BOSS: MAOU MARA

Learn the best strategy to defeat the optional boss Maou Mara in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster. Exploit his weaknesses and use the right skills to win!

Stats / Weaknesses:

• HP: 2300
• MP: 3000
• Affinity: Boss Immunities, Reflect Curse, Strong to Attack Magic
• Skills: Abyssal Tone, Marin-Karin, Meikai-ha, Diarahan, Hell Stab, De-Kaja, Mahazanma, Makajamaon

Phases:

1. Phase 1: The Healing Cycle

   Mara will continuously use Diarahan at the start of each of his turns, healing himself back to full HP. This means you can't simply chip away at his health; you must deal over 2300 damage in a single turn to overcome his healing.

2. Phase 2: The Reflect Strategy

   Mara's most devastating attack is Meikai-ha, a powerful physical attack. His other strong attack is Abyssal Tone, which is magic-based. You'll want to avoid bringing demons weak to magic, even if they have useful resistances like Arahabaki's physical immunity. For a physical Press-Turn eater, you'll need at least Lv56 Shikioji.

   The core of the strategy relies on two key skills: Tetrakarn (or Butsuhankyo) and Taunt. You'll need these on separate characters.

   • Have one character continuously cast Taunt on Mara. This will drastically lower his defense and significantly boost his attack power.
   • Have another character cast Tetrakarn (or Butsuhankyo) every round. This skill reflects physical attacks back at the caster.

   When a fully Taunted Mara unleashes his Meikai-ha, the attack will be reflected back at him. Because his attack power is so high due to Taunt, this reflected attack can deal over 1000 damage per hit. With Tetrakarn reflecting multiple hits, this is usually enough to defeat him in one go.

3. Phase 3: Handling Abyssal Tone

   While the Tetrakarn/Taunt strategy is highly effective, it's not foolproof. You'll still need to contend with Mara's Abyssal Tone. Having a demon with healing abilities and immunity to magic will be crucial for keeping your party alive through these magic-based assaults.