Breath of Fire IV - Farming Stamp Cards

In Breath of Fire IV, you are able to trade fish for items at various Manillo stores.  You also earn stamps, 20 of which makes up one stamp cards.  Those stamp cards can, in turn, be traded for more items.

If you wish to get the Manillo's best items, you will need a LOT of stamp cards.

Cards	Item	Description
3	Magic Shard	+1 to max AP.
3	Power Food	+1 to Attack.
3	Swallow Eye	+1 to Agility.
3	Fish Head	+1 to Wisdom.
25	Coupons	Accessory.  User receives a discount on all purchases.
50	Dragon Tear	Accessory.  Protects wearer from all status changes.
75	Linked Pole.	Weapon for Cray, with 133 attack.  Damage changes with enemy's power.  One of Cray's best weapons.
99	Render	Weapon for Scias.  Attack 50, but changes based on number of battles fought.  2 hits.  If used as an item, casts Frost.  One of Scias' best weapons.

I really do not recommend trying to get everyone Dragon Tears.  You find one in Fou-Lu's tomb, and you really don't need any more than that.  The Cupid's Lyre, if nothing else, is a way more useful accessory.

I also wouldn't farm for the stat-up items.  You need to earn 60 fishing points just to get one, and levelling is so easy that it seems a bit pointless.  It would be quicker to use the Bots to level your characters up to 60 and decimate absolutely everything in the game.  You don't even need to be that high, really.  Coupons, too, aren't really worth it.  By the time you've got enough stamp cards for them, you've probably bought everything you need to, especially if you're selling off the items you're trading fish for..

No, what I'm farming for are the weapons.  Because I'm a completionist.

Method is simple, and is described here.  Go to River Spot 2 or 3, stand on the bridge, face south, use a swisher.  I generally do this while watching TV.  After a while, take your fish to the Checkpoint, where you can trade 1 Salmon, 2 Rainbow Trout, and 4 Browntails for 21 points.  Take any Trout or Sweetfish to Shyde.  My record is 208 points, or ten stamp cards, in one episode of Charmed (40 minutes).  Have fun!

Breath of Fire IV - Killing Treans

I finally killed a Trean!

I'm using a line-up of Cray, Ursula, and Scias.

Turn 1: Cray casts Charm, Scias uses Megaphone, Ursula uses War Shout.  Scias' HP was at 1, so he also used Rakhasa in this turn.

Turn 2: Cray uses Last Resort, Scias uses Megaphone, Ursula uses War Shout.

Turn 3:  FUCKING NINA'S WILL RUINS SCIAS' 1HP.  Cray uses Backhand on Scias, Scias uses Focus, Ursula guards.

Turn 4: Cray uses Tiger Fist, Ursula uses Triple Blow, Scias uses Reversal.  Fucking Trean dies!

Turn 5: Treans escape.

Alternatively;

Turn 1:  We brutally murder Nina.  Her hp was already at one, so it only took one blow.

Turn 2: Cray casts Charm, Scias uses Megaphone, Ursula uses War Shout.  Scias' HP was at 1, so he also used Rakhasa in this turn.  He'll probably use it at some point, as long as his HP is at 1.  Rakhasa gives you an automatic Last Resort effect, and 1HP means Reversal becomes a lot more powerful.

Turn 3: Cray uses Last Resort, Scias uses Megaphone, Ursula uses War Shout.

Turn 4:  Scias uses Focus, Cray uses Tiger Fist, Ursula uses Reversal.

Turn 5:  Cray uses Tiger Fist, Scias uses Shadowwalk, Ursula uses Reversal.  Repeat for two turns.  My party are far too weak to pull this off, though, luckily, Scias is apprenticed to Kyrik, and finishes one off for me after I've hacked away at it for long enough.

The Treans will run away either on the ninth turn, or on the turn after you kill one of them.  

This second scenario might be worth attempting again later; with Ursula, Reversal hits all of them, for 10-15,000 damage each.  Tiger Fist also hits all, but misses a lot.  I finally got a Nunchaku in this battle (this was the 3rd or 4th Treant I killed, so it doesn't take too long), which raised Cray's power to 474.

Breath of Fire IV - Update

I was in my early teens when I bought Breath of Fire IV.  Maybe as young as eleven, which would make it thirteen years ago.  It was the first Breath of Fire game I ever owned, so it may be surprising that it's the one Breath of Fire game I've never completed.  I don't know why.  I've gotten as far as the end of Chapter III before, but no further.

There comes a point, in a lot of RPGs, where you need to run around and take of a lot of subquests and minigames before you get to the final boss.  That's always the point at which my attention begins to wane.  I think there's a part of me that doesn't actually want to finish games, because that happens quite a lot.  That's the whole reason behind my Completion Project - to challenge me not to give up at that point. Like I'm not going to this time.  I'm going to sit here all weekend and finish this damn game if it's the last thing I do.

I have very little left to complete.  I've completed every master and learned every skill.  I've caught every fish, though I've not crowned all of them yet.  I just need to get all the best weapons for my characters - which will involve more fishing, since I only have 51 stamp cards - defeat Treans and Riders - partly for pride, partly to get another weapon - and get through the final dungeon.

These are the items I've yet to get;

• Mass Driver - For Ershin.  104 attack.  Steal from Chopam in Fou-Lu's tomb.

• Nunchaku - For Cray.  145 Attack.  Dropped by Trean in Abandoned Village.

• Linked Pole - For Cray.  133 power.  Manillo Store.  Trade 75 stamp cards for it.
• Render - For Scias.  2 hits, attack varies with number of battles fought.  Trade 99 stamp cards to any Manillo.

• GooKing Sword - For Ryu.  152 power.  You have a 1/256 chance of winning this sword by defeating a Goo King in the Imperial Castle.
• Ouroboros - For Nina.  96 attack.  Casts Raise Dead if used as an item.  Steal from Beihl in the basement of the Imperial Castle. 
• Slicer - For Scias.  78 attack, 2 hits.  Dropped by Kolpum in Imperial Castle.
• Angel's Vest - For Nina and Ursula.  94 defence.  Dropped by a Warder in the Imperial Castle, or steal from Star Gazer in Imperial Castle.

• Dragon Blade - For Ryu.  128 power.  On B1 of the Imperial Castle.
• Dragon Armour - For Ryu.  96 defence.  1F of the Imperial Castle.

• Royal Sword - For Ryu.  96 power, two hits.  Steal from Astral dragon, a boss near the end of the game.
• Royal Armour - For Ryu.  102 defence.  Steal from Tyrant, a boss near the end of the game.

I've categorised them loosely according to where they are, and/or how you get them.  I think my information on the Angel's Vest is wrong, since the game reckons I've received all the items from the Stargazer and the Angel's Vest isn't on the list.  We'll see.

I'm just doing a bit more levelling, to boost my stats to have another go at Treans.  I want to complete my Manillo shops list with points, so I'll do a bit more fishing for that, then try to figure out the most efficient way to get enough points for 149 stamp cards.  Luckily, levelling and fishing I can do while watching TV, so I'll be catching up on Elementary as well, or reading Carrie.  Wish me luck!

Breath of Fire IV - Manillo Stores

In Breath of Fire IV you can trade your caught fish for items at various Manillo stores, much like in Breath of Fire III.  However, in IV the Manillo are wandering around town rather than swimming with the fishes (not a euphemism).  You get stamps when you purchase items; twenty stamps will fill a stamp card.  You can trade stamp cards as follows;

Cards	Item	Description
3	Magic Shard	+1 to max AP.
3	Power Food	+1 to Attack.
3	Swallow Eye	+1 to Agility.
3	Fish Head	+1 to Wisdom.
25	Coupons	Accessory.  User receives a discount on all purchases.
50	Dragon Tear	Accessory.  Protects wearer from all status changes.
75	Linked Pole.	Weapon for Cray, with 133 attack.  Damage changes with enemy's power.  One of Cray's best weapons.
99	Render	Weapon for Scias.  Attack 50, but changes based on number of battles fought.  2 hits.  If used as an item, casts Frost.  One of Scias' best weapons.

Manillo Stores

Shyde

I came here immediately from Ludia, before going to Worent.  I was able to buy Earth Claws, a Ruby Scepter and a Broad Sword; I knew spending an episode of Charmed in each fishing spot was a good idea.

Items	Fish	Stamps
Earth Claws	5 x Sweetfish	7.50
Ruby Scepter	5 x Trout	10.00
Broad Sword	2 x RainbowTrout 2 x Trout 2 x Sweetfish	14.00
Flail	3 x Black Bass 3 x Blue Gill 6 x Piranha	--
Firangi	3 x Black Bass 3 x MartianSquid 6 x Bass	--
Holy Mantle	3 x RainbowTrout 6 x Browntail	25.50
Bell Collar	3 x RainbowTrout 6 x Browntail	25.50
Aurum	5 x Jellyfish	4.00

Wyndia

Lots of new bait here!

Items	Fish	Stamps
Gold Top	1 x Blowfish 2 x Flying Fish	5.00
Warbler	1 x Blowfish 2 x Flying Fish	5.00
Flattop	2 x Blowfish	4.00
Hanger	2 x Blowfish	4.00
Toad	3 x Flying Fish	4.50
Tail	3 x Flying Fish	4.50
Bamboo Rod	2 x Sea Bream	6.00
Aurum	5 x Man-o'-War	4.00

Sarai

Return here after getting the shift spell, and the Manillo store will be open for business.

Items	Fish	Stamps
Icicle	3 x Flatfish	8.40
Napalm	3 x Sea Bream	9.00
Taser	3 x Octopus	10.50
Ginseng	1 x Bonito 1 x Octopus 1 x Sea Bream	10.10
Dragon Scale	1 x Bonito 1 x Octopus 1 x Flatfish	9.90
Headband	1 x Bonito 1 x Sea Bream 1 x Flatfish	9.40
Moon Tears	1 x Spearfish 1 x Angler 1 x Bonito	12.65
Aurum	3 x Sea Bass	8.40

Checkpoint

Items	Fish	Stamps
Barrier Ring	1 x Salmon 2 x Rainbow Trout 4 x Browntail	21.00
Light Ring	2 x MartianSquid 2 x Blue Gill 4 x Piranha	17.40
Diamond Ring	1 x Salmon 2 x Rainbow Trout 4 x Browntail	21.00
Astral Ward	1 x Dorado 4 x Black Bass 6 x Bass	28.00
Body Ward	1 x Dorado 4 x Black Bass 6 x Bass	28.00
Soul Ring	1 x Sturgeon 2 x Salmon 2 x Bullcat	21.90
Topaz Tear	1 x Barandy 2 x Dorado 2 x MartianSquid	22.00
Aurum	3 x Bass	6.00

Lyp

Items	Fish	Stamps
Platinum Top	1 x Browntail 1 x Trout 1 x Sweetfish	6.00
Dancer	1 x Black Bass 1 x Blue Gill 1 x Piranha	6.85
Swisher	1 x Browntail 1 x Trout 1 x Sweetfish	6.00
Deep Diver	1 x Black Bass 1 x Blue Gill 1 x Piranha	6.85
Fat Frog	1 x Browntail 1 x Trout 1 x Sweetfish	6.00
Crab	1 x Black Bass 1 x Blue Gill 1 x Piranha	6.85
Angling Rod	2 x Salmon 2 x Dorado 2 x MartianSquid	20.70
Aurum	3 x Bass	5.00

Chiqua

Items	Fish	Stamps
Skull Staff	10 x Jellyfish 10 x Man-o'-War	16.00
Chopsticks	2 x MartianSquid 2 x Octopus	14.00
Repeater	1 x Spearfish 3 x Bonito	15.80
Giant Club	2 x Black Porgy 6 x Sea Bream	--
Power Glove	2 x Black Porgy 6 x Sea Bream	--
Force Armour	1 x Spearfish 1 x Angler 5 x Flatfish	--
Holy Robe	1 x Spearfish 1 x Angler 5 x Octopus	--
Aurum	3 x Sea Bass	8.40

Astana

Items	Fish	Stamps
Ivory Dice	5 x Angelfish 5 x Moorfish	21.50
Earthbreaker	1 x Whale 1 x Barandy 3 x Dorado	28.99
Culverin	1 x Whale 2 x Sturgeon 2 x Barandy	35.59
Life Armor	1 x Whale 1 x Sturgeon 3 x Bullcat	26.69
Star Dress	3 x Whale 8 x Acheron	51.57
Healing Ring	1 x Spearfish 1 x Angler 2 x Black Porgy	14.65
Cupid's Lyre	1 x Spearfish 1 x Angler 2 x Black Porgy	14.65
Aurum	1 x Angelfish 1 x Moorfish	4.30

Breath of Fire IV - Ultimate Equipment List

Individual Character Lists

• Ryu
• Nina
• Ershin
• Cray
• Scias
• Ursula

Weapons

• GooKing Sword - For Ryu.  152 power.  You have a 1/256 chance of winning this sword by defeating a Goo King in the Imperial Castle.
• Dragon Blade - For Ryu.  128 power.  On B1 of the Imperial Castle.
• Royal Sword - For Ryu.  96 power, two hits.  Steal from Astral dragon, a boss near the end of the game. 
• Ouroboros - For Nina.  96 attack.  Casts Raise Dead if used as an item.  Steal from Beihl in the basement of the Imperial Castle.  
• Electrifier - For Ursula.  110 attack, hits one, low hit rate.  Found in Fou-Lu's tomb.
• Culverin - For Ursula.  108 attack, hits all.  Manillo Store in Astana.  1 x Whale, 2 x Sturgeon, 2 x Barandy.
• Nunchaku - For Cray.  145 Attack.  Dropped by Trean in Abandoned Village.
• Linked Pole - For Cray.  133 power.  Manillo Store.  Trade 75 stamp cards for it.
• Cleaver - For Scias.  119 attack.  Steal from Horseman in Imperial Castle.
• Slicer - For Scias.  78 attack, 2 hits.  Dropped by Kolpum in Imperial Castle.
• Render - For Scias.  2 hits, attack varies with number of battles fought.  Trade 99 stamp cards to any Manillo.
• Mass Driver - For Ershin.  104 attack.  Steal from Chopam in Fou-Lu's tomb.

Armour

• Royal Armour - For Ryu.  102 defence.  Steal from Tyrant, a boss near the end of the game.
• Dragon Armour - For Ryu.  96 defence.  1F of the Imperial Castle.
• Life Armour - For Ryu, Cray, and Scias.  90 defence.  Heals 100hp per turn.  Buy from Manilla in Astana; 1 Whale, 1 Sturgeon, 3 Bullcat.
• Angel's Vest - For Nina and Ursula.  94 defence.  Dropped by a Warder in the Imperial Castle, or steal from Star Gazer in Imperial Castle.
• Star Dress - For Nina.  92 defence.  Manilla Store in Astana near the end of the game.  Whale x 3, Acheron x 8.
• Gideon's Garb - For Cray.  93 defence, +10 to attack.  Dropped by Battle Suit in Astana (Imperial HQ), after it has been infested with the Hex.  It's a rare drop, so it might take a while.
• King's Armour - For Scias.  100 Defence.  Stolen from Rider in Mukto Ruins.
• Chopam Plate - For Ershin.  50 defence.  Dropped by Chopam in Fou-Lu's tomb.
• Mithril Rig - for Ershin.  50 defence, but heavier than Chopam plate.  Forged at the Smithy by  mixing 3 x Iron Scraps.

Breath of Fire IV - Kali's Fishing Record

This one's just for me.  The names of all the fish in Breath of Fire IV, the largest I've caught, and whether or not that was large enough for a crown.  Plus the points!

Fish	Largest	Crown	Points
Jellyfish	31cm	✓	80
Piranha	38cm	--	135
Bass	64cm	✓	200
Blue Gill	54cm	✓	250
Sweetfish	25cm	✓	150
Browntail	70cm	✓	250
Black Bass	70cm	✓	300
Angelfish	31cm	✓	250
Trout	42cm	✓	200
Rainbow Trout	70cm	✓	350
Bullcat	84cm	✓	380
Martian Squid	73cm	✓	350
Dorado	97cm	✓	400
Salmon	145cm	✓	400
Barandy	209cm	✓	700
Sturgeon	216cm	--	630
Man-o'-War	31cm	✓	80
Flying Fish	35cm	✓	150
Blowfish	51cm	✓	200
Moorfish	29cm	--	180
Sea Bass	75cm	✓	280
Flatfish	52cm	✓	280
Sea Bream	71cm	✓	300
Octopus	82cm	✓	350
Bonito	118cm	--	360
Black Porgy	51cm	--	280
Angler	132cm	--	405
Spearfish	191cm	✓	500
Whale	259cm	✓	999
Acheron	41cm	--	240

Breath of Fire IV - Ershin's Best Equipment

Mass Driver - 104 attack.  Steal from Chopam in Fou-Lu's tomb.

Chopam Plate - 50 defence and "resists both physical and magical attacks".  Dropped by Chopam in Fou-Lu's tomb.

OR

Mithril Rig - 50 defence (but is heavier than Chopam Plate).  Forge at the Smithy from Iron Scraps x 3.

As you can see, there is only one enemy with whom you need to be concerned here.

To find Chopam;  he's in Fou-Lu's tomb.  You remember the block which took you down into the depths of the tomb, and then, eventually out in Mukto?  Ride that back all the way up, and Chopam will most commonly appear on the steps right in front of them.  Yes those little 2 x 1 steps.  Stay on them.

Getting the Chopam Plate from the Chopam is relatively easy - as long as you can kill him, you've got a very fair chance of getting it.  I've done a bit of levelling with the Bots, which helped.  Getting the Mass Driver is quite a bit harder.


To defeat Chopam; he will be invulnerable for two turns, so just try to steal or guard.  Maybe cast Charm, though you probably don't need to.  On the third turn, I found that a combo of Nina using Oracle, Ershin using Spray and Cray using Triple Blow worked very well, and did over 10,000 damage.

To steal from Chopam: use characters who are faster than he is - that is, with an agility of 140 or more - in order to steal from him twice on the fourth turn, before he is able to run away.  I used Nina and Ursula, one with Pilfer, one with Steal.  That gives you eight chances per battle, rather than six. 

Staying on the stairs heavily increases your chances of running into him, to the point of roughly every other battle. This makes a huge difference to how much this takes.  Even though you do have to look at the screen more and can't watch TV or read quite as much (trust me, you will want to be doing something else at the time).

I finally managed to steal one off, roughly, the tenth Chopam I faced.  Finally!

Breath of Fire IV - Scias' Best Equipment

Cleaver - 119 attack.  Steal from Horseman in Imperial Castle.

OR

Slicer - 78 attack, 2 hits.  Dropped by Kolpum in Imperial Castle.

OR

Render - 2 hits, attack varies with number of battles fought.  Trade 99 stamp cards to any Manillo.

King's Armour - 100 Defence.  Stolen from Rider in Mukto Ruins.



The King's Armour was surprisingly easy to get.  To find Rider, head to the Mukto Ruins.  See the jump spot behind the block?  Jump onto the path and run round to the left (North).  In the tunnel, look for the weakened wall, and use Ershin to break through it.  Head through the (very short) tunnels.  In the final room, you'll find an obelisk, marking where Fou-Lu was summoned, and a Dragon Tear (excellent accessory; protects from all status effects).  In here, you can run into Rider.

I had Ursula and Nina with Steal and Pilfer, and Scias healing in the third position.  I ran away once I had it.  I'll go back and kill him later.

Breath of Fire IV - Cray's Best Equipment

Nunchaku - 145 Attack.  Dropped by Trean in Abandoned Village.

OR

Linked Pole - 133 power.  Manillo Store.  Trade 75 stamp cards for it.

Gideon's Garb - 93 defence, +10 to attack.  Dropped by Battle Suit in Astana, near the end of the game.

OR

Life Armour - Defence 90.  Heals 100hp each turn.  buy from Manillo Store in Astana.  Costs one Whale, one Sturgeon, and three Bullcats.

It took me about half an hour of fighting to get the Gideon's Garb.  I bought one set of Life Armour when I first caught whales and sturgeons; Scias had it first, until I got his King Armour, then Cray, and now Ryu will wear it until I find him something better.

The Mist Armour you can buy in Chedo also has 93 defence, and is slightly lighter than the Gideon's Garb.  The main difference is that the Gideon's Garb also raises your attack, while the Life Armour constantly heals you, making them bother slightly better options.

Treans have a pretty high chance of dropping Nunchakus.  I got one off the third one that I managed to kill; not that it's much easier to kill one out of a group than the whole group.

You can see more information on the Manillo Stores here.

Breath of Fire IV - Ursula's Best Equipment

Electrifier - 110 attack, hits one, low hit rate.  Found in Fou-Lu's tomb.

OR

Culverin - 108 attack.  Manillo Store in Astana.  1 x Whale, 2 x Sturgeon, 2 x Barandy.

Angel's Vest -Steal from Star Gazer in Imperial Castle.

Breath of Fire IV - Nina's Best Equipment

 Ouroboros - 96 attack.  Casts Raise Dead if used as an item.  Steal from Beihl in the basement of the Imperial Castle.
 
Angel's Vest - 94 defence.  Steal from a Warder in the Imperial Castle.

OR

Star Dress - 92 defence.  Manillo Store in Astana near the end of the game.  Whale x 3, Acheron x 8.

You'll find both Warder and Beihl in the basement of the Imperial Castle.  It shouldn't take more than 20 or so steals to get the desired items.  Star Dress isn't really worth it, since Angel's Vest is so easy to get.  Unless you want to get eight Acherons, in which case, what else are you going to spend them on?

I found Warders appeared most often on B1.

Breath of Fire IV - Ryu's Best Equipment

GooKing Sword - 152 power.  You have a 1/256 chance of winning this sword by defeating a Goo King in the Imperial Castle.

OR

Dragon Blade - 128 power.  On B1 of the Imperial Castle.

OR

Royal Sword - 96 power, two hits.  Steal from Astral dragon, a boss near the end of the game.

Royal Armour - 102 defence.  Steal from Tyrant, a boss near the end of the game.

OR

Dragon Armour - 96 defence.  1F of the Imperial Castle.

OR

Life Armour - 90 defence.  Heals 100hp per turn.  Buy from Manilla in Astana; 1 Whale, 1 Sturgeon, 3 Bullcat.

Breath of Fire IV - Levelling with Bots for Fun and Profit

Full credit for this trick goes to the maker of this video; I'd never heard of it before.

In short, what you need to do is go to Sinchon and find some Bots. You can do this at any point after reaching Sinchon; I waited until I was able to apprentice all my characters to Bunyan. He increases all stats while decreasing the amount that HP and AP rises by each level.  After a couple of levels with him, I'll switch to Marlok to bring the HP and AP back up.  Remember that Masters don't decrease your stats; they just decrease or increase the amount that they rise by upon levelling. 

Anyway, you've found some bots.  Great!  Ideally, you want to be attacked by at least two or three, rather than one.

1. Hit them with a weak wind + water combo.  I gave Eddy to Ershin, and used that and Scias' Frost to create the combo.  Finish by having Nina heal whichever bot you focused the attacks on.
2. Use Nina and Scias to heal the other two Bots.  If you're facing two bots rather than three, just have Nina heal.  3rd character guards.
3. Everyone guards.
4. Rinse & repeat.  The bots will recover at the start of this turn, so your attacks will just break their bodies open again.

Every time you break the Bots open, their exp will double, to a maximum of 65535.  Have fun!

Breath of Fire Series

Another tiny piece of evidence for Breath of Fire VI being the prequel to Breath of Fire, if the games are connected; in IV, Deis says this is her first time on a ship.

Breath of Fire IV - Faerie Shops

The items and weapons that a faerie stocks depends on what type she is - ordinary, odd, lazy, or diligent.  You can have up to three faeries in a shop at a time, and each one will have her own inventory, so you should be able to work through these fairly quickly.  Each shop gains eight items.

Items

Ordinary
Healing Herb - 20z
Antidote - 12z
Panacea - 100z
Ammonia - 250z
Bamboo Rod - 250z
Vitamin - 100z
Wisdom Seed - 800z
Multivitamin - 500z


Odd
Molotov - 100z
Electrode - 100z
Void Sphere - 500z
Dynamite - 500z
Icicle - 600z
Napalm - 800z
Taser - 1200z
Belladonna - 200z

Diligent
Healing Herb - 20z
Antidote - 12z
Panacea - 100z
Ammonia - 250z
Vitamin - 100z
Wisdom Seed - 800z
Multivitamin - 1500z
Vitamins - 1000z

Lazy
Bird Drop - 2z
Rotten Meat - 2z
Scorched Rice - 4z
Knockout Gas - 100z
Flash Grenade - 100z
Poison Powder - 100z
Mouth Gag - 100z
Spoon - 120z

Weapons

Ordinary
Bamboo Stick - 130z
Glass Domino - 220z
Taegum - 3000z
Poison Ward - 2500z
Dream Ring - 3000z
UV Goggles - 3000z
Balance Ring - 3000z
Stunner - 7700z

Odd
Manly Clothes - 2000z
Talisman - 300z
Aura Ring - 500z
Life Sandals - 500z
Fire Ward - 2500z
Wind Ward - 2500z
Water Ward - 2500z
Earth Ward - 2500z

Diligent
Bamboo Stick - 300z
Glass Domino - 220z
Speed Boots - 4500z
Wisdom Ring - 5000z
Sage's Frock - 7000z
Winged Boots - 7000z
Titan's Boots - 6000z
Ice Blade - 4200z

Lazy
Pointed Stick - 10z
Short Skirt - 3200z
Hawk's Ring - 6000z
Artemis Cap - 6000z
Hidden Dagger - 4900z
Hunting Cap - 8000z
Harmonic Ring - 25000z
Shaman's Ring - 40000z

Breath of Fire IV - Master Notes

I'm having the same problem I had in Breath of Fire III, that of knowing who to apprentice to whom.  So I'm going with the same solution I used then - writing down which stats are most important for which characters.  So;

Nina

Essentially, a battle mage with healing magic.  So, intelligence and AP are paramount.

Ryu
Needs high AP for dragons, as well as high strength generally.

Cray
Strength and HP.  Maybe some magic and AP for spells, but I mostly use him for chaining combos.

Ershin
Strength and defence.  Again, I use her for linking combos, but the actual attack power isn't so important.


Scias
Attack, AP, and intelligence.  Essentially a red mage.

Ursula 
Can't recall her strengths at the moment.

Completion Project - Breath of Fire IV Update

I'd forgotten how much I really like noting things down and writing my mini-guides.

Speaking of guides, I found the following in this one and had to try it;

   Nina's secret Combo
        Fire Magic + Wind Magic + Melee Ability (by Nina) --> Phoenix 

   Ursula's secret Combo
        Earth magic + Fire magic + Melee Ability (by Ursula) --> Reflect 

   Scias' secret Combo
        Wind magic + Water magic + Melee Ability (by Scias) --> Ice Sword

That guide is so useful. Seriously, go check it out.

Anyway, my little dudes are currently running around near Shyde, not saving Cray (I don't like Cray; he has nothing on Rei), earning Zenny to buy at least one of every item, playing with combos, and generally having fun.  So far, I've seen Nina's Phoenix and Scias' Ice Sword, which, it turns out, causes instant death.  Awesome!

Breath of Fire IV - Masters

The Breath of Fire IV Master system is very similar to that in Breath of Fire III.  In short, throughout your journey, you will come across people who will offer to teach you various things, raising and lowering your stats as long as you're their apprentice.

Unlike in Breath of Fire III, you do not earn spells based on how many levels you spend serving under a certain master.  Instead, you earn them when you complete specific tasks.  This makes it a lot easier to play around with your character's statistics and bonuses.

Two masters, Momo and Stoll, raise certain stats without lowering others.  I see no reason not to leave characters apprenticed under one of these two as long as you have no other goals.

Masters are listed in the order that you meet them.

Rwolf
AP + 2
Power -1
Wisdom + 1 

You will find Rwolf in the Valley of Kurok, between Chamba and the Dam.  All you need to do to apprentice with him is agree with him.

Skill	Obtained
Eddy	Perform a 5-hit combo.
Plateau	Perform a 10-hit combo.
Magic Ball	Perform a 15-hit combo.
Flame Pillar	Perform a 20-hit combo.

Please note that you don't have to hit the exact numbers; you could perform a twenty hit combo and receive all of his skills.

 General tip; if you use the same type of skill one after the other, the number of hits will increase. While typing, I managed a 6-hit combo by having Ryu cast blind, Cray use snap, and Ershin use wild shot. The snap attack attempted to blind the enemy as well, which would have resulted in another hit if it had worked. The wild shot hit three times, then attempted to blind and lower the defense of the enemy, only one of which worked. It's easy enough to get ten hits early on, when you run into a Red Cap with five caps. Have Cray use Rock Blast, pray that at least four survive, and have Ryu use burn.

You'll also find a lot of information in this FAQ, including this important little tidbit;

After a fire spell, you need wind to create an explosion spell
After a wind spell, you need water to create a thunder spell
After a water spell, you need earth to create a disaster spell
After an earth spell, you need fire to create an eruption spell

Stoll
Agility + 1

You'll find Stoll in the hideout, after you've caught him for Marlock (unmissable, part of the story).  He will offer to teach you in return for all your zenny.  I highly recommend buying rather than trading weapons up to this point, and then going off and buying a bunch of healing items to use up the last of your cash.  As long as you have at least one zenny to give him, he'll accept you.

You can then liquidate your assets (by selling them) and get some cash back. Just remember not to sell the last of any unique item. Look at the table for why.

Skill	Obtained
Steal	Have 80+ items in your inventory.
Cowards Way	Have 120+ items in your inventory.

Not much to say about this one, really.   Hoard like a maniac.  Items in all categories count.  Like in Breath of Fire III you can't unequip weapons, so get a spare of whatever's cheapest.  That said, for a long part of the game, you can't reach him at all, and by the time you get him back, you'll have well over 120 items, so you probably don't need to be worried about that.

I put everyone except Nina (who was under Rwolf) under Stoll at this point.  It's not like they had anything better to do.

Una
  HP + 12
AP -2
Power + 2
Defence + 1
Wisdom -1

Una is in the Elder's House in Worent, on the second floor.  Speak to her after defeating Kahn for the second time, and she'll agree to teach you if you apologise.

Skill	Obtained
Pilfer	Do more than 1,500 damage in a Combo.
Super Combo	Do more than 3000 damage in a Combo.
Blitz	Do more than 10,000 damage in a Combo.

Njomo
HP - 8
AP +1
Agility + 2

After Ahm Fen, head east towards the hut Njomo shares with her husband.  She will only let you apprentice with her once you've built at least one house in the Faerie Village. 

Skill	Obtained
Faerie Attack	More than eight Faeries in the Village.
Faerie Breath	More than twelve Faeries in the Village.
War Shout	More than sixteen Faeries in the Village.
Faerie Charge	More than twenty Faeries in the Village.

Momo
HP + 8

Momo is in the windmill in Wyndia.  There are no prerequisites to apprenticing with her.  Just agree to listen to her stories.

Skill	Obtained
Spray	25+ hours of playtime.
Clip	30+ hours of playtime.
Oracle	40+ hours of playtime.
Egghead	50+ hours of playtime.

Abbess
AP + 2
Power -2
Defence - 2
Wisdom + 4


The Abbess in Chek will become your master once you've met with a few of the dragons.

Skill	Obtained
Concentrate	Meet with more than 70 different enemies.
Sanctuary	Meet with more than 70 different enemies.
Celerity	Meet with more than 70 different enemies.

Marlok
HP + 16
AP + 3
Power -1
Defence - 1
Agility - 1
Wisdom - 1

Marlok will become your master if you go back to Synesta and show him the Tin Ball after he loans you the money for a Sandflier.

Skill	Obtained
Charm	Show him a Copper Ball or better.
Monopolize	Show him an Electrum Ball or better.
Roulette	Show him a Platinum Ball or better.

You buy the initial treasure from a Frogman in Sarai's Inn (a Lead Ball) and then upgrade it by exchanging it.  Yes, it's a straw millionaire game.   I won't post the upgrades here; I'll make a post about them later.

Kryrik
HP +25
AP - 2
Power + 3
Defence + 2
Agility - 2
Wisdom - 2

Kryrik is one of the sailors in Shikk.  After reaching Lyp, go back, and if you've performed a 25 hit combo, he'll allow you to apprentice to him.

Skill	Obtained
Megaphone	30+ Combo.
Spiritblast	40+ Combo.
Cleave	50+ Combo.
Disembowel	70+ Combo.

Easiest way I know to do this is Celerity, Vitalise, Vitalise.  Save first, because you can only use Celerity once every three hours.

Gyosil
HP - 8
AP + 2

Gyosil is in Lyp.  As long as you have over 3000 Fishing Points, he will agree to teach you.  You can read my general post on Fishing here, and you can see most of the points here.

Skill	Obtained
Ring of Ice	4000+ Fishing Points.
Spanner	6000+ Fishing Points.
Master's Rod	9500+ Fishing Points.

Lyta
AP + 1
Defence - 1
Wisdom + 1

Nun in Synesta Orphanage.  She will teach you after you have begun learning from Gyosil.

Skill	Obtained
Supplication	Ryu at level 20+.
Holy Strike	Ryu at level 25+.
Resist	Ryu at level 30+.
Benediction	Ryu at level 35+.

Kahn
HP + 20
AP - 4
Power + 3
Agility + 1
Wisdom - 3

After you get out of the Saldine Flats, head north again.  Kahn is waiting at Fish Head Beach.

Skill	Obtained
Focus	Fight 300+ Battles.
Shout	Fight 400+ Battles.
Tiger Fist	Fight 500+ Battles.
Flex	Fight 600+ Battles.

Bunyan
HP - 16
AP - 3
Power + 1
Defence + 1
Agility + 1
Wisdom + 1

Skill	Obtained
Backhand	Do over 3000 damage in a single attack.
Counter	Do over 5000 damage in a single attack.
Shadowwalk	Do over 8000 damage in a single attack.
Final Hope	Do over 12000 damage in a single attack.

To unlock these,I gave Nina the Palliate skill, learned from Lampkins (give them a panacea to heal them, then either moon tears or croc tears when they ask for water).  She used her Inspire (learned at level 26) skill to raise her wisdom to max.  Almost 40,000 damage.  Well, healing power, not damage, but Bunyan counts it the same.

Breath of Fire IV - Save Images

There are twelve spots to save in for Breath of Fire IV.  Each spot shows a different portrait, as listed below;

1. Ryu
2. Nina
3. Cray
4. Scias
5. Ursula
6. Ershin
7. Fou-Lu
8. Faerie
9. Imperial Commander
10. Mamie
11. Lord Yuna
12. Yohm
13. Bunyan
14. Kahn
15. Marlok

Breath of Fire IV - Fishing

  I pretty much struck with Tec3 until I reached Ocean Spot 1, where I got the hang of tec4.  Tec3 goes ba, baba, baba, and tec4 goes bababa, baba, ba.  If those written examples didn't help, listen to the drums in the background music.  They cycle through the four tecs.  Have a listen and try to match (you don't have to hit them at the same time as the BGM does as long as you get the right rhythm).

Rods

• Wooden Rod: Buy in Sarai for 50z.
• Bamboo Rod: Manilla Shop in Wyndia (2 x Sea Breams) OR Ordinary Fairy Item Shop, 250z
• Deluxe Rod: Tidal Flats.
• Angling Rod:  Manillo shop in Lyp (2 x Salmon, 2 x Dorado, 2 x MartianSquid).
• Spanner: Earn 6000 fishing points, and claim from Gyosil in Lyp. 
• Master's Rod: Earn 9500 fishing points and claim from Gyosil in Lyp.

Fishing Spots

River Spot 1
Jellyfish, Sweetfish, Trout, Rainbow Trout

When you get to the little desert canyon bit on the way to Sarai from the Cliffs, exit to the side, and another path will open up.

I went with just casting straight into the water fall from the sticky-out rock on the side of the river, and had quite a bit of luck there.

The Trout went for the Straight, while the Sweetfish and the Jellyfish will bite on anything.  You probably don't have much chance of catching a rainbow trout on your first visit, and will need to come back when you've got something better than baby frogs and straights. I finally caught one under the waterfall with a Flattop.  If the fish gets stuck behind the rock, try using left or right instead of x to tap it out.

On returning here after reaching Synesta, I was able to catch everything near the waterfall using FlatTops.  However, RainbowTrouts were easier to find at the other end of the river.

Lake Spot 1
Jellyfish, Piranha, Bass, Blue Gill, MartianSquid

On the way to the Sandflier Warf, you'll run into a patch of desert with a sign in the middle.  Exit to the northeast and a path to the fishing spot will open up.  

In the rocks to the right of the pier, I found Blue Gills and Bass went for my Baby Frogs.  Piranhas and Jellyfish bit on Flattops and Deep Divers.

A piranha ran off with my deep diver when my attention wandered, and I didn't save scum to get it back because I'd caught quite a few fish by that point.  Annoying.

When I returned here later, I found it was pretty easy to catch Jellyfish, Piranhas, and Blue Gills in the rocks to the right, with my Frogger lure, but I just couldn't get my hands on any Bass'.  Not until I switched back to the Baby Frog, when I caught two in a row.

Ocean Spot 1
Man-o'-War, Flying Fish, Blowfish, Sea Bream

From Ludia, head east to the crossroads, then go north to Shyde.  Along the way, you'll run into a '?' spot.  Enter, read the sign, then exist to the west.

I caught a Man-o'-War and a Flying Fish near the rocks with a Popper.  Man-o'-Wars bit a lot on Hangers, too.  In fact, Man-o'-Wars bite on anything.

I caught a Blowfish using a Frogger, standing just below the tip of the cliffy bit, and aiming out towards the sea.  Flying Fishes bit quite a lot on Flattops, near the rocks.  Had no luck with Sea Breams on my first visit.

Returning here later, I was able to catch Sea Breams using the Angling Rod and the Crab lure, and casting straight out from the little cliff.

River Spot 2
Jellyfish, Trout, Browntail, Rainbow Trout, Salmon

Speak to the fisherman on the first screen of Kasq woods, and he'll tell you about this spot.

On my first visit here, I played with my new level 2 lures, catching at least three fish with each.

I started standing on the bridge, facing into the waterfall.  I found that Trouts bite on Tails, Toads, Flattops, Hangers, Warblers and GoldTops.  Browntails bite on Hangers, Warblers and GoldTops.  Jellyfish bite on Toads and FlatTops.

Fishing into the marshy area on the other side of the bridge was broadly similar, with lots of Trout and Jellyfish biting.  I caught a few RainbowTrout with FlatTops and GoldTops.

I finally caught a Salmon near the waterfall with a Toad.  I also caught another RainbowTrout there with a FlatTop.


Chamba Spot
Jellyfish, Bullcat, Acheron

When you're finally able to access most of the map again, after getting the shift spell, head to North Chamba.  At the entrance, the man outside will warn you not to go inside.  Ignore him, go inside, and slaughter the monster.  After talking to the man again, you'll be able to fish in the mist.

On my first visit here, I could only get Jellyfish, even with my best lures.  Gru.

On returning later, I was able to catch an Acheron between the two buildings on the top right, that is, to the Southeast, using the Angling Rod and the Dancer Lure.

Even later;  For me, the most successful way to catch Acheron was between the two buildings to the southeast, with a dancer lure.  Cast the lure to about 25m, let it sink, tech 4.  I caught three Acherons in a row, all biting at around 20m.

Ocean Spot 2
Man-o'-War, Sea Bass, Flatfish, Octopus, Bonito, Spearfish, Whale

From Lyp, take the ship to the north.  You'll see a blue flag; explore there, and you'll find the fishing spot.

I used my shiny new level 3 lures here (from the Manillo Shop in Lyp), and cast straight out into the sea.  I only caught Man-o'-Wars and Sea Bass with my Fat Frog and Platinum Top, but caught a Bonito with the Deep Diver and the Swisher.    I also got a couple of Man-o'-Wars and a Sea Bass with a Deep Diver.

Later, I came back here and used these tips from HotaruYuuki to catch Whales;

Whale : Ocean Spot 2, cast 25m (I'm using bamboo/spanner) toward the rock. I used dancer (lv 3 winder). You can stand on the bridge connecting the land and the boat. Wait until your lure gets to the ground. Use tech 4. If you dont catch anything after two consecutive tech 4, cancel and cast your lure again.

Spearfish: Same as the whale, but start doing tech 4 when your lure starts sinking. Spearfish don't live as deep as the whale.

I accidentally caught a couple of Octopodes and a Flatfish doing this.  However, I didn't catch a Spearfish until I read this thread, specifically Alltra's posts. Using the Angling Rod and a Dancer, and teching as soon as the lure hit the water, I got a Spearfish first try.  A big one too - maximum points and a crown!

...and then another one jumped right into my line as I was letting the lure sink to try to get a Whale.  For god's sake.

In the same trip, I got the King Whale (this is how I refer to crowned fishies)!  I'd almost caught him twice before, but, annoyingly, when the bar went even the teeniest bit to the right of the gold box, it would break my line.  But I got him this time!

Lake Spot 2
Bass, Piranha, Blue Gill, Black Bass, MartianSquid, Dorado

At the '?' spot south of Lyp, go east.

Again, I used my level 3 lures.  I caught a Blue Gill and a Black Bass with the Fat Frog.  The Black Basses practically leapt onto the line, which was useful, because you need those to get even more shiny lures in Lyp.

Later in the game, I had some trouble catching a Dorado here, so I used this video for tips.  It took a while, but it did eventually work for me.  And then I got an Angling Rod!

Saldine Spot
Blowfish, Moorfish, Sea Bream, Black Porgy

You come to this fishing spot automatically, as part of the storyline.

Using all of my Level 3 lures, I caught a bunch of Blowfish and Moorfish.  Nothing else.  


Lake Spot 3
Jellyfish, Angelfish, Black Bass, MartianSquid, Dorado, Barandy

East of Chiqua.  Speak to the fisherman on the Chiqua docks, and he'll direct you.

I caught Angelfish and Jellyfish with all my level 3 lures.  Just couldn't seem to get ahold of anything else.

Came back later; casting straight out from the dock, with the Bamboo Rod and the Crab lure, I got a MartianSquid.  I got quite a few Martian Squids later, with the Angling Rod.


River Spot 3
 Sweetfish, Trout, Browntail, Rainbow Trout, Salmon, Bullcat, Sturgeon

When Ryu reaches the Emperor's Tomb, go to the '?' spot to the west, and exit to the south.

To catch a Sturgeon, use these tips from HotaruYuuki to catch Whales;

Sturgeon: River Spot 3, cast south of the bridge. Sturgeon can be found behind the rock. I used worm (Crab). Wait until your lure gets to the ground then do tech 4.

I also caught a couple of Salmon and a Bullcat this way.  Aim for the frothy green plants.


Ocean Spot 3
Flying Fish, Sea Bass, Flatfish, Octopus, Bonito, Angler 

There's a '?' spot midway between the Highway and Kwanso.  Enter it, and you'll see a sign in the middle.  Exit to the west to open a path to the final fishing spot.

Catching Angler is a complete pain in the arse.  I used a crab lure with the Angling rod, and stood on the cliff to the right, casting straight ahead.  I caught one near the buoy, about 25m out.  They live deep.