Shade Impulse/Chapter 1

Shade Impulse: Chapter 1, subtitled A Truth Lost, is a storyline in Dissidia Final Fantasy. This chapter focuses on the actions of the Warriors of Cosmos in the aftermath of Cosmos' death, and their search for answers from their enemies to why the goddess perished.

Shade Impulse 1-1

 * "The goddess of creation and harmony is dead, and without her, the world plunges into despair..."

This stage is very straightforward. Only one enemy is hidden, and the enemies are not overly strong compared to what the player is used to from the Destiny Odyssey storylines. In this and other Shade Impulse stages, the Stigma of Chaos to complete the stage only appears when certain enemies are defeated. The player begins with two Destiny Points.

To finish the stage with the most DP, the player must first make the Stigma of Chaos appear. This is simple however, as it appears when the player defeats the Phantasmal Girl at D2 and the Delusory Knight at D4. Thus, the quickest way to end the stage while maximizing DP is to move to D3 and chain all three enemies adjacent there, as well as the Transient Lion that appears at B3 when the False Stalwart at E3 is defeated. This lets the player end the stage with two DP.

Shade Impulse 1-2

 * "Souls who press for destruction to the very end make a farce of the coming calamity..."

Unlike the previous stage, the Stigma of Chaos appears instantly in this stage, but the player must still fight their way through several enemies to reach it. Kefka can be fought in this stage, but it is not required. The player begins with five Destiny Points.

To earn the most DP in this stage, the Jump skill is needed. The player must first face the Fallacious Tree at D1, then jump over the Ephemeral Phantom at F1 and chain it with the Delusory Knight at G2. The player can then move to the Stigma of Chaos to end the stage with five DP. Though Kefka awards two Destiny Points if defeated, getting to him requires the player to open a treasure chest, wasting a DP and thus not getting any more DP than they would if they skipped Kefka.

Shade Impulse 1-3

 * "A knight with a crushing strike... His strength calls forth a new source of courage in the warrior."

In this stage the Enigma tiles from Destiny Odyssey III return. The stage's simple design allows the player to choose their battles carefully, and potentially avoid chaining enemies if they get overwhelmed. The player begins with six Destiny Points.

To finish the stage with the highest DP possible, the player needs the Jump skill. Defeat the Phantasmal Girl at A3 first, then Jump over the Transient Witch at C3 to land at D3 and chain all three adjacent enemies. The player should then move to defeat the Ephemeral Phantom at G3, allowing them to move to the Stigma of Chaos with eight DP. However, the player only needs seven DP to earn the best stage bonus - without Jump, defeat the Transient Witch normally, then move to D3 and defeat the other two enemies there. This will still allow the player to finish with seven DP and earn the best bonus.

Shade Impulse 1-4

 * "The Spirit can be passed on even if its wishes go unanswered..."

In this stage numerous locked areas bar the path to the Stigma of Chaos, but the enemies in the player's way are not overly strong. Jecht appears in this stage but can be skipped if the player wishes. The player begins with four Destiny Points

Earning the most DP possible in this stage, the player should first defeat the Capricious Reaper at C4, then chain the Ephemeral Vision at C2 and Phantasmal Girl at E2, and the Imaginary Soldier at C3 and the Imaginary Champion at E3. This unlocks all the locked areas, letting the player fight Jecht and move to the Stigma of Chaos to end with five DP.

Shade Impulse 1-5

 * "Before all returns to nothingness, there is a task that must be done..."

There are numerous enemies in this stage, but only a few of them need to be fought to reach the Chaos Piece where Exdeath waits. Unlike Jecht and Kefka who were optional, Exdeath must be fought to end the stage. The player begins with four Destiny Points.

To end this final stage with the most DP, it is simple to chain multiple enemies. The player should first move to B2 and defeat the Delusory Warlock at B1 and the Phantasmal Harlequin at C2, then move to B4 and defeat the Ephemeral Phantom at B5 and the False Hero at C4. Finally, move to D2 and defeat the False Stalwart at D3 and the Transient Witch at E2. This lets the player move on to Exdeath and end the stage with seven DP.