Caius Ballad (Lightning Returns boss)

Caius Ballad is a boss in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

Battle
Caius switches between two roles in the battle: Commando and Ravager. In Commando mode, Caius will predominantly use physical attacks while in Ravager mode, he will use magical attacks. His stagger bar is more effective in being built up when using physical attacks against him while he is in Commando mode and vice versa for magical attacks when he is in Ravager mode. Caius can only be knocked out up to four times.

Caius always enters Commando mode at the beginning of the battle. Every time he switches to Commando mode, he opens up with a Megaflare attack. Thereafter, Caius uses a combination of 1 or 3 Blast Waves, 2-5 hit sword combos (which may or may not include a knockback or a rising slash), 2-4 Gravitons in a row, a Giga-Graviton, a Pulsar Burst and an Eye of Bahamut attack. The amount of abilities he uses in a single combo varies and is dependent on his health; the lower he is, the more attacks he will unleash in a single combo.

After a while, Caius will switch to his Ravager mode. During his time in the mode, he will use "Readying", then "Gathering Energy", then finally "Ready!" in preparation of his strongest magic combo; this combo consists of Flare, Chill, Surge and Tornado, and Caius will use at least 3 to all 4 of them in a random order. Before each stage of preparation (Readying/Gathering Energy/Ready!), Caius will unleash a combination of magical attacks, consisting of Flamesparka, Frostburna, Icestorma, Thunderstorma, Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, Aeroga and Inferno. These combinations consist of at least 2-4 magical attacks depending on his health. Also, the lower health he is, the faster he will go through his preparation stages, sometimes skipping his regular magic combos to go straight into his strongest magic combo.

In either roles, he can cast Absolution to remove current debuffs while placing buffs on himself, Body and Soul to buff himself plus regaining some health, and Invigorate to refresh the stagger bar on himself.