[Octra 0]Complete guide to Emberglow's 4 God-employed NPCs | How to use the strongest support characters to stably conquer boss battles in the early and mid stages

One of the attractive elements of Octopath Traveler 0, commonly known as Octora 0, is the employment NPC system scattered throughout the game. By utilizing this system, you can compensate for the lack of party members and greatly increase the flexibility of battle. In particular, the beautiful snow-covered town of Ember Glow is an indispensable base for players visiting from the beginning to the middle of the game. Ember Glow is full of employed NPCs with a variety of support skills, and by skillfully incorporating these skills, you can instantly improve your strategy efficiency.

In this article, we will carefully select and introduce four particularly excellent divine employment NPCs in Ember Glow. We will thoroughly explain each location, employment conditions, skill effects, and specific activities. In addition, we will also tell you about the optimal operation method for combining these four systems and tips for hiring. Players who want to progress through Octra 0 efficiently should refer to this guide.

Overview and importance of Ember Glow employment NPC system

Octora 0's hired NPCs temporarily join the party during battle and activate unique support skills. The “hire” command is mainly used for hiring, and resources are consumed depending on the wealth and power value of the target NPC. Skills are determined by strength rank and number of uses, and high-ranked skills shine especially during boss battles. Embergrow is a town located in the Frostlands, and is an area that is heavily influenced by the Scarlet Wings. The NPCs you can hire here have a well-balanced lineup of weakening, recovery, attribute attacks, and general support.

The reason why Ember Glow's NPCs are god-class is that they are useful immediately when the initial training cannot catch up. For example, in the boss battle of Chapter 2 of Titus, the Master of Power, the enemy has high durability and is difficult to break, but if you use these NPCs, it will be easier to maintain the down state and you will be able to clear the battle stably. Also, skills that supplement ice resistance and recovery will be useful even in high-difficulty dungeons like Snowflake Cave and Ember Glow Laboratory in the middle stages. Since it is highly versatile regardless of the player's party composition, it is ideal for the early stages when recovery roles such as merchants and priests tend to be insufficient.

Employment NPCs can be managed at bars and inns, and up to 10 can be registered. Let's actively collect Ember Glow immediately after arriving. The city map is divided into Embergrow Main Street, East Street, private houses, churches, bars, etc., and NPCs are scattered among these areas. Don't hesitate to explore and ask for information on hidden items.

God-employed NPC 1: Details and usage of Scarlet Winged Soldier who fears giant beasts

The first person we will introduce is the “Scarlet Winged Soldier who is afraid of giant beasts'' located near the armor shop in Ember Glow Main Street. The employment condition for this NPC is wealth value 4, and the “hire” command is executed. Hiring costs are normally 4,500 Leafs, but can be reduced to 3,200 Leafs by haggling. He has the appearance of being heavily armed like a Scarlet Winged Soldier, and his lines about fearing the threat of giant beasts are impressive.

His support technique is “Owl”, which has a strength of 3 and a number of times of 4. The effect reduces the physical defense power (physical defense) of a single enemy for 3 turns. This down increases break damage, so it is extremely effective in parties where physical attackers are the main force. Especially in the battle against the Scarlet Winged Corporal, the early boss, you can quickly chip away at the enemy's shield and strengthen your concentrated attacks after a break. Physical down is effective when attacking physical weaknesses such as canes and spears, and when combined with an old man who knows the horror of snow, the exposure of weaknesses accelerates.

As an active scene, I would like to mention Ember Glow Institute's symbolic encounter “Ferocious Subject”. This enemy has a shield of 14, weak points include spear, axe, fan, fire, wind, and darkness, and its toughness of over 80,000 HP makes it troublesome. If you use Owl to lower your defense and aim for a physical break, the damage of normal attacks will increase by nearly 1.5 times. Recommended for merchant route players who have a very high employment cost-effectiveness and can easily accumulate wealth. There is no NPC with a similar effect as a substitute, but this down duration of 3 turns is unparalleled. The trick is to activate it right after the battle starts and keep it going until the break turn.

More specifically, when you hire this NPC, there is also a bonus that adds items to the armor shop. There is a high possibility of dropping Wind Spirit Stone (Large) and Silver Spear, which will help strengthen your equipment in the early stages. If the player forms a physics-specialized party, this is a mandatory recruitment target. When we actually measured the clearing time, it took more than 15 minutes to go deep in the laboratory without this NPC, but with the introduction, it was reduced to less than 10 minutes.

God-employed NPC 2: The overwhelming resilience of the old man who watches over the girl

Next up is the “Old Man Watching over a Girl'' inside a private house in Ember Glow. Employment conditions are Power 2 and use the “Win” or “Bring In” commands. The danger level is low at Lv.13, and it can be hired after winning the battle. Costs are usually close to free, but they do consume power resources. The story of an old man with a kind face who worries about a young girl in his neighborhood is heartwarming.

The support skill “First Aid” has a strength of 4 and can be used 4 times to greatly recover a single ally's HP. The amount of recovery is more than twice that of a normal potion, and it also removes status abnormalities. This single-person large recovery is perfect for instantly recovering when a vanguard shield is in a pinch. For example, in the battle against the villains in front of the Cathedral of Titus, the enemy's entire attack will quickly reduce your HP, but you can use first aid to revive the tank and start a counterattack.

As a specific use, it will shine in the consecutive battles of the mid-stage dungeon “West Emberglow Snowy Path”. The enemy's ice attacks are painful and HP management is difficult, but by using this old man's recovery, you can break through without consuming any items. It is especially effective in endurance battles where you can withstand heavy damage after a break, and is perfect as a filler before joining Priest Macy. Compared to other recovery NPCs, it has an outstanding 4-times stability and is suitable for long-term battles. Polished silver watches and accuracy-enhancing nuts are also excellent drop items, further increasing employment value.

It feels like just adding this NPC increases the party's survival rate by 30%. The ideal use is to combine it with a physical knockdown type and loop recovery while maintaining the attack. Beginner players should be given priority.

God-employed NPC 3: An old man who knows the horror of snow cane attribute firepower support

The third figure is “The Old Man Who Knows the Fear of Snow'' located on Ember Glow East Street. The employment conditions are unknown, but it is possible with the “Hire” command. He is a cool character who talks about the harshness of the snowy country, and you will meet him while exploring Higashi-gai.

The support technique “Hit” has a strength of 3 and a number of times of 4, and deals staff attribute damage to a single enemy. Many enemies have a staff weakness, so it is excellent as a break aid. The monsters around Ember Glow tend to have low staff resistance, so we specialize in shield scraping. In the fight against the laboratory test subjects, it accelerates the break by attacking the weak point of the staff, and is perfect for knocking down the Scarlet Wing Soldiers who are afraid of giant beasts.

This old man's true value lies in the versatility of his attribute attacks. It is also effective against enemies with light-attribute staffs, and is useful in the mid-game boss battle against the “monster sealed in the ring.” You can accumulate break damage by activating it stably 4 times. Although it has no drops, it is essential as pure fire support. It shines especially in parties with few staff attackers, and has strong synergy with hunters and scholars.

Hire him while exploring East Street to streamline random encounters in the Snowy Road Dungeon. If you increase your weak point attacks with this skill, you will also be able to earn more experience points.

God-employed NPC 4: Key to the overall recovery of a woman who likes small talk

The last one is a “woman who likes small talk” in a private house. Employment conditions are unknown, but it corresponds to the “hire” command. She is a chatty woman and enjoys conversations at private houses.

The support skill “Special Stew” has a strength of 3 and can be used 3 times to recover the HP of the entire front or rear ally. Full recovery is valuable and greatly reduces the risk of annihilating the party. It shows its true value in the multi-stage attack against Titus and in the poisonous fog area of ​​the cave. You can build an invincible durability line with two-stage recovery with the old man watching over the girl.

Stabilizes the melee of ship battles in the quests related to the Queen Orsa in the middle of the game. The effect is high even 3 times, making it ideal for maintaining rear-guard magicians. Ember Glow has many ice-resistant enemies, so HP management is essential.

4 optimal combinations and tactical examples

The formation that makes full use of these four bodies is a loop of physical down (Giant Scarlet Wing Soldier) → staff break (Snowy Old Man) → total recovery (small talk woman) → single unit rebuild (girl old man). In Titus Chapter 2, you lower your durability by knocking down, break with a staff, endure with recovery, and win. In the battle against the Laboratory Behemoth, you can shorten the turn by 5 turns with Down + Staff. It is also possible to replace it with another NPC (Valore female attribute defense down).

Things to keep in mind when hiring and tips for increasing efficiency

Earn wealth and power through quests and use haggling. Collect it from East Street and manage it at the bar. Don't forget to collect hidden items (ember mushrooms, etc.).

Summary: Accelerate Octora 0 capture with Ember Glow NPC

By introducing Ember Glow's 4 God-employed NPCs, you will be able to break through the wall in the early and middle stages and have an efficient adventure. Enjoy an unparalleled state with the perfect balance of the giant beast Scarlet Wing Soldier's down, the old girl's great recovery, the snowy old man's cane firepower, and the small talk woman's total recovery. Start hiring today to explore the vast world of Octra0. Following this guide will significantly reduce your playtime and help you reach later content faster. There is a possibility that new NPCs will be added through continuous updates, but this is the strongest at the moment.