This is the final stretch of the game; hope you've come prepared. The candles are lit, but the Palace appears to be as abandoned as the town was. Of course, guards and monsters will be blocking your path to the Golden Empreror.
To the right of the Palace doors you will find a chest with Windspun Armor in it. Although few can wear this gem, it is the absolute best piece of armor in the game. It provides the highest DEF, plus an excellent +20 to speed; which is much-needed by most users of this armor. For those that will be going for a 100% completion in Suikoden II, it is imperative that this be equipped to Humphrey. By equipping this to Humphrey now, he will have Windspun Armor equipped in that game as well. If he does not have Windspun Armor equipped, he will come with a much inferior armor that cannot be changed in Suikoden II.
Let's take a final look at the rare drops here in Gregminster Palace that will help round out your characters. First, the Colossus enemy has two rare drops to obtain. The Power Ring, along with the Mangosh, is the best attack-based accessory you can equip. At +20 to PWR, it easily outclasses the Power Glove, which is +15; although the Gloves do offer +2 more defense than the Ring, but I think that point is moot. Any character, other than mages, can benefit from this accessory. There will be one of these in a chest later in the dungeon, but obviously being the final one in the game, the Colossus is your only source of getting Power Rings.
Colossus' also carry your source for Mother Earth Runes. Covered back in the Moravia Castle section, the benefit of this rune is extra MP for the other spells contained within it as the new lvl 4 spell, Guardian Earth, is bugged and does not work.
And finally, the last rare drop in the game, is the aforementioned Windspun Armor. The monster Ekidonna VERY rarely will drop these. Other users of this armor, aside from Humphrey, include: Varkas, Kreutz, Kwanda, Blackman, and Kessler.
Just a note about potch. I'm sure you have noticed by now how your potch will max out at a measly 999,999. Fighting here you will reach that number quicker than you might think. Don't hesitate to leave Gregminster to return to your castle and use that potch to sharpen character weapons and buy the best equipment for them. If you max out your potch, you will essentially gain none from battles.
You will find Barbarosa's throne is empty...Looks like you will have to climb higher to find him.
Nearing the end, you will find a Horned Helmet in a chest. This is the best helmet in the game, and you can find extras from the Elite Soldiers back in Shasarazade.
This is the final save point in the game (With a Power Ring in the chest beside it). You will also need your game saved at this spot to convert your data over to Suikoden II. Taking the stairs to the east of the save point will lead you to a long hall and out to the Imperial Gardens, where Barbarosa, and the final confrontation is awaiting you. If you've used any MP at this point, I would recommend leaving the Palace to rest at an inn to recover. One last note: as I stated earlier; if you removed Viktor and/or Flik from your party and your intentions are to view the ending, you will need to take them with you beyond this point. You should be able to "Let Go" any enemy you encounter on your way back to the save point. When you are prepared to finish the game, take the stairs and the long corridor out to the gardens.
Barbarosa is not willing to accept defeat yet. He still has his Sovereign Rune and is resolved to protect what little is left of his empire.
The Golden Hydra will be the final boss of the game. This isn't too bad if you are aware of the strategies of the three heads. The most important thing to note is that the left-most head (From your party's point of view) will attempt to revive the other two heads if they are destroyed. That makes it your primary target for this battle. Each head also has an elemental strength. The left head will take no damage from wind, the center will null lightning, and the right will not be effected by fire.
Tir should use all of his Soul Eater's Judgment spells on the left head; attempting to take it out as quickly as possible. If you have a Thunder Rune user, have them concentrate Ball of Lightning on it as well. Earth Rune users can do good damage to all three heads with Voice of Earth and Earthquake. When Tir runs out of Judgment, switch to Black Shadow, that will also damage all three heads. If you get lucky the Golden Hydra will waste his turns using a single-target physical attack, but if he consistently uses his multi-target spells, you will need to counter with Water of Kindness or Scream. As with most bosses in this game, if you have a consistent healer, you will do fine.
When you deliver the final blow to the last head that is left, the Golden Hydra will explode in a sphere of light; signifying the end of the Golden Emperor and the war. With Barbarosa fallen, escape from the Palace, and sit back and watch the ending, then prepare for Suikoden II. If you followed from the beginning, you should have a 100% complete save file, with all the Stars of Destiny and items that you can acquire in the game. Thank you for reading and following along with me. Drop me a message sometime using the contact form on the right-hand side. See you next game.
