Overflowing Darkness~ Cloud of Darkness guide

[LonelyGaruga]

VII. Unnatural Power of the Void: Equipment Builds
Please read this thread for information on equipment in general.
Please read this thread for details on equipment builds.

As mentioned a few times prior, the Cloud of Darkness has a limited selection of equipment. The equipment it does have available to it don't provide much in the way of increasing max HP, but also provide above average base BRV, which aids in the Cloud of Darkness’ heavy HP oriented play style. The Cloud of Darkness also cannot equip Shields or Helms, which reduces the usefulness of its solid base defense. The majority of its weapons also provide low attack, but the Throwing type of weapon provides one of the highest attack increases in the game, which helps considerably to alleviate the Cloud of Darkness’ low base attack.

Getting the meaningless stat drivel out of the way, it is time to cover the Cloud of Darkness’ equipment options. First are the equipment sets that the Cloud of Darkness can naturally equip.

Judgment of Lufenia (Requires weapon slot)
Seal of Lufenia
Snowpetal
Ancient Weapon (Can be equipped by everyone naturally)

Not much variety going on, especially if you take the Judgment of Lufenia route. If you equip Knight’s Gear, you can use Lufenian Shield to take the place of the weapon slot, freeing it up for something more useful. Not a bad idea, considering it’s “only” 10 CP. Here are your options if you opt to do this.

Adamant Chains: Requires 3 of the following: Pestalt’s Gear, Knight’s Gear, Infantry Gear, or Cavalier Gear
Soul of Yamato: Requires 3 of the following: Pestalt’s Gear, Knight’s Gear, Infantry Gear, or Cavalier Gear
Succubus’s Soul: Requires all of the following: Pestalt’s Gear, Knight’s Gear, Infantry Gear, and Cavalier Gear
King of Tragedy: Requires all of the following: Pestalt’s Gear OR Hoplite’s Gear, Knight’s Gear, Infantry Gear, and Cavalier’s Gear
Final Strike: Requires all of the following: Pestalt’s Gear, Knight’s Gear, Infantry Gear, and Cavalier’s Gear
Super Rocket: Requires all of the following: Pestalt’s Gear, Thief’s Gear, Infantry Gear, and Cavalier’s Gear

As you can see, if you want to use anything else, it will cost you 30-40 more CP. Between the cost of the Cloud of Darkness' attacks and the limited variety of equipment, it may be necessary to consider sacrificing precious accessory slots for Hero’s Spirit/Essence.

Now, here are some examples for builds. Keep in mind that is all they are: examples, not recommendations.

~EX Build
Taking advantage of the Cloud of Darkness’ good EX production, this build intends to enter EX mode more quickly than normal. The key to this is your EX Intake range and EX Force Absorption. For weapon choices, you have two good choices. Cleaver, and Heaven’s Cloud. Cleaver can be equipped naturally, but Heaven’s Cloud will require you to use Pestalt’s Gear to equip. Cleaver gives EX Force Absorption+10%, while Heaven’s Cloud gives EX Intake Range+3m. The latter is best for general use, but against SbS users, Cleaver is preferable.

Next comes your other equipment slots. Generally, you want to use Judgment of Lufenia to deplete the opponent’s assist gauge, which is the greatest threat to your ability to get EX mode. Obviously, use whatever you feel is best, this is just a recommendation.

Lastly, accessories. White Gem gives EX Force Absorption+10%, and one of the only accessories to do so without negatively impacting assist charge%, making it a staple for EX builds. You can further supplement this with White Drops if you so desire. Tenacious Attacker enables you to absorb EX Force while attacking, which is not something normally possible, making it very useful. Glutton is identical, but for when you’re taking damage. The rest is up to you, but you basically must have some form of EX and assist depletion, unless your opponent has SbS (in which case skip the EX depletion).

Example:

Spoiler:

~Side by Side build
Side by Side completely removes your ability to enter EX mode. In exchange, you gain roughly 40% of an assist bar with every HP hit you land outside of assist combos. Because [Long-Range] is easily capable of devastating an opponent that is unable to handle the pressure well, Side by Side isn’t a bad choice at all, but for opponents that have an easy time dodging it, it’s relatively inferior to an EX build. However, with the disabling of the EX mode comes several booster accessories that can easily be triggered, so there’s still that advantage.

If you’re using Side by Side, obviously weapons like Nirvana and Cleaver will be a waste. Instead, weapons like Everdark and Supreme Pole see some use. Everdark will double your BRV recovery rate, which will help you deal damage during assist combos started by [Long-Range] and other HP moves, while Supreme Pole provides 40% of an assist bar at the start of the fight, but also possesses a pathetic attack bonus of 66.

Next comes your other equipment slots. You’ll probably want Seal of Lufenia to deal with the fact that your opponent will have an easier time entering EX because of your inability to absorb it. On the other hand, EX depletion is useless against fellow SbS users, so another equipment set might be preferable, such as Judgment of Lufenia. You may also want to use Succubus’ Soul, which suits SbS very well. It allows you to regain 20% of your damage done by HP attacks as health. Succubus’ Soul will require you to give up your weapon slot for Blood Sword though.

For accessories, obviously you will need Side by Side. Pre-EX Revenge, Pre-EX Mode, and Empty EX gauge are your best boosters for this build, as they have high multipliers and will be reliable in a build like this. Together as One is an excellent booster to combine with Side by Side, as it starts you off with 40% of an assist gauge and has no applicable downside. Obviously, nothing’s changed in regards to depletion, so Battle Hammer and/or Dismay Shock are still recommended.

Example:

Spoiler:

~BRV boost on Block/Dodge build
Yes, two sets in the same section. They have a very similar purpose: to help with bad matchups. What, exactly, does that mean? Well, if a character can attack from 1) the air and 2) from a distance, they’re usually a bad matchup for the Cloud of Darkness. Based on the projectile in question, equip yourself accordingly with one of these sets. If you can block it easily, BRV boost on Block is your best bet. Likewise for dodging. The BRV boost is calculated using your base BRV without equipment, so 10% = 66 BRV, 20% = 132 BRV, and so on. The accessories are basically the same for both types of build, and are very helpful to use.

For BRV boost on block, your options are the Snowpetal equipment set, Blurry Moon (Parrying), the Heart’s Ease basic accessory, and the Backbreaking Straw special accessory. Snowpetal keeps your weapon slot free and gives a 10% boost, while Blurry Moon costs you only your hand slot, and gives an excellent 5% boost. However, it requires Thief’s Gear to use.

If you choose to use Snowpetal, it would be best to equip something that benefits your ability to enter EX mode. Heaven’s Cloud, Cleaver, and Loki’s Lute are good options for this. The reason you want to be able to enter EX mode is to help deal with your opponent assist whoring, as EX, naturally, clears the opponent’s assist gauge, giving you an excellent advantage. You’ll need all the advantages you can get in a matchup where you’re forced to use a BRV boost on block/dodge build.

If you choose to use Blurry Moon, you have two choices. Equip a weapon of your choice, plus two random level 100 equips for head/body armor, or use an equipment set. Snowpetal has no weapon, so that’s out of the question. Judgment/Seal of Lufenia are options, however. You may prefer the Snowpetal set, due to the higher BRV boost, since it’s not like the head/body armor slots are important for a build like this.

Example:

Spoiler:

For BRV boost on dodge, your options are the Adamant Chains equipment set, the Dueling Mask (Hat), the Zephyr Cloak basic accessory, and the Backbreaking Straw special accessory. Adamant Chains can take any 3 slots of your choice, but each one needs you to use the appropriate equip ability. It provides an 8% boost. The Dueling Mask provides a 3% boost and only uses your head armor slot, and can be naturally equipped. You can combine the two using Adamant Knife/Adamant Shield/Dueling Mask/Adamant Vest to get an 11% boost.

The tips for Snowpetal apply here as well. You want to be able to enter EX to deal with the opponent’s assist gauge, so the usual Heaven’s Cloud/Cleaver/Loki’s Lute will be quite useful. You’ll need to use Adamant Shield/Helm/Vest to get the Adamant set if you choose to do this.

Alternatively, if you feel the 3% BRV boost is vital enough, use the aforementioned set of Adamant Knife/Shield/Vest in combination with Dueling Mask. This isn’t really recommended though, as 3% is only 20 BRV, which isn’t really enough to offset the loss of a weapon to benefit your EX.

Your last option is to use only Dueling Mask. Again, not recommended because this is just 20 BRV, but it does free up your other equipment slots, like the Blurry Moon option for block builds. The same possibilities are open to it, but they’re less useful because Dueling Mask’s BRV boost is 2% less than Blurry Moon’s.

Example:

Spoiler:

[LonelyGaruga]

VIII. Devourer of Life: General Strategy
Basic guidelines to give players a general idea of what they’re doing. This is only to give a general idea of what you should be aiming for, it would be preferable for everyone to develop their own strategies using this section as a foundation.

~Battle
Basic combat strategies. These aren't based on matchup, but just a generic strategy to use based on a couple of situations.

~Basic Strategy
The Cloud of Darkness’ primary strategy in combat is to pressure the opponent with [Long-Range] Particle Beam while distancing itself from them simultaneously by utilizing the incredible mobility that [Long-Range] affords the Cloud of Darkness. Note how your opponent reacts to this. The opponent’s reaction to this form of pressure is important. If they approach, add Spite 3 to your list of options. If they’re higher in the air, Pain 3 is preferable. Stop using [Long-Range] once they get in range to punish it. Instead, rely more heavily on Spite and Pain 3, and watch your opponent to see if you can punish them, and do so when you find an opportunity. If your opponent gets too close, use Spite 2 to force them away. If you succeed in creating space between yourself and your opponent, resume the original tactic of using [Long-Range], Spite 3, and Pain 3 to pressure the opponent. If you are forced into the air, focus immediately on getting back onto the ground to minimize your disadvantage, unless it is unsafe. Your opponent will be attempting to take advantage of your vulnerability with either anti-air attacks or by following you into the air. If the former, utilize either Omni Air Dash+ or the movement provided by the Cloud of Darkness’ attacks to navigate away from the opponent’s attacks, then proceed to use Descent Speed Boost to quickly descend back to the ground. If the latter, focus heavily on defensive play, and the moment you find an opportunity, use Descent Speed Boost, quickly, so that you can retaliate with [Long-Range] or [Anti-Air] Particle Beam while they are unable to punish you, if they are in range for these attacks.

~Aerial Strategy
If your opponent relies on pressuring you from the air, you will be forced to fight them there, due to a lack of ways to deal with it. Free Air Dash will be necessary, and Assist Gauge Up Dash will be quite helpful in maintaining your assist gauge. [Wrath] is very easy to avoid, and just as easy to assist punish, so it will be necessary for you to rely on your air game, unless you can assist punish the primary projectile your opponent uses, such as Terra’s Holy (Combo). If you can do that, focus on that instead, unless they manage to gain 2 assist bars. If you find yourself unable to assist punish your opponent, you must switch to chasing down your opponent and fighting them in the air. Use the Cloud of Darkness’ good range well, and remember to assist punish whenever possible. Overall, the Cloud of Darkness has a terrible time against opponents in the air, and this strategy, while the best I can possibly recommend, is not actually very good…

~Anti-ground Strategy
This strategy is basically spamming Scorn 3 from a great distance in the air on a ground character that has an inferior air game to the Cloud of Darkness’. Constantly harass your opponent, then when they try to fight back switch to your defensive options and punish their attempts at offense. While it sounds good, this is much harder than it sounds, since regardless of the opponent, the Cloud of Darkness' air game is still pretty bad.

~Stages
Basic summary of each stage, and how the Cloud of Darkness does on each of them.

Because the Cloud of Darkness is a ground oriented character, it suffers on stages that lack said ground. Additionally, the Cloud of Darkness needs a lot of the stuff in order to space properly, and [Long-Range] has no downward tracking to speak of, so stages with uneven or elevated terrain can pose issues. Walls make spacing with [Long-Range] easier, however, providing a rare advantage. Stages with large amounts of flat ground, low ceilings, and walls are most beneficial for the Cloud of Darkness.

~Old Chaos Shrine
This stage is OK for the Cloud of Darkness, unless the ceiling is broken. The unevenness of the bottom side of the stage makes spacing very difficult, and the sides do not have enough room. The roof is good, but the walls and holes in the floor can cause issues with spacing properly. Additionally, if the ceiling is broken, there will be even less room to space with. Your goal on this stage is to stay on the ceiling and avoid doing anything that can break it, like Scorn 2. Speaking of which, if your opponent is foolish enough to attempt to attack through the ceiling, you have the advantage thanks to superior range.

~Old Chaos Shrine Omega
Identical to the former, with the Omega gimmick being a BRV drain on both players. Bravery loss is percentage based and added to the stage BRV. Because of the Cloud of Darkness’ spacing game, combined with a poor BRV game, this is even more beneficial for the Cloud of Darkness, as it becomes significantly easier to land a break here.

~Pandaemonium
An excellent stage for the Cloud of Darkness. The low ceiling and the large number of walls provide [Long-Range] Particle Beam with the best possible conditions to be used in. This stage’s only downside is that there’s not much room for spacing, but the walls help deal mitigate this flaw.

~Pandaemonium Omega
There are spikes that will pop out of the floor in this version of the stage. They chip off 33% of your current BRV each time they hit, and possess a tremendous amount of hit stun, leaving you vulnerable if hit. They also have a tendency to interrupt attacks, and [Long-Range] Particle Beam has a long startup, making them particularly annoying. Being limited to a particular area also makes spacing much more difficult. The stage BRV is exceedingly low for this stage, but because the Cloud of Darkness has poor BRV damage output, it isn’t affected much.

~World of Darkness
The FFIII stage! Very favorable due to having both even ground and the space necessary for the Cloud of Darkness to perform properly. However, beware of ceiling campers.

~World of Darkness Omega
This stage is pretty bad in comparison to the standard version. The stage changes based on your location relative to your opponent. If you space your opponent, you’ll end up in an arena where there’s very little ground and no room to space. If you’re close, then the resulting room has too much vertical area, and not enough horizontal, putting the Cloud of Darkness at a disadvantage. The stage BRV rapidly increases in the alternate worlds, which can be problematic for the Cloud of Darkness.

~Lunar Subterrane
While it has a lot of ground for the Cloud of Darkness to space properly, much of it is uneven. Be aware of your environment so that you don’t end up running out of room while preparing a [Long-Range] and end up getting punished for it. Pretty bad stage because of the difficulty in finding smooth surfaces to move on.

~Lunar Subterrane Omega
Not much difference. Lower stage BRV. Many areas of the stage become destructible, and when destroyed the stage BRV increases. Somewhat more favorable than the ordinary Lunar Subterrane due to the lower stage BRV, which helps mitigate the downside of the Cloud of Darkness’ relatively poor BRV damage output.

~The Rift
The largest stage in the game, with lots of room on the ground and in the air. The central area is an excellent position to be in, as the Cloud of Darkness can attack through the walls of the castle-like structure in the center using [Long-Range], but the rest of the stage is unfavorable due to the massive ceiling and otherwise lack of ground. Whether this is a good stage for the Cloud of Darkness or not depends entirely on your opponent.

~The Rift Omega
Portions of the stage will occasionally vanish and rearrange themselves, forming unique structures. Overall, nothing much different from the normal Rift, but the stage BRV will increase whenever the stage is rearranging itself, so it can get pretty high.

~Kefka’s Tower
Terrible stage for the Cloud of Darkness, for the most part. There’s a distinct lack of ground to use for spacing, but the cramped nature of the stage increases the threat Spite 2 provides, and the low ceiling enables easy [Wrath] and Aura Ball combos. Whether this stage is advantageous or not depends on your opponent, but it’s almost always a bad stage for the Cloud of Darkness.

~Kefka’s Tower Omega
Similar to the normal stage, but with lower stage BRV. Magitek steam will emerge from the walls in the lower sections of the stage, wall rushing and reducing an opponent’s BRV on contact. Bizarrely, assist combos cannot land after this stage element wall rushes them. The steam also increases the stage BRV. Creates quite a bit of chaos if the player’s start at the bottom of the stage, so make reaching the top a priority. Still a bad stage.

[LonelyGaruga]

~Planet’s Core
Widely considered one of the worst stages in the game, the Cloud of Darkness‘ view is no different. It needs the ground, and with such a limited amount of it available, you will be heavily handicapped against opponents with ranged options. However, the Cloud of Darkness does have an advantage against other ground oriented characters in the form of Spite 2, which encompasses almost all of the stage’s ground, which is very helpful for gaining an advantage against them. Overall, this stage is atrocious.

~Planet’s Core Omega
Even worse than the normal stage, because of the rapidly increasing stage BRV. The Cloud of Darkness is more susceptible to getting broken due to its reliance on HP moves, so breaks can be fatal if the opponent manages to buy enough time for the stage BRV to rise high enough. Be cautious on this stage, and try to protect yourself from this threat by aiming to break the opponent yourself. Still an atrocious stage due to this extra obstacle. One of the worst possible stages for the Cloud of Darkness.

~Ultimecia’s Castle
Yet another awful stage with very little ground. The banish traps on the ceiling make things even worse by making it significantly more difficult to land HP hits off of assist combos. Try to stay on the floor with the gears, and use the Cloud of Darkness’ ability to attack through them to your advantage. The lack of room means your standard strategy is useless, and there will be virtually no means of spacing here. Fortunately, the vertical layout of the stage makes it somewhat easier to deal with enemies with ranged attacks, as Pain 3 is able to reach most of the stage from the recommended position.

~Ultimecia’s Castle Omega
Significantly better than the ordinary version. This stage’s gimmick, Time Compression, causes the stage BRV to randomize, the destructible portions of the stage to be restored, and most importantly, causes the gears in the room to spin wildly, posing a damaging obstacle. These “obstacles” can serve for protection for the Cloud of Darkness, making it safer to use attacks, while also providing little hindrance to the Cloud of Darkness due to its superior attack range.

~Crystal World
A terrible stage for the Cloud of Darkness, due to the limited ground. Get to the center of the stage and defend yourself from there as well as you can. The limited ground, along with the vast amount of space, makes this stage a potential contender for the second worst stage for the Cloud of Darkness.

~Crystal World Omega
Nothing much is different. Crystals will form platforms in various locations, which can be broken, and are capable of regenerating. The stage BRV rises whenever this occurs. Otherwise, same basic idea.

~Dream’s End
Yet another bad stage. Not much ground, and what little there is isn't enough to space with, but the giant sword in the center platform can act as a shield against some ranged attacks. Obviously, as the center of the stage has the most ground available for movement, you’ll want to go there. One strategy you can use is to Quickmove between the center and the stadium, and use [Long-Range] Particle Beam to pressure the opponent as they try to approach. This should be done rarely though, if at all, due to the difficulty of finding a safe opportunity to Quickmove. Overall pretty bad, but it could be worse (barely).

~Dream’s End Omega
The stage BRV rises whenever an attack lands. This is one of those stages where a stage BRV of 9999 is plausible, so treat it much like Planet’s Core in that regard.

~Order’s Sanctuary
Huge amount of room for both ground and air. Pretty good because the ground is very even, with almost no obstacles, and none that are even plausibly capable of hindering the Cloud of Darkness. However, it’s pretty annoying to deal with opponents that can attack from the air, due to how much space is available there.

~Order’s Sanctuary Omega
The only difference is that instead of having a normal amount of stage BRV, your BRV will double upon a break. Pretty lame for the Cloud of Darkness, due to its HP oriented game.

~Edge of Madness
Small. Very small and crowded. Pain 3 is very useful here. You will be completely unable to space here, so give up on that strategy, and play entirely defensively, unless you find an opportunity to use Pain 3. Also, due to the small size of the stage, there is no escape from Aura Ball, so make good use of it. This stage requires a change of strategy, but it isn’t bad at all for the Cloud of Darkness.

~Edge of Madness Omega
The stage BRV will rapidly change throughout the match. Generally, it will be around 300-3000 in equip matches. Otherwise the same. Has its upsides and downsides, and is more or less luck based on whether it’s a good thing or not.

~Empyreal Paradox
Pretty average stage. Large amounts of even ground, but a high ceiling. This can be problematic, but the crystal in the center is capable of acting as a shield against some projectiles. Still, the huge vertical area of the stage can disadvantage the Cloud of Darkness in many matchups.

~Empyreal Paradox Omega
The crystal now drains BRV. The closer you are, the more is drained. BRV drained is added to the stage BRV. This is atrocious, as this once safe location is now a hazard to your BRV. Try to stay away from the center as much as possible.

~Sky Fortress Bahamut
Huge stage, both horizontally and vertically. The tremendous amount of ground is very useful, but, like many stages listed before it, there’s too much vertical space. Still, this is a great stage for spacing. Pretty decent overall.

~Sky Fortress Bahamut Omega
The wind blows on this stage, draining the BRV of those in the air and pushing them into the new banish trap at the back end of the stage. Stage BRV absorbs the BRV drained by the wind, and also continually increases throughout the fight. This is the air equivalent of Planet’s Core, and as such cripples those that rely on the air. Since the Cloud of Darkness wants opponents on the ground, this is an excellent stage for it. The wind also makes it more difficult to dodge [Long-Range] and other projectiles without being forced back by it. This is the best possible stage for the Cloud of Darkness’ spacing game, but it also removes the option of going into the air, should you desire it.

~Orphan’s Cradle
Another subpar stage. Banish trap ceiling, lots of space, not a lot of ground, overall nothing very good. This is the second largest stage in the game, and is completely surrounded by banish traps. The little pedestal in the center can be useful for keeping a little bit of distance from your opponent, due to its size. Like with most stages similar to it, it is recommended to stay in the center.

~Orphan’s Cradle Omega
Some elements of the stage will move every once in a while, increasing the stage BRV. They will move back after a while, which will revert the stage BRV to normal. Doesn’t affect the Cloud of Darkness much, since these elements are more on the outer areas of the stage, and has nothing to do with the center.

~Pandemonium - Top Floor
Probably the best stage for the Cloud of Darkness. Excellent amount of room, combined with a ceiling that barely allows the opponent to avoid [Long-Range] by getting out of its vertical range. There are a lot of stage obstacles here, but they serve no issue for the Cloud of Darkness, as the Cloud of Darkness has a very easy time destroying them with nearly all of its attacks, especially [Long-Range] and Spite 2. This stage has no Omega version.

~Crystal Tower
The other FFIII stage, it is appropriately good for the Cloud of Darkness. The Crystal Tower in the center is so massive that it easily enables 2-3 [Long-Ranges] to be performed safely with just one side of the wall separating you from your opponent. Due to how massive these walls are, [Long-Range] is virtually invisible to the opponent until it emerges, at which point it can be very difficult to dodge, with only the sound effects giving the opponent any warning. However, this stage has a huge ceiling, which can make it easier to deal with [Long-Range], as well as enable ranged attackers to easily attack you. Pretty good overall. This stage has no Omega version.

~Phantom Train
An excellent stage for the Cloud of Darkness, despite the lack of room. Rather, it is because of this lack of room. Spite 2, normally an excellent defensive tool, becomes extremely threatening in this stage because it covers the entire horizontal range of the stage, as well as threatening the opponent with the absorption effect. Due to the small size of the stage though, a lot can happen, and this stage is like the wild card in a lot of matchups. Be certain you really want this stage if you choose to play on it. This stage has no Omega version.

~M.S. Prima Vista
Probably the second best stage for the Cloud of Darkness. Low ceiling, even ground, but not much space to use. This stage's low ceiling makes ceiling camping to avoid [Long-Range] impossible, forcing the opponent to dodge or dash around it. The cramped nature of the stage does make spacing more difficult, however, but it's still very good for it. This stage has no Omega version.

[LonelyGaruga]

IX. Warriors of Light and Darkness: Credits

Over the course of writing this guide, I was helped by several people, and to each of them a special shout out for helping me in this endeavor. Thanks you guys~

Kayarine, for setting an example for the guide layout with her superb guide on Firion, as well as helping me think of ideas to use for the title, informing me of how to take pictures in game, mentioning some things to correct as well as suggesting for me to resize the images, introducing me to BlazBlue, which provided an excellent form of entertainment throughout this project in the form of its music (<3 The Sword of Doom), and overall being invaluably helpful in this endeavor~

Hollowed, for giving me ideas on how to add to the basic guide layout (since he too used Kaya’s guide layout), as well as talking to me a bit about the guide and reminding me of a couple of things I missed with by just talking to me (like how Spite 2 makes blocking the tentacle startups risky).

ChaosMuramasa, for giving ideas for a name as well as pointing out some spelling errors and incorrect information during the posting of this guide.

NekoMizu, Hella-Bright, and UltimaFox, for also helping me think of a guide name along with Kaya, Hollowed, and Chaos. Among the unused names are “Sunny Skies Ahead!”, “Trap of Darkness: Should I be Ashamed to Fap?”, and “Love Sign: Master Spark”.

Kurayami, for being a cool friend, making an excellent Cloud of Darkness combo video, and confirming that the Aura Ball combos that I suspected I found were legitimate.

Vamper62, for allowing me to link his excellent equipment guide. His work serves as a useful reference for those interested in checking stat info.

Gray_Kaiser, for his work on EXR combos for the Cloud of Darkness. If you should find it necessary to EXR, the information provided by this will be very useful.

Yorunightcast, for giving me some ideas for questions to post in the discussion thread (namely the one regarding matchups)

Ujhbn, for providing movement speed and move data for public use. His hard work translating this information has proven time and again to be a great asset for those interested in game data.