Shade Impulse/Chapter 2

Shade Impulse: Chapter 2, subtitled The Schemers, is a storyline in Dissidia Final Fantasy. It follows the actions of the Warriors of Cosmos as they continue on to Chaos and discover the truth behind the death of Cosmos, and the schemes of the villains that set her death in motion.

Shade Impulse 2-1

 * "As the true meaning of the crystals is realized, a new danger reveals itself..."

This stage has a simple set-up with only a handful of enemies. If the player has the Jump skill, they can use it to bypass the Delusory Knight at C3 and end the stage without fighting any enemies. Kuja appears as a Chaos Piece, but can be skipped. The player begins with four Destiny Points.

To earn the most DP in this stage, first defeat the Delusory Knight at C3 - the Ephemeral Phantom at A3 and the Fallacious Wanderer at C1 can be avoided or fought if the player wishes. Then move to defeat the Capricious Thief at F3, then defeat Kuja. Depending on if it was the Ephemeral Phantom or the Fallacious Wanderer the player defeated earlier, they may either move to the Stigma of Chaos through F5 or defeat the Imitation Liegeman at H3. Either way, the player can end the stage with three DP.

Shade Impulse 2-2

 * "A place untouched by light... A truth, spoken within the darkness..."

In this stage there are two paths to the Stigma of Chaos. The upper path requires the player to chain enemies or else waste DP, while the lower path consists entirely of Enigma Tiles. The player begins with four Destiny Points.

Once again Jump is needed to earn the most DP possible in this stage. The way to do this is to leap over the Counterfeit Wraith at D1 to E1, then chain all three adjacent enemies. This lets the player move to the Stigma of Chaos and end the stage with five Destiny Points. The enemies in the Enigma tiles can all be avoided, as only two give Destiny Points when defeated.

Shade Impulse 2-3

 * "Hopes and dreams are not limited to the light. Hope blossoms in the darkness as well..."

This stage consists almost entirely of Enigma tiles. Several Berserk Battle Pieces can force the player to chain enemies to advance. The Cloud of Darkness can be fought here, but is hidden under an Enigma tile as well.

To earn the most DP in this stage, the player should first move to C3 and engage the Counterfeit Youth at D3 and the Ephemeral Phantom at B3, then move to B4 and fight the Cloud of Darkness at B5. The player then must move to F2 and chain all three enemies that attack there. This lets the player move to the Stigma of Chaos and end the stage with seven DP.

Shade Impulse 2-4

 * "Perhaps if a land is free of conspiracy, it is only due to fortune's blessing."

This stage mimics Destiny Odyssey VIII by having enemies appear in waves as the player fights their way through them, the Stigma of Chaos only appearing when certain enemies are defeated. Golbez appears as an optional enemy near the end of the stage. The player begins with six Destiny Points.

Due to the irregular patterns in which the enemies spawn, there is little chance to earn more DP, but the player can more or less break even. The player should fight the Delusory Knight at C3 first, then the Transient Witch at C5, and finally the Imaginary Champion at F1. This will spawn the Stigma of Chaos. Engaging the Phantasmal Girl and the enemies spawned as a result of its defeat is a waste of DP, and so Golbez cannot be fought by this method.

Shade Impulse 2-5

 * "An emissary resurrected from hell...Nothing can douse his ruthless ambition."

In this stage the enemies spawn in groups of three whenever an enemy in the previous group is defeated. By this the player is required to fight several enemies to proceed to the Stigma of Chaos where The Emperor is fought. The player begins with five Destiny Points. To earn the most DP in this stage, the player should first defeat the Capricious Reaper at B2, then move to C3 and engage all three adjacent enemies there. Afterwards the player should fight the Counterfeit Youth at F3, opening the path to the Chaos Piece and letting them end the stage with seven DP.