Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake: How to beat Baramos
Archfiend Baramos is one of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake’s most intense encounters. As the foe that the game presents as the final boss, he’s certainly worthy of that title. Those who have played the original game know what comes beyond this boss, but that doesn’t mean you can take it lightly. Baramos is incredibly challenging, and just as frustrating as the original version was on the NES or Super Famicom editions of the game.
I’d put Archfiend Baramos’s difficulty alongside the new bosses like Dying Fire or Chiromancer, if you don’t know what to expect going in. Success in this boss fight depends on keeping a firm eye on your buffs, debuffs, health, and what kinds of attacks he can use.
Note: This guide features spoilers for a major boss in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake
Tips to defeat Baramos in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake
There are several ways to tackle Baramos in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, but we’re going to use the one that worked the best for us: Fizzle/Snooze method! In this strategy, we use the Hero and one other character to keep Fizzle or Snooze on for as many turns as possible. It will only last for one turn, so having someone with high agility (like the Hero) to cast it will be ideal.
The damage for this strategy comes from a Monster Wrangler. You’ll want to have taken lots of time to round up Friendly Monsters for your Monster Arena teams. You will at least want Wild Side and Monster Pile-on. You also need a good healer, and someone to buff/debuff. I used a Pilgrim to Acceleratle first, then Insulatle/Magic Barrier for Breath Weapon/Magic Defense.
Once those are in place, having both a Pilgrim and Sage Sap, the boss will weaken its defenses. Whenever possible, keep Oomph on the Monster Wrangler, and let him use Wild Side, for extra attacks. First, I use Attack Attacker to get about 500 damage in and lower his defenses twice.
Then, you’ll want to use Monster Pile-on to hit Archfiend Baramos in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake for around 800-1000 damage in one turn. There are other strategies, but this is my preferred method. However, Baramos has a lot of options to hurt you with.
Expect 2-3 turns each round, and prepare for it with several Prayer Rings, Yggdrasil Leaves, and give the Hero the Sage’s Stone to cast Multiheal with. In theory, you could get lucky and Baramos never attacks. Don’t count on that. This boss has the AOE attack Inferno, which hits much harder than Garboyle did, as one of his more frustrating attacks.
He also has Kafrizz, Dazzle, Fuddle, and Kaboom. Dazzle and Fuddle are especially annoying in this strategy if they hit your Monster Wrangler. He can also use Spooky Aura to reduce a party member’s Magic Defense. Baramos has plenty of spells and attacks to vex the party in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, but if you can keep him silent or asleep each round, he won’t be a serious threat.
One more thing to worry about — Baramos heals every turn. The number starts high, at 81, but it goes down as he’s weakened. This is a battle of attrition. You may have several turns where you need to have a few Multiheals go out, between Sage’s Stone, your Pilgrim, and Priest.
That said, if you can keep him inflicted with status ailments, that won’t be an issue. It’s a bit of a roll of the dice, but it’s worth doing. When this boss is defeated, return to see the King, watch the cutscene, and prepare for a greater challenge.
Check out our other Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake guides and features
- Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake: Where to get Sword of Kings
- Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake: Where to find Words of Wisdom
- Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Ending, explained