakness or tolerance). Keep in mind that, as bosses, these enemies have much higher defense than common monsters, and thus the damage I list will generally be lower than what you see in game. However, this is still a useful method of comparing the different combos since one can notice which does more damage over a period of time or for a certain amount of MP. In the subsequent sections, I will list in detail what each combination will perform in battle. Not only will I list the average and maximum damage, but also any other gameplay gimmicks certain combinations may provide. Keep in mind that I am not wearing any int-increasing accessories, so the damage is calculated from Leon's default INT. The numbers in parentheses are the regular MP cost and the reduced MP cost (with Heart Brooch equipped... the effects of multiple brooches do not stack) respectively. The Max Damage I list after every combo denotes how much potential damage the combo can do against a single target per MP cost. This is just miscellaneous info, since most combos have additional properties that justify its low damage/MP ratio (such as area-of- effect properties, or shielding properties, etc.). One last property I list will be whether these moves can be used in the air or not; a key property that many players overlook. Note 1: All spelling errors are taken from the game... don't flame me please! Note 2: Knockable enemies refer to smaller enemies that move when you hit them with certain attacks, like Rising Shot, Draw Up, etc. =============================================================================== 3. Knife =============================================================================== Normal (1/1): 1 knife thrown quickly in a straight line, 5 damage. Max Damage: 5 damage/MP Air?: Yes Blue - Needle Claws (4/3): 4 spikes explode from the ground at the base of the nearest enemy. Does a maximum of 44 total damage. Max Damage: 11 damage/MP Air?: Yes Red - Triple Dagger (3/2): 3 quick normal knives thrown in a line. 16 total damage. Max Damage: 5.3 damage/MP Air?: Yes Purple - Magic Missile (8/6): Leon summons several magical daggers from thin air. After the slight summon time, the daggers then quickly home in on the nearest enemies. Can do a maximum of 7 hits for 82 total damage. Max Damage: 10.25 damage/MP Air?: Yes Green - Force Cannon (4/3): Has a small startup time, so it's not instant. After the startup, a beam travels very quickly from Leon's hand in a straight line and never stops until it hits a wall, damaging everything in its path. Pierces through enemies and does a single 49 damage hit. Max Damage: 12.25 damage/MP Air?: Yes Yellow - Astral Knife (10/7): Leon summons 8 knives out of thin air which spin around him and attack anything nearby. Has the longest startup time of any Knife combo. On the other hand, the combo can be used whether enemies are around or not, since the knives will continue to circle around Leon until a target approaches. The knives will then attack the target, for a maximum of 8 hits and 219 total damage. You can hold the subweapon button at startup to increase the radius of circle of knives. One of the most damaging subweapon combos in the game, it's best to summon the astral knives while in the air, away from enemy attacks. Max Damage: 21.9 damage/MP Air?: Yes White - Spread Gun (6/4): Has a small startup time much like Force Cannon, then emits a quick laser toward a target. Unlike Force Cannon, Spread Gun does not pierce, and instead explodes upon contact. The resulting explosion will also damage anything in the vicinity. Does 1 hit for 79 damage. Max Damage: 13.2 damage/MP Air?: Yes Black - Blade Serpent (12/9): Leon summons a serpent of knives to roam around the environment, homing in on potential targets and attacking them until they die. Has almost no startup time and can easily damage multiple enemies due to the length of the serpent. Can do a maximum of 8 hits on one enemy for 168 total damage. Max Damage: 14 damage/MP Air?: Yes Overview: The Knife can best be described as a projectile subweapon. Every combo can be used from a distance to full potential. Magic Missile is extremely handy for hard-to-hit enemies, given its quick speed and homing properties. Astral Knife is one of my favorite subweapon attacks, as it does incredible damage and is also homes in; the only downside is its long startup window. It's best to summon Astral Knife when away from the enemies, then charge in and whip them while the knives do their work. Spread Gun is another handy combo, as it does respectible damage for its MP cost, is extremely quick, and can affect multiple enemies if they're grouped together. Blade Serpent is another personal favorite of mine, especially against bosses. After a quick summoning, the serpent stays on the screen for several seconds, dealing damage and distracting the target while you whip away to inflict even more damage. Its quick startup time allows you to constantly have a serpent on the screen to add to your damage. =============================================================================== 4. Axe =============================================================================== Normal (4/3): Leon throws an axe in a straight line in front of him, with better overall range than the knife. It also pierces through enemies, damaging anything in its path. 1 hit for 21 damage. Max Damage: 5.5 damage/MP Air?: Yes Blue - Spinning Edge (5/3): Leon throws a large piercing boomerang in front of him, which returns after reaching a certain distance. Less distance than the normal axe, but has wider coverage. Also pierces, and is capable of landing 2 hits (one on the way forward and one on the way back) for a total of 62 damage. Max Damage: 12.4 damage/MP Air?: Yes Red - Spiral Axe (6/4): After a moderate startup time, Leon summons multiple axes and sends them in all directions around him. They don't home in but instead spiral away from him. Leon is invincible at startup. Capable of hitting multiple enemies for 1 hit each (25 damage). Max Damage: 4.2 damage/MP Air?: Yes Purple - Axe Tornado (10/7): After a moderate startup time, Leon summons a tornado of axes wherever he stands. The tornado stays in place, even if Leon moves. The tornado does not last very long but is capable of doing great damage: 7 hits for 154 damage. Leon is not invincible at any time, so is very vulnerable when he starts the combo. Max Damage: 15.4 damage/MP Air?: No Green - Hi-Speed Edge (5/3): Leon dashes forward extremely quickly for a moderate distance with an arcing axe in front of him, damaging anything in his path. Leon travels with the axe and pierces through all enemies. Also, this move has almost no startup time and is extremely quick. This combo can be used to escape from enemies if they are too close to him, since Leon will pass right through them, damaging them in the process. Capable of 1 hit for 42 damage. Max Damage: 8.4 damage/MP Air?: No Yellow - Spirit Ripper (12/9): Leon quickly summons three spinning axes that rotate around him for several seconds. Each individual hit does minimal damage (2-4 damage) but the maximum damage is 30 hits for about 90 damage. Although the damage is small, keep in mind that Leon can equip the entire time that these axes are pestering the enemy. They also act as a convenient shield against mobs of enemies. Better radius than some other shields, such as the Cross subweaon. Max Damage: 7.5 damage/MP Air?: Yes White - Axe Trap (10/7): After a moderate startup time, Leon summons a trap of axes that spin in place wherever he summoned them. The trap does not move with Leon. At first glance, this move seems very similar to Axe Tornado, but there are key differences. First, each individual hit does much less damage than an individual hit of Axe Tornado. However, Axe Trap also lasts much longer than Axe Tornado, and also has a wider radius. Second, Leon is invincible at the startup, unlike Tornado. Third, the axes spiral outward at the very end of the move. Lastly, this trap can be summoned in the air. Can do a maximum of 18 hits for 153 damage. Max Damage: 15.3 damage/MP Air?: Yes Black - Rapid Slash (8/6): Leon attacks for 8 incredibly quick hits, for a total of 101 damage. The execution is extremely fast and there is very little lag at the end. Leon can change direction while slashing to attack different targets. Max Damage: 12.6 damage/MP Air?: Yes Overview: The axe has a key distinction of always piercing enemies, allowing for multiple hits or multiple targets. The combos are usually slower than that of Knife, but also hit for more damage usually. Spinning Edge is very useful at the beginning of the game, doing good damage and hitting several enemies at once. The Tornado and Traps can do terrific damage as well, especially against stationary opponents. Spirit Ripper is costly but useful when surrounded by enemies, or when you just want to add to the damage you inflict with your whip. In general, the Axe has better range than most other subweapons, and can cause more damage at the expense of speed. =============================================================================== 5. Holy Water =============================================================================== Normal (4/3): Leon sprinkles the ground in front of him with holy water, creating a half circle of holy flames. Maximum of 3 hits for 51 damage, and can hit multiple enemies. Max Damage: 12.75 damage/MP Air?: Yes Blue - Energy Gazer (5/3): Leon punches the ground and flames begin erupting in front of him, one at a time, and in a straight line flowing outwards. If the enemy is knockable, it will be carried along with the wave of flames for 5 hits of 98 damage. If not, the combo can still do 2 hits for 39 damage. Max Damage: 19.6 damage/MP or 7.8 damage/MP Air?: Yes Red - Roaring Flames (6/4): Basically a double version of the normal holy water attack. Creates flames all around Leon, not just his front half. Can hit multiple enemies, totaling 4 hits for 69 damage. Max Damage: 11.5 damage/MP Air?: Yes Purple - Cross Blazer (8/6): Once again, Leon punches the ground, this time causing an enormous cross of flames to burst upward. The execution is extremely quick and the cross itself has very good range. However, the cross may miss even nearby enemies since the flames travel in 4 lines from Leon. Thus this move requires some aiming to be effective. Can hit multiple enemies, and does 1 hit for 79 damage. Also has the effect of knocking enemies upward if they are knockable. Max Damage: 9.875 damage/MP Air?: Yes Green - Flame Sparks (4/3): Leon quickly throws a small ball of flame at a target, which then erupts into several smaller flames that stay on the ground for a while. The initial hit does 28 damage, and the resulting residue can damage the enemy for up to 3 more hits, resulting in 51 total damage. The flame residue can also hit other enemies near the initial target. Max Damage: 12.75 damage/MP Air?: Yes Yellow - Holy Symbol (4/3): Leon quickly punches the ground, resulting in a stationary circle emanating from the ground. This symbol will stay for several seconds or until an enemy moves over it; then the symbol will erupt and damage any enemy over it for 1 hit and 49 damage. Up to 3 symbols can be placed at a time. Max Damage: 12.25 damage/MP Air?: Yes White - Aqua Disk (10/7): Leon quickly summons a large disk of holy water above his head. The radius is quite large and the subweapon button can be held longer for a longer duration of the move. If the enemy is knockable, they will take 1 hit for about 20 damage and get pushed away. If the enemy is not knockable, the move can do 7 hits for 138 damage. However, Leon is not invincible at any point of this move, so is extremely vulnerable. Can hit multiple enemies around Leon. Max Damage: 13.8 damage/MP or 2 damage/MP Air?: No Black - Energy Wave (8/6): Leon quickly punches the ground, causing an energy wave to home in on the nearest target. Once it hits the target, it stays on the enemy until it does 2 more hits or until the enemy dies. After 3 total hits for 75 damage, the wave disappears. Max Damage: 9.4 damage/MP Air?: Yes Overview: Holy Water combos are always extremely quick and also have relatively small heart costs. On the downside, they tend to be weaker than other subweapon combos and have limited range. Energy Gazer is extremely damaging against knockable enemies, and can hit multiple enemies. Cross Blazer is one of the best skills in the game, since it is very fast and has decent range in 4 directions. However, precise aiming is required since the width of the flame lines are not very large. Energy Wave is useful sometimes since it's the only Holy Water combo that homes in. Aqua Disk can be useful if Leon is surrounded and you wish to push back the enemies, but the Heart cost is high for such minimal damage. =============================================================================== 6. Cross =============================================================================== Normal (4/3): Leon summons small crosses to rotate around his body, damaging anything that gets near. He is invincible at startup (summoning), and the crosses last for a good duration. Can do a maximum of 23 hits for 34 damage. Although the damage may seem low, remember that Leon can continue to attack the target while the crosses do their damage; plus, the crosses can hit multiple enemies if Leon is surrounded. Max Damage: 8.5 damage/MP Air?: Yes Blue - Divine Cross (8/6): Leon summons a giant cross that stays in front of him for several seconds. The cross moves as Leon moves and changes direction. He is invincible at startup and the cross alone can do 18 hits for 99 damage. Max Damage: 12.4 damage/MP Air?: Yes Red - Double Cross (6/4): Similar to the normal cross, but Leon summons twice the normal amount of crosses. He is still invincible at startup. Can do a maximum of 26 hits for 40 damage on a single target, but can hit multiple targets if surrounded. Max Damage: 6.7 damage/MP Air?: Yes Purple - Michael's Sword (10/7): After a long non-invincible startup where Leon shoots a beam into the sky, a giant cross erupts on a nearby target. The initial hit does 70 damage, and each additional hit while the giant cross stays on the ground does 3-5 damage for a maximum of 10 hits and 105 damage. The enormous cross can damage multiple enemies in its vicinity. Max Damage: 10.5 damage/MP Air?: No Green - Holy Light (6/4): A *VERY* unique projectile attack. After a moderate startup time, Leon's summons a cross about as big as himself and then thrusts it forward. The unique thing about this attack is that it travels through absolutely everything, even obstructions that would stop normal piercing projectiles. For example, you can use this projectile against Forgotten One while hiding behind a boulder. Plus, it has a much wider hit radius than other projectiles. Does 1 hit for 70 damage. Max Damage: 11.7 damage/MP Air?: Yes Yellow - Grand Cross (12/9): Leon jumps into the air and after a moderate startup where he is absolutely invincible, giant crosses start rising up from the ground below him, damaging anything in their paths. Has a good radius, hits multiple times on multiple enemies, but Leon is vulnerable after the startup time. Still, there is little lag at the end, allowing Leon to actually combo this move into itself repeatedly. Can do 13 hits for 136 damage. Max Damage: 11.3 damage/MP Air?: Yes White - Agnea (12/9): Leon raises his hand and electricity strikes all nearby targets. He is not invincible at any time. The subweapon button can be held for a longer duration. The electricity will home in on all nearby targets and can do a maximum of 17 hits for 142 damage on one target. Max Damage: 11.8 damage/MP Air?: No Black - Six Saints (15/11): Leon quickly summons six crosses in the air, which stay in place regardless of what Leon does. They then fire lasers that home in on all nearby targets. They can hit multiple enemies or hit a single target for a maximum of 9 hits and 147 damage. Max Damage: 9.8 damage/MP Air?: No Overview: The cross is a very unique subweapon. Several of its combos grant Leon invincibility at the startup, so you can use these moves as a sort of dodge or block when an enemy or boss attacks. Although many of them have very low damage-to-MP ratios, keep in mind that several combos allow you to continue your whip assault while the crosses attack independently over a period of time. Cross and Double Cross are useful in keeping small enemies like Soulless or Maggots off your back. Michael's Sword does wonders on stationary or slow-moving targets, and you can continue your attack while it damages the enemy. Holy Light is a very unique and useful projectile that can go through absolutely anything. Grand Cross is the best damage-over- time dealer for Cross combos, and with its wide radius, invincible startup time and minimal lag, is extremely practical in all situations. I prefer Six Saints over Agnea for crowd clearing since Leon won't have to be a sitting duck. =============================================================================== 7. Crystal =============================================================================== Normal (3/2): Leon quickly places a Crystal on the ground wherever he stands. He can place up to 6 at a time. After a certain amount of time, the crystal shatters, damaging anything in its vicinity. Also, any crystals nearby will also shatter, forming a chain reaction. 1 hit does 8 damage. Max Damage: 2.7 damage/MP Air?: Yes Blue - Hail Crystal (8/6): A large crystal drops on a nearby target for 42 damage, and then shatters, damaging any nearby enemies for up to 2 more hits, causing 58 total damage. Max Damage: 7.25 damage/MP Air?: No Red - Mash Crystal (4/3): Similar to a regular crystal. Each mash crystal is slightly bigger and does 2 hits for 16 damage. Many can still be placed at a time and has chain reaction potential. Max Damage: 4 damage/MP Air?: Yes Purple - Shatter Plane (20/15): One of the most heart-expensive combos in the game, and for good reason! Shatter Plane is a good crowd clearer, as it damages EVERY enemy on the screen for 49 damage each. Additionally, Leon is invincible in this move! Max Damage: 2.45 damage/MP Air?: Yes Green - Drain Stone (8/6): An extremely fast projectile that does only 1 hit for 7 damage... however, it also heals Leon proportionally (8 HP in this case), so it might be more useful against monsters with a weakness to crystal, since Leon will regain more HP as well. Max Damage: 0.9 damage/MP Air?: Yes Yellow - Satellite (15/11): After a moderate startup where Leon is invincible, several crystal satellites are summoned and circle around Leon, damaging anything nearby. They stay on the screen for a very long time, until they finally home in on any nearby target and attack. They can do a total of 26 hits for 147 damage, in addition to any whip attacks that Leon makes. Max Damage: 9.8 damage/MP Air?: No White - Judgement (20/15): After a very quick startup, several lasers fire down from the sky, homing in on nearby targets. Leon is vulnerable for a small amount of time after the lasers start raining down. Can do 7 hits and 110 damage on a single target, but more lasers will rain down if there are additional targets. Max Damage: 5.5 damage/MP Air?: No Black - Vanish Storm (12/9): Probably the best crystal combo available. After a small startup time, Leon exudes large clouds of vapor in front of his body. The vapor has a very large radius of damage and can easily hit multiple enemies for several hits. Unfortunately, Leon cannot change the direction of the vapors after he starts this combo. Can do 6 hits and 141 damage on each target. Some other good points: Leon is invincible for a small amount of time at startup, and if the enemies are knockable, Vanish Storm pushes them back slightly with each hit, keeping them from retaliating. Vanish Storm also pierces, hitting any enemy in its path. Max Damage: 11.7 damage/MP Air?: Yes Overview: The Crystal is a very unique subweapon. Most of the combos are not damaging at all, but can do unique things such as draining HP for Leon. The Crystal also has some of the best crowd clearers in the game with Shatter Plane, Judgement and Vanish Storm. Likewise, Shatter Plane and Judgement are the most heart-expensive combos in the game. Personally, I don't like Crystal combos much because they provide little damage with high heart costs. However, one cannot underestimate all its area-of-effect combos, as they are indeed useful... just too expensive for my tastes. Vanish Storm is the only combo with a good damage-to-MP ratio, and it is also one of the best crystal combos due to its invincibility and wide range. =============================================================================== 8. General Orb Properties =============================================================================== Although no orb has a specific attribute like DSS card combinations did in Circle of the Moon, there is a general trend that each orb possesses. Here I will give a brief overview of each orb, which may help players who are unsure of which orb to use with a particular subweapon. Blue - Blue combos tend to create a bigger version of the said subweapon and project it forward for multiple hits. Red - Red combos usually make multiple versions of the default subweapon. Purple - Purple combos usually create a limited area-of-effect version of the subweapon. Knife's Magic Missile is an exception, and Crystal's Shatter Plane is a full-screen attack. Green - Green combos are projectile versions of the subweapon which are quick in both startup and execution. Yellow - Yellow combos use the subweapon to form a circle around Leon. White - White combos create an extended area-of-effect subweapon attack. Black - Black combos usually function as both crowd-clearers and single-target devastators. They can hit multiple targets and last on the screen for a while, but also tend to home in on single targets to do more damage. =============================================================================== 9. Overall Monster Weaknesses =============================================================================== Since nearly every monster in this game has a weakness or tolerance to a certain subweapon, I will list the *overall* number of monsters that have a weakness or tolerance to a certain subweapon. In a later update, I plan to make specific sections for each different area as well. *COMING SOON* =============================================================================== 10. Frequently Asked Questions =============================================================================== No one has asked me any questions yet. I will update this as people ask or contribute. =============================================================================== 11. Future Updates =============================================================================== I plan to make the following additions in future updates: - An overall weakness/tolerance list. - A comprehensive monster list with their subweapon weakness/tolerance. - A listing of the monsters in each area. - A overview of the Pumpkin subweapon as soon as I unlock it. =============================================================================== Credits =============================================================================== Konami - Thanks for another superb game in its epic Castlevania series! CjayC and www.gamefaqs.com - The absolute best gaming site OMG EVAR!! Honestly, thanks for your dedication and effort to make this site possible. Copyright 2003 Jin Kim