Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Guide – Defeating the Merchant City of Dorter

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles presents players with a series of challenging encounters, compelling them to grasp its game mechanics swiftly. One of the initial hurdles is the infamous battle in the Merchant City of Dorter, where players instantly face a considerable disadvantage.

As players advance through the game, the intensity of combat appears to decrease, thanks to the access to robust equipment that offers consistent positive status effects. The introduction of optional party members with exceptionally powerful attacks, usable without utilizing any mana, further eases the gameplay. Following the intense boss rush at Riovanes Castle, players may find the subsequent encounters significantly more manageable, despite the alterations in the remake’s mechanics.

The Merchant City of Dorter features a particularly notorious battle. Here, enemies possess superior positioning and a setup perfectly designed for the locale. New players often find themselves overwhelmed in their first attempt, suffering devastating defeats.

Compounding the difficulty is the necessity to include two guest characters, Delita and Argath, into your squad. As these characters cannot be controlled directly, players are effectively limited to commanding only a third of their units during the battle.

However, there’s a strategic approach to overcoming this challenge that hinges on leveraging the battlefield’s verticality and positioning. A well-planned composition of units is essential to exploit the advantageous elevation.

Enemy Layout in the Merchant City of Dorter

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The confrontation begins with your party, alongside Delita and Argath, grouped closely on one side of the map. Opposing them is a well-organized enemy formation, featuring an Archer positioned on a building to your left with an extensive attack range. Additional threats include another Archer, a powerful Knight, and two Black Mages, all poised to inflict significant damage.

Players who approach this encounter without adjusting their tactics are likely to be decisively defeated due to the enemy’s advantageous positioning. Rushing towards the Knight can result in devastating arrow volleys and fire spells before players can retaliate.

Optimal Party Configuration for Dorter’s Encounter

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The primary goal of this mission is to ensure access to ranged attacks and effective healing, making a balanced setup crucial. Consider incorporating Monks with the Aurablast ability, Archers, and Black Mages into your formation.

Equip Delita and Argath with the Items secondary ability from the Squire class, along with the Throw Stone ability, and arm them with suitable gear to enhance their contribution during the battle.

Monks are invaluable due to their substantial hit points and high damage output, particularly when utilizing Aurablast, a mid-range attack that operates instantly and costs no mana. Acquiring the Chakra ability is also advantageous, providing healing to the Monk and nearby allies at no cost.

Archers, with their exceptional range, are particularly beneficial in this fight involving significant distances. Ensure they learn preliminary Aim+ skills to increase their damage output.

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Meanwhile, Black Mages can cast powerful low-level spells from a distance that cover wide areas. While they may initially have limited mana, learning Cure or Protect spells from the White Mage class can enhance their utility.

It is advisable to stock up on Potions from the Outfitters, equipping all units with Item commands as a secondary ability. While Potions may not provide substantial healing, their instant usability and ability to work on adjacent allies proves crucial in maintaining survivability during critical turns. Equipping characters with the best available gear from the Outfitters’ optimization option is also recommended.

Additionally, consider acquiring the Evasive Stance ability for instances where attacking isn’t an option, allowing for strategic avoidance of damage, an essential tactic given the game’s early stages where characters are particularly fragile.

Strategies for Victory in the Merchant City of Dorter

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The key to overcoming this encounter lies in utilizing the building to your left for protection. During unit placement, position all characters in the back row adjacent to the building.

At the beginning of the battle, avoid rushing into the street! This will expose your units to ranged enemies’ attacks. Instead, ascend the building to your left and focus on eliminating the Archer at the top early on. Be prepared to employ Potions and Cure spells during these initial turns if necessary.

Remember, Argath and Delita cannot be permanently knocked out in this encounter, allowing you to ignore their status if they fall.

Your immediate objective should be to eliminate the two Archers on the building and draw the remaining enemies closer to your position. Remaining on the far side of the map delays the Black Mages’ attacks, while the Knight can be managed from a distance since he lacks ranged capabilities.

Once the Archers and Knight are dealt with, you can safely venture into the street to confront the Black Mages. Ranged attacks work well here, but if you have Ramza and an additional Monk, utilizing Aurablast will ensure quick dispatch of the remaining foes.

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