Combat System — Dragon Quest II Guide

Combat System

Combat in Dragon Quest II is a turn-based affair, but with a crucial difference from its predecessor: you now command a party of three heroes! This opens up a wealth of strategic possibilities, making proper planning and understanding of each character's strengths vital for survival against the forces of Hargon.

Combat Basics

When a battle begins, your party and the enemy monsters will exchange blows in a predetermined order. This order is generally based on a character's Agility stat, though some enemies may have naturally higher initiative. Here's a breakdown of the combat flow:

1. Command Phase: You'll issue commands to each of your characters. This is where your strategy comes into play.
2. Action Phase: Characters and monsters execute their chosen actions based on their turn order.
3. Victory/Defeat Check: If all enemies are defeated, you win! If all your characters are defeated, it's game over.

Character Roles and Strategies

Each of your three heroes excels in different areas, and understanding their roles is key to effective combat.

The Prince of Midenhall (Hero)

• Role: Your primary damage dealer and tank. The Prince boasts high HP, Strength, and Defense, making him the most resilient member of your party and your main physical attacker.
• Key Spells: While not a dedicated magic-user, the Prince learns essential healing and utility spells that become invaluable in the mid-to-late game.
  • Heal: A basic healing spell, useful for minor HP recovery.
  • Midheal: A more potent healing spell, crucial for keeping the Hero in the fight.
  • Fullheal: The strongest single-target healing spell, restoring all HP.
  • Healall: (GBC/Switch versions) Heals all party members for a moderate amount.
  • Explodet: (NES/GBC/Switch versions) A powerful offensive spell that deals massive damage to all enemies. This is his ultimate offensive magic.
  • Defeat: (GBC/Switch versions) A chance-based instant death spell against a single enemy.
• Strategy:
  • Early Game: Focus on equipping the best available weapons and armor. The Copper Sword is your first upgrade, followed by the Iron Sword. Prioritize increasing his Strength and Defense.
  • Mid-to-Late Game: Continue to prioritize powerful weapons like the Broad Sword, Light Sword, and eventually the legendary Erdrick's Sword. Use him to target high-priority threats or enemies with low physical defense. His offensive spells like Explodet become vital for clearing groups of tough enemies.
  • Defensive Play: If the Prince's HP is low, consider having him use a Medical Herb or defend to reduce incoming damage while the Princess of Moonbrooke or Prince of Cannock heal. He can also use his own healing spells to sustain himself.

The Prince of Cannock

• Role: A versatile hybrid character, capable of both physical attacks and supportive magic. He has decent HP and Strength, but his true value lies in his spell list, which focuses on healing, status effects, and moderate offensive magic.
• Key Spells:
  • Heal: Essential for single-target healing in the early game.
  • Sizz: A basic fire spell that damages a group of enemies. Useful for early crowd control.
  • Snooze: Can put groups of enemies to sleep, buying you valuable turns and preventing damage.
  • Sap: Lowers an enemy's defense, making them more vulnerable to physical attacks from the Prince of Midenhall.
  • Midheal: A stronger healing spell obtained later, becoming his primary healing utility.
  • Stopspell: Silences enemy spellcasters, preventing them from using disruptive magic.
  • Boom: (GBC/Switch versions) A powerful area-of-effect spell, excellent for clearing groups of enemies.
  • Healmore: (GBC/Switch versions) His most potent single-target healing spell.
• Strategy:
  • Early Game: Equip him with a Club or Copper Sword. Use Heal as needed. When not healing, have him attack. His Sizz spell is great for softening up groups.
  • Crowd Control: Against multiple weaker enemies, Snooze can be incredibly effective. Prioritize sleeping dangerous spellcasters or high-damage foes. Stopspell is crucial against enemies like Mages, Sorcerers, and Warlocks.
  • Boss Fights: Use Sap on bosses to significantly increase your party's damage output. Keep an eye on his MP and use Magic Water if necessary. He can also contribute with physical attacks or Sizz/Boom if healing isn't immediately required.

The Princess of Moonbrooke

• Role: The party's dedicated magic-user and primary healer. She has low HP and physical attack power, but her powerful offensive and defensive spells are indispensable for survival and progression. She is the most fragile but most impactful magic user.
• Key Spells:
  • Heal: Basic healing, useful in the early game.
  • Healmore: Your most potent single-target healing spell, essential for keeping your tanks alive.
  • Healall: (NES/GBC/Switch versions) Heals all party members for a moderate amount.
  • Boom: A powerful area-of-effect spell, excellent for clearing groups of enemies. This will be her primary offensive spell.
  • Blaze: A single-target fire spell, useful for focused damage.
  • Defense: Lowers the defense of a group of enemies.
  • Stopspell: Crucial for silencing enemy spellcasters, preventing their disruptive magic.
  • Defeat: A chance-based instant death spell, useful against high-HP single targets, though unreliable.
  • Revive: Absolutely crucial for bringing fallen allies back to life. This spell makes her indispensable.
  • Sacrifice: (NES/GBC/Switch versions) A last-resort spell that defeats all enemies but costs the Princess her life. Use with extreme caution.
• Strategy:
  • Protection: Due to her extremely low HP and Defense, always try to keep her safe. Equip her with the best available light armor like the Clothes, Magic Robe, and eventually the Water Flying Clothes. Keep her HP high at all times.
  • Healing Priority: Her primary role is healing. Keep the party's HP topped off, especially the Prince of Midenhall. Use Healmore for critical single-target healing and Healall for party-wide recovery.
  • Offensive Magic: Use Boom against groups of enemies, especially those vulnerable to magic. For single, tough enemies, Blaze can provide focused damage. Defeat is a gamble but can save MP if it works.
  • Status Effects: Stopspell is invaluable against enemies like Mages or Sorcerers who can cast disruptive spells. Defense can soften up groups of enemies for your physical attackers.
  • MP Management: Her MP is precious. Use Magic Water or return to an inn frequently to replenish it. Avoid unnecessary spell casting, especially in random encounters.

Status Effects and Their Importance

Status effects play a significant role in Dragon Quest II combat. Understanding and utilizing them, both offensively and defensively, can turn the tide of battle.

• Poison: Deals damage every few steps on the world map and in combat. Can be cured with Antidote Herbs or the Antidote spell (GBC/Switch).
• Sleep: Prevents a character or enemy from acting. Cured by taking damage, the Wake-Up spell (GBC/Switch), or Wake-Up Powder. The Prince of Cannock's Snooze spell inflicts this.
• Paralysis: Prevents a character or enemy from acting. More severe than sleep as it's not cured by damage. Cured by NumbOff spell (GBC/Switch) or Moon Herb.
• Silence (Stopspell): Prevents a character or enemy from casting spells. Invaluable against enemy magic-users. The Prince of Cannock and Princess of Moonbrooke learn Stopspell.
• Sap/Defense: Lowers an enemy's defense, making them take more physical damage. The Prince of Cannock's Sap and Princess of Moonbrooke's Defense spells are key for boss fights.
• Confuse: Causes a character or enemy to attack randomly, sometimes even their own allies. Cured by Return spell (GBC/Switch) or Medical Herb.
• Instant Death: Spells like Defeat (Princess of Moonbrooke, Prince of Midenhall GBC/Switch) and Sacrifice (Princess of Moonbrooke) attempt to instantly defeat an enemy or all enemies. Highly unreliable but can be a lifesaver.

Always carry items to cure common status effects, and prioritize silencing or sleeping dangerous enemy spellcasters to minimize incoming damage and disruption.

General Combat Tips

• Grinding: Dragon Quest II is notoriously challenging. Don't be afraid to spend some time leveling up your party in safe areas. The areas around Midenhall and Cannock are good early-game spots. Later, areas like the Sea Cave or the area around the Lighthouse offer good experience.
• Item Usage: Don't hoard your items! Medical Herbs are cheap and effective for minor healing. Antidote Herbs cure poison, and Wake-Up Powders cure sleep. Keep a good stock of these. Magic Water is essential for MP recovery for your magic-users.
• Equipment: Always ensure your party has the best possible equipment. Visit weapon and armor shops in every new town you discover.
  • Prince of Midenhall: Prioritize high attack power and defense. The Iron Sword (purchased in Cannock or Leftwynne), Broad Sword (purchased in Hamlin), and Light Sword (found in a chest in the Sea Cave) are key upgrades. For armor, Chain Mail (purchased in Cannock) and Full Plate Armor (purchased in Hamlin) are good choices.
  • Prince of Cannock: Balance attack and defense. The Iron Lance (purchased in Leftwynne or Tuhn) is a good early weapon. The Chain Mail is also a solid armor choice for him.
  • Princess of Moonbrooke: Focus on magic defense and minimal physical defense. The Magic Robe (purchased in Tuhn) and Water Flying Clothes (found in a chest in the Sea Cave) are her best armor options. She has very few weapon options, often sticking with a basic Staff or Cypress Stick.
• Fleeing: Sometimes, the best strategy is to run. If a battle is going poorly, or you encounter a monster far too strong for your current level, don't hesitate to use the "Run" command. It's better to escape and heal than to face a game over.
• Save Frequently: The world of Dragon Quest II is unforgiving. Save your game often at churches, especially before venturing into new, dangerous areas, after significant progress, or before attempting a boss fight.

While Dragon Quest II introduced party-based tactics, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince evolves this complexity by allowing players to manage and synergize a full team of eight monsters.