How to Get the Most from the Pumpkin Fest Event in FF7EC
Are you looking to dominate the Halloween event "Pumpkin Fest: Where Darkness Gathers" in Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis?
This event follows a very similar structure than the summer season event "Beach Festival Fun!".
This guide lays out all the strategies, tips, and rewards you can expect.
Let's dive in!
Conquer the FF7 Ever Crisis Halloween Event: Your Ultimate Guide to Pumpkin Fest
Event Overview and What You Need to Know
Time and Entry Requirements
Event Duration: October 20, 4:00 AM - November 3, 3:59 AM
How to Unlock: Clear FFVII CHAPTER 1 MAIN SECTION 3 EP 1 "The Destruction of Mako Reactor 5"
Limited-Time Gacha: Cloud & Sephiroth
Don't miss the event-specific Stamp Banner featuring Cloud and Sephiroth weapons and costumes.
Key items include Cloud's Bandaged Sword (boosts magic defense for all allies) and Sephiroth's Dark Heavens weapon (massive wind damage to a single enemy).
Both weapons pair well with the new outfits Bandaged Coat (Cloud) and Dark Harbringer (Sephiroth), which boost Heal/HP and Wind/HP resepectively.
Get these before the event ends if you can't clear harder stages for a power up, as both weapons are tailored to the event boss Dark Army Leader.
Event Currency: What to Collect?
Grab "Dorky Lantern", "Doltish Lantern" and "Pumpkin Candy" as you progress.
Trade them for limited-time outfits, weapons, and other high tier rewards.
You won't be able to get all the rewards by just getting these items from daily missions (350 pumpkins per day + the amount you farm to complete daily missions), so you'll need to spend some stamina to get all of them.
You should first aim for:
- Aerith's Chocobo Staff weapon
- Aerith's Chocobo Suit costume
- Lucia's Pumpkin Blaster weapon
- Aerith's Weapon Parts
- Lucia's Weapon Parts
- Aerith's Memory
- Glenn's Memory
- Lucia's Memory
- Cloud's Memory
- 5-star Synth Catalysts
- Gacha Tickets
- High-tier weapon mats
- ... and the rest based on your current needs
Stamina-to-Item Efficiency
As you'll need to farm pumpkins and candies, here's a quick rundown of the two most stamina efficient quests:
- Co-Op Stage 4: Consumes 20 stamina, drops 22 Dorky lanterns and 60 candies, recommended combat power 34,000.
- Co-op Stage 7: Consumes 20 stamina, drops 22 Doltish lanterns and 60 candies, recommended combat power 40,800.
- Single Player Stage 17: Consumes 15 stamina, drops 15 Dorky lanterns and 45 candies, recommended combat power 86,700.
- Single Player Stage 25: Consumes 15 stamina, drops 15 Doltish lanterns and 45 candies, recommended combat power 93,600.
If you can't consistently clear them, aim for the lower tier stage. However, if you want to maximize your stamina, these 4 stages are your best bet as the ratio is 1 stamina for 1 lantern (+ extra co-op rewards) and 1 stamina for 3 candies.
Don't Miss: Limited-Time Aerith Weapon and Outfit + Lucia Weapon
Secure the limited-time weapon "Chocobo Stick" and the Chocobo outfit.
Fully upgrade it during the event for a substantial stat boost, making it a solid sub weapon.
With part 2, we can now get the Pumpkin Blaster weapon for Lucia, which has the same C and R abilities than the Chocobo Stick.
Efficiently Tackling the Event
- Progress through the event storyline until you reach Dark Army Leader 9 to unlock high-ranking EX stages.
- Dive into co-op for your first set of rewards at 0 stamina.
- Complete daily and event missions for extra rewards like an exclusive wallpaper.
- Use Dorky Lanterns and Pumpkin Candy to get the best exchange rewards mentioned above.
- Clear the solo stage "Dark Army Leader EX 1" quest at least once to get an extra Chocobo Staff dupe.
How to Defeat The Dark Army Leader EX
The "Dark Army Leader EX 1" stage only needs to be cleared once.
There are only initial rewards—no XP, so just claim the clear rewards.
Here's a quick rundown on how to beat it:
Fortify Your Defenses: Magic and Ice Resistance + MATK Down
- Increase Magic Defense: The Dark Army Leader EX attacks with magic abilities. Use materia and defensive abilities to boost your magic defense.
- Ice Resistance: The boss often unleashes ice attacks like "Glacial Breath" and "Blizzaga". Consider using R abilities to up your resistance.
- Magic Attack Down: Another great option is inflicting Magic Attack Down to Dark Army Leader. Tifa's Tiger Fangs will help with that as they can reach potency High.
Ifrit Weapons: Your Ice-Resistance Ally
Want to further improve your ice resistance? Ifrit weapons are your best bet.
They're not just good for resistance; they also enhance sub-stats. If the boss's attacks are too much, consider running Ifrit's Summon Trials to strengthen these weapons.
Exploit Weaknesses: Sign Boost Weapons
- Use Sign Boost Weapons: The Dark Army Leader is vulnerable to O Sigil attacks. A weapon like "Dark Heavens" that has a O Sigil boost is highly recommended.
- No Sign Boost? No Problem: If you lack a sign-boost weapon, use O sigil materia and use abilities that do AOE damage to quickly defeat the adds.
Recommended Weapons with Sign Boost
- Maritime Sword
- Heavy Hauser
- Crystal Sword (Z)
- Pulse Gun
- Prism Rod
- Killer Hornet
- Dark Heavens
Counter Defense Buffs: Use Defense Down Debuff
The Dark Army Leader will often buff his own defense, making him more hard to kill.
Have at least one team member equipped with an ability that applies a defense down debuff to counter this.
EX2: Skip or Power Through?
If you find EX2 too challenging (recommended strength of over 129,000), don't sweat it.
Focus on boosting your power through event rewards, leveling up and the new gacha weapons to aim for the limited player icon and 200 Blue Crystals.
Multiplayer is Key
When it comes to grinding event items, co-op stages come above single-player stages again.
You'll not only collect event items but also earn multiplayer medals.
Priority? Co-op.
Part 2: Key Strategy Points for Inferno Lantern EX Battle
Neutralize Summoned Minions First
Before focusing on the main boss, it's crucial to defeat all summoned enemies.
Doing so will remove the Inferno Lantern's physical and magical resistance, making your next attacks far more effective.
Keep in mind there's some downtime between each wave, so save your ATB instead of hitting the boss for minimal damage.
If you have 2 AOE summons, you should use them when the last wave of adds appear to quickly defeat them and start damaging the boss. Inferno Lantern is resistant to Ifrit's Hellfire, but their adds aren't.
Race Against the Clock: 3-Minute Window
The Inferno Lantern deploys a lethal attack called "Maleficent Surge" around the 3-minute mark, whipping out the whole party (around 8k damage, 7k damage if debuffed).
Aim to finish the battle within this time frame if your team hasn't reached the 7-8k HP threshold.
To efficiently do it, don't change to defense stance after all adds are gone as it's a DPS race from there.
Use Wind Materia and Wind C. Abilities
Wind materia such as Aero and Aero Blow are particularly effective here. So are Wind C Abilities like Sephiroth's Dark Heavens or Tifa's Motor Drive.
Using them can significantly reduce the time needed to win.
Final Thoughts
The "Pumpkin Fest" event in FF7EC isn't just about grinding.
Take advantage of limited-time gachas, focus on co-op stages, and spend your stamina wisely to maximize daily rewards.
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