Grimoire of Time Spirit Song

The quality of this video is poor but the melody is truly haunting.



I have the following:

Pray to heaven with a song,
As the winds caress me...
Send a prayer up to the light
So that it might help me see.
Searching through my memories
Memories, my memories for you
For you..

I have come this far having lost every hope,
Hope of finding you;
But I swear no matter what I've had to face,
You've never left my heart.

There are sweet memories,
They live all around us.
How can you not believe in our love?
My full heart belongs to you,
My life your love leads.

I've always stood next to you
In your time of need.

Embraced by the warmth of your gentle gaze,
I've given you my love.
I look for you now in my memories:

Heart never mending,
Love never ending,
Pray to heaven with our...song.

Pray to heaven with our song...

Odd Recipe in Rune Factory Frontier

I vaguely remember Recipes in Harvest Moon games that lacked an essential ingredient such as a Recipe given by a villager in FoMT for Cheese Fondue without any mention of Bread.

In Rune Factory Frontier, the Recipe for Dried Squid contains absolutely no Squid or any Fish or Seafood.

It is given as follows:

Dried Squid: 1610G
Skill Level 85
HP 250, RP 400, FX 120 sec. Max HP +80, Status Attack
Ingredients: Rice, Curry Powder, Onion, Carrot, Bell Pepper

You cannot add 'optional' ingredients to dishes in Rune Factory Frontier. When I placed all the required ingredients in the Cooking Box, I was able to prepare 'Dried Squid' successfully.

I suspect that the omission of Squid may have been accidental, but it makes a very powerful recovery dish nonetheless.

All Birthdays in Rune Factory Frontier

Here is an updated Calendar for Festivals and Birthdays in Rune Factory Frontier.

Spring:

Spring Crops:
Single Harvest Crops: Turnip, Cabbage, Potato
Multiple Harvest Crops: Strawberry, Cucumber
Spring Flowers: Moondrop Flower, Toy Herb, Emery Flower, Cherry Grass, Lamp Grass, Blue Crystal
Spring Fruits: Cherry
Spring Constellations:
Turnip Constellation: between 6.40 p.m. and 7.50 p.m. (Mist)
Serpent Constellation: between 9.00 p.m. and 10.50 p.m. (Rosetta, Intelligence Increase)
Crown Constellation: after 12.40 a.m. (Selphy, Constellation Books)
1 Spring: New Year’s Festival (after 1st year)
Celebrate the New year. Rice Cakes are the present of choice.
‘Rice Cakes’ are termed ‘Mochi’ in Rune Factory Frontier. New Mochi is smashed with a Hammer on a special platform at the Square after 9.00 a.m. You can obtain a ‘New Mochi’ from Rita after 9.00 a.m. at the Public Square on 30 Winter. Smash it at the Square on 1 Spring to create 5 Mochi. Give these as New Year Gifts to individuals. (Responses and value in terms of LP/FP will vary by individual). You can bring your own New Mochi if you wish as well to make more Mochi or you can make the Mochi in your Kitchen using a Steamer.
2 Spring: Kross’ Birthday (Cat’s Tail, Warrior’s Medal)
8 Spring: Nolan’s Birthday (Wine, Strawberry)
11 Spring: Melody’s Birthday (Relax Tea, Wild Coloured Grasses)
17 Spring: Brodik’s Birthday (Apple Pie)
19 Spring: Sainte-Coquille Festival
Hosted by Bianca. She orders, I cook. (Only after 1st year)
22 Spring: Turner’s Birthday (All Ores except Scrap Iron)
26 Spring: Cinnamon’s Birthday (Magic Crystal, any raw Fish)
27 Spring: Candy’s Birthday (All Fruit Juices, Apple Pie)
29 Spring: Foliage Festival Festival
Give flowers to those you’re indebted to. Found out when Eunice was distributing flowers. (only after 1st year)
Give Flowers to Eligible Girls

Summer:

Summer Crops:
Single Harvest Crops: Onion, Pumpkin
Multiple Harvest Crops: Tomato, Corn, Pineapple
Summer Flowers: Pink Cat, Fireflower, Ironleaf, Clover, Green Crystal
Summer Fruit: Orange
Summer Constellations:
Elephant Constellation: between 6.40 p.m. and 7.50 p.m. (Bianca, Diamond)
Wooly Constellation* between 9.00 p.m. and 10.50 p.m.(Tabatha, Monster FP)
*You must have a Monster with you when you ‘find’ it.
Buffamoo Constellation: after 12.40 a.m. (Anette, Tart Letters)
1 Summer: Beach Opening
Start your summer at the beach. Don’t forget your bathing suit!
Festival begins at 10.00 a.m. at the Beach with Melon Pinata. Before 10.00 a.m., you can experience Events in the Changing Room with the Eligible Girls. The Eligible Girls who attend the Festival and who are found in the Changing Room on 1 Summer varies from year to year and game to game. Eunice will not participate unless she has lost weight pursuant to your own character’s encouragement.
6 Summer: Danny’s Birthday (Silver, Quality Cloth)
8 Summer: Bianca’s Birthday (Jewelry such as Pendants, Rings)
Note that Bianca is not impressed with specific items but will accept certain‘decent’ Accessories. She will scorn knitted Accessories, however and will respond to the gift of a Fan in the same fashion.
13 Summer: Lute’s Birthday (Chocolate)
15 Summer: Uzuki’s Birthday (Golden Hairpin, most Sashimi)
23 Summer: Erik’s Birthday (Garlic, Dried Fish)
25 Summer: Ganesha Cup Boat Race
May the best sailor in town win.
The Boat Race is held at Lake Poli. You can ask any girl at high heart level to accompany you. Steer your gondola over items in the water for various effects. Hearts result in an increase of affection if and only if an Eligible Boat is with you.
27 Summer: Stella’s Birthday (Four-Leaf Clover, Toy Herb, Pickled Turnip)
30 Summer: Pumpkin Festival
Every one put on a pumpkin masque. Started by some one saved by a pumpkin-headed monster.
You will be able to buy a ‘Pumpkin-Head’ yourself from Rosetta in Summer to wear as headgear in combat. You may be able to forge your own Pumpkin Head once your Pumpkins mature.

Autumn:

Autumn Crops:
Single Harvest Crops: Spinach, Carrot
Multiple Harvest Crops: Yam, Eggplant, Bell Pepper
Autumn Flowers: Charm Blue, Pom-Pom, Noel Grass, Red Crystal
Autumn Fruit: Chestnut
Autumn Constellations:
Hat Constellation: between 8.00 p.m. and 8.50 p.m. (Melody, Magic Skill)
Broom Constellation: after 12.40 a.m. (Eunice, Cooking Skill)
1 Autumn: Mist’s Birthday (Emery Flower, Turnip)
3 Autumn: Selphy’s Birthday (Sandwich, Rice Ball)
8 Autumn: Kanno’s Birthday (Cake, Magic Powder)
12 Autumn: Tabatha’s Birthday (Oatmeal, Rice, Flour)
13 Autumn: Harvest Festival
A time of thanks. Give veggies to people you’re indebted to.
Give Vegetables to Eligible Girls for boost in heart level.
17 Autumn: Eunice’s Birthday (Mont Blanc, any Flower) *
*Do not give any Sweets, including her favourite Mont Blanc, if she is trying to lose weight!
21 Autumn: Rosetta’s Birthday (Roasted Yam, Strawberry, Hot Milk, Cherry Pie)
25 Autumn: Coming of Age Day
There is an annual treasure hunt to commemorate the day.
Many ‘false’ items will be located throughout Trampoli. See the Festivals section of this guide for details. Continue to look for the real item even if another individual pronounces himself/herself the winner. In the first year, you may wish to keep the Golden Turnip yourself to convert it into Seeds instead of taking 1st Place.
30 Autumn: Sea Surf Day
Official Holiday to celebrate the end of the Darkness on the last day of Autumn

Winter:

Winter Crops:
Single Harvest Crops: None
Multiple Harvest Crops: None
Winter Flowers: None
Winter Fruit: Apple
Other Seasonal Items: Dried Fish
Winter Constellations:
Hairpin Constellation: between 6.40 p.m. and 7.50 p.m. (Uzuki, Weapons Skill)
Cross Constellation: between 8.00 p.m. and 8.50 p.m. (Lara, HP Increase)
Fish Constellation: after 12.40 a.m. (Cinnamon, Fishing Skill)
1 Winter: Lara’s Birthday (Chocolate Cake, Strawberry, any Jam)
4 Winter: Anette’s Birthday (Pumpkin Tart, Strawberry, any Fruit, Boiled Egg, Milk)
7 Winter: Quiz Contest
Test your knowledge against others and come out on top!
There are ten questions, with a ‘commercial break’ in the middle of the Contest. It can be quite hilarious. There will be four contestants, including your character and each is represented by a different fruit. For each correct response, a piece of fruit will be placed on the ground. The winner ultimately will obtain all the fruit from each character’s correct responses.
8 Winter: Ganesha’s Birthday (Demon’s Blood, Any Ore)
19 Winter: Hotpot Convention
Every one in town brings an ingredient for one giant hotpot!
Some ingredients will result in a ‘good’ hotpot but others in a ‘bad’ one. Most Fish will have a good result. Many vegetables, however, will result in a ‘bad’ hotpot, including Carrots and Yams.
15 Winter: Minerva’s Birthday (Flop, Chestnut)
22 Winter: Rita’s Birthday (Wine, any Female Accessory)
23 Winter: Iris’ Birthday (both of them!) (Tomato Juice, Flowers)
29 Winter: Marco’s Birthday (Curry, Curry Powder)
30 Winter: Year End Festival
Reflect on the past year and prepare for the next.
Go to the Public Square after 9.00 a.m. to speak to Rita. She will give you a ‘New Mochi’. This is the item that you will need on the 1st of Spring if you wish to pound Rice Cakes at the Square. Rice Cakes are ‘Mochi’ in Rune Factory Frontier. They, like New Mochi can be made in your own kitchen or at the Public Square only on New Year’s Day.



I have created a preliminary Characters Guide which will include all Events, Requests, Letters and other vital dialogue for each character in Rune Factory Frontier. My game journal now is 800 pages... which means there is a lot of material that has not been added yet to any of my Rune Factory Frontier guides!

Powerful Cooked Dishes in Rune Factory Frontier

In my Walkthrough and General Guide for Rune Factory Frontier, I wrote sections suggesting the easiest Cooked Dishes as well as those that did not require high skill levels or kitchen extensions. A dish such as 'Ice Cream', for example, can be made with only the smallest kitchen and very little skill.

For the player who has all kitchen utensils and expansions as well as a fair amount of skill, there are a multitude of Cooked Dishes that restore a good quantity BOTH of HP and RP, making it far easier to defeat Boss Monsters and other powerful enemies.

For example, there is the old Harvest Moon favourite, Gratin.

Gratin: 1272G (Lv. 2)
HP 150, RP 225, FX 150 sec. Max HP +50, Earth Resistance +35

Pizza always is another surprisingly powerful dish in Harvest Moon/Rune Factory:

Pizza: 1830G
HP 195, RP 400, FX 120 sec. Element Defence +20, Stun Defence

Doria: 1080G
HP 190, RP 225, FX 120 sec. Max HP +85

If you look at the special effect for both Doria and Gratin, it is a boost of Maximum HP. During a battle, this can be invaluable, making the difference between victory and defeat.

These Recipes all require not only an Oven but the largest Kitchen upgrade as well as they use 5 to 6 ingredients.

They are only a few examples among many.

Making Money in Rune Factory Frontier

A player asked how best to make money in Rune Factory Frontier in the early stages of the game. It is interesting to note there are some fundamental differences between Rune Factory Frontier and other Rune Factory games in terms of the amount of money your character can make by creating items.

In Rune Factory Frontier, you cannot become rich by forging Weapons. The most advanced Weapons tend to ship for no more than 2000G to 3000G. In this respect, the game differs substantially from Rune Factory and Rune Factory 2.

You can make a bit of money by forging and shipping Accessories but only those of the highest levels. A Tiara, for example, has a shipping value of 17170G. A Diamond Ring has a value of 17430G. It is unlikely, however, that your character will have the necessary skill levels to create these items in the first couple of seasons.

Cooked Dishes can be a good source of income early in the game. Two easy Summer Crops can be combined in a Mixer/Blender to create Ketchup, an item that ships for 710G at Level 1. All you need is a Tomato and an Onion.

(When you DO reach the 6th floor of the Lava Ruins, you usually can find a Ketchup by smashing one of the Urns there, as well as being able to catch Lobster and other valuable fish in the little Pool. A high-level Lobster when cooked can be a real powerhouse meal incidentally.)

A Steamed Pumpkin requires nothing more than a Pumpkin and a Pot and ships for 780G.
A raw Pumpkin has almost the same value, however, as it ships for 750G.

Other Crops can provide a good source of income early in the game as well. Cabbage, a Spring Crop ships for 680G. Toy Herb, a Spring flower, ships for 900G. Charm Blue, an Autumn Flower, ships for 710G. These are the most valuable Crops that can be grown in your own Field as they require less than a full season to mature, even without the benefit of increased speed due to Properity.

Remember that Crops of any Season can be grown on Whale Island. You therefore can have the benefit of any of the valuable crops mentioned previously as early as the end of Spring in the 1st year if you are a determined farmer.

You will find that, generally speaking, single harvest Crops are more valuable than multiple harvest Crops.

In Cooking, Cooked Dishes with more than one ingredient tend to have a higher value than those with a single ingredient. If you have a Kitchen expansion, you will be able to make a number of Dishes that ship for over 1000G. Without any expansions, Ketchup is an excellent project.

A Maker will double the value of your Milk, whether you make Cheese or Yogurt from it. Level 2 Milk ships for 72G. Level 2 Cheese ships for 132G and Level 2 Yogurt for 144G. In terms of Energy Values, processing Milk into Cheese or Yogurt does not result in any significant increases in terms either of HP nor of RP with no temporary special effects. It is better to use the Cheese or Yogurt in a Recipe in the Kitchen. With Milk, Yogurt and Honey mixed in a Blender, you can create a Yogurt Drink that ships for 420G and has an Energy Value of HP 25, RP 100, FX 90 sec. Atttack +30, Defence +10. Cheese with Flour and Cooking Oil in a Steamer can make Cheesy Bread, with a shipping value of 450G and energy value of HP 10, RP 175, FX 120 sec. Wind Resistance +15, Stun Defence. With a higher Skill Level requirement, you can boost the HP value of a Cheese Dish by making Cheese Fondue instead with Cheese and Bread in a Pot. Shipping value is 350G, but the HP value is 50 and it has a temporary special effect of boosting your Max HP by 40 points.

If you are obliged to purchase your raw ingredients in the form of Flour and Cooking Oil, you will make no profit at all, as each costs 260G at the local Tavern. You can obtain the same ingredients by exploring dungeons, smashing urns and crates and opening Treasure Chests. Flour, Rice and Chocolate are found quite commonly in the Treasure Chests on the Whale's Fin, an area to which you can acquire access from the very start of the game. The Monsters there may be too powerful for you at the beginning, but they can be avoided.

Fish can provide a good source of income even without access to the special fishing spots in the Dungeons. Although most fish are of insignificant shipping value, Blowfish can have a shipping value of 1000G or more.

Money always is a problem at the start of any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game, but you need to remember that there are no time limits to progress. Be patient and do not neglect any of the activities that are open to you. Farming, ranching, fishing, mining, cooking, forging and fighting Monsters all have their own rewards. Balance your life and move forward steadily, however slowly. You will enjoy the game more if you do not pressure yourself to achieve goals too quickly and you will be less likely to miss any events in doing so.

Eunice and your Dilemma in Rune Factory Frontier

In Harvest Moon and Rune Factory, you always will have some influence over the futures of other characters both in your role of 'saviour' of the land and as a spouse and parent. In Rune Factory Frontier, there are a number of events that give your character the power to determine a critical decision in some one else's life.

When an eligible girl reaches 4 Hearts, you can experience a special Event. In Eunice's case, you will have the choice of influencing her to embark upon a slimming programme if you tell her that you like slender girls. To do so felt rather 'wrong' to me personally as I never would make that sort of comment to any one, whatever my opinion might be... but it is obvious that Eunice WANTS your character to motivate her. It is obvious that she is not happy with her own appearance. Furthermore, when you look at her father, you can see that Eunice may run the risk of developing a dangerous measure of obesity if her habits do not change...

That having been argued, I still was uncomfortable dictating to her in that way. Nonetheless, I look forward to the future when Eunice can join the other girls in their bathing costumes at the Beach.

By the way, if Eunice does decide to lose weight, her former 'Most Favourite gift' of Mont Blanc no longer will be accepted happily. She will tell you: 'N-no! I can’t eat cake while I’m on a diet!'

Best to give her flowers instead!

What is very endearing is to see how she begins to train with Uzuki in martial arts, wielding a naginata herself (rather clumsily, but with great determination!)

Later: As I wrote in a comment here, I believe that Marvelous may have been influenced by the current world-wide campaign against 'adolescent obesity' in creating Eunice's character and her dilemma. I never had any problem with weight myself, but have close friends who do. Although I understand the real threats to health, such as an increased risk of diabetes and so on, I nonetheless believe that there is something intrinsically wrong with our culture, founded as it is upon a fashion sense that encourages anorexic super-models. Furthermore, adolescents have more than enough problems with self-esteeem and confidence and to add more pressure to their lives in the form of physical appearance issues relating to weight strikes me as counterproductive and cruel.

In the States, schools actually send letters to parents now chastising them for allowing their children to gain a little weight. Even when the child's weight is within current 'acceptable' limits, the parents are told that there is a 'risk' of obesity if the child actually could not be considered slim.

By the way, in my next game, I shall allow Eunice to stay as she is. Rune Factory Frontier only allows one save file per game. This appears to be the new trend for Wii games, and it is supremely annoying. I liked the games better when one could keep three save files for the same game at different points. One then could take alternate paths stemming from the same beginning. Now I shall be unable to add the alternate information to the guide until I start the game again and choose a different option. I do understand that it is necessary to play multiple games in Rune Factory Frontier in order to complete all the Memories, but when one is writing guides for a game, the amount of time needed to do all of this means that the guide will not be completed for a year or so.

The Quiz Contest in Rune Factory Frontier

The actual text of the Event, with all Questions and Answers, now is included in my new Calendar and Books Guide. The 'mini-guide' was created in order to make the General Guide shorter. It contains a Calendar of Festivals and Birthdays as well as the text of all the books in the Rune Archives and of Festivals in Trampoli.

The Quiz Contest is one of the most entertaining Festivals. This little video does not contain much vital information but I hope it will be fun to watch.

Difficult Challenges in Forging in Rune Factory Frontier

Forging the Ultimate Blade

In the 1st year of your life in Trampoli in Rune Factory Frontier, obtaining the best weapons by creating them at your own Forge offers its own challenges. Some aspects of this are the practice needed to raise your Skills to the required Levels and the necessity of having the ultimate expansions of the Forge so that you can forge weapons that require the maximum of six ingredients.

If you have sufficient funds to purchase rare, slow-growing Seeds from Rosetta as well as Greenifier and Formula C from Lara at the Clinic, you can speed the process of obtaining some of the ingredients required for the best weapons, such as Emery Flower or Fireflower. Another ingredient used in many of the best weapons and tools is Little Crystal. This is not a Crop or Flower but rather is found in Rocks and Treasure Chests in Dungeons.

With respect to Little Crystal, you will be presented with another problem, which is the fact that the odds are against you. If you are one of those favoured by heaven, you may find it early in the game by smashing a Rock somewhere or by opening a Treasure Chest in one of the small chambers guarded by a Rune Stone Altar as described in previous sections of this Guide. If you are simply one of those players, like myself, who is not very lucky, you will be forced to endure many fruitless quests until you finally have one.

The best Hammer, The Hammer, can improve the odds of finding a Little Crystal inside a Rock but it requires both a Little Crystal and a Fireflower to forge. Even if you find a Little Crystal, you need to be able to harvest a Fireflower before you will be able to make one...

As you labour at the Forge to increase your experience and improve your Weapons, you may find other sources of frustration early in the game...

In Rune Factory Frontier, the level of any item created at Kitchen, Forge, Crafts Bench or Pharmacy can, at best, be only one level higher than the level of the ingredient with the LOWEST level. It can be forged one level higher if it is forged 'with expertise' by hitting the green in the gauge.

The level of a War Trophy depends on the specific Enemy who drops it and the location of that Monster. You will find this information in the Bestiary section of this Guide. The same type of Monster may drop different levels of the same item at different locations. Furthermore, if this Monster drops more than one item, each item may be assigned a different level.

Glue is an item in all Rune Factory games. In Rune Factory Frontier, you can obtain it as a War Trophy from an Orc Archer or you may find it by smashing a Crate or Urn or by opening a Treasure Chest in a Dungeon. The problem here is not one of finding Glue itself but of obtaining high level Glue.

The Orc Archer is one of the first hostile Monsters you will encounter and has a very low level. The Glue it drops tends to be Level 1 Glue. Early in the game, even if you have a decent level of experience, such as Level 50, you still will knock out Level 1 Glue from the Orc Archers you defeat (along with the two other items they drop in RFF). Most of the Glue found in Treasure Chests, Crates and Urns, likewise will be Level 1 Glue.

Note that a Tame Monster may drop one of his War Trophies when you release him back into the wilds, but the Level of that War Trophy will be the same as the item he drops in combat. It therefore has nothing whatsoever to do with his heart level at the time of his release.

Poised to create a Level 8 or Level 9 Defender to use in conjunction with a Durandel and some other fairly high level ingredients to create the Dragonslayer Sword, I was bedevilled by the fact that I could not obtain any Glue above Level 1. All the other ingredients for the Defender were at least Level 8, including the Gladius I had forged...

One therefore had a choice: create a Defender that is at Level 2 at best, essentially wasting the high level of the other ingredients or wait until one can obtain higher level Glue.

Level 10 Glue can be obtained from one of the Orc Hunters in the Tower of Birth randomly.

Remember that the actual Attack power of a Weapon will not change according to its Level but the amount of RP needed to wield it will decrease at higher levels.
The Dragonslayer has a Skill Level of 75 and is the best one-handed Sword one can forge without a Little Crystal. It is an ingredient in the Rune Blade, one of the very best one-handed Swords and one that possesses Rune Power.

In the circumstances, as the other ingredients are not difficult to obtain, it is best to 'waste' the high level of the ingredients and use the Level 1 Glue to create a Level 2 Defender. After all, even a Level 2 Dragonslayer is better than most of the other one-handed blades one can forge without a Little Crystal, and any high level project at the Forge raises Skill Levels faster than low level projects would. The Skill Level Requirement for a Smash Blade, the upgrade of the Luck Blade (one of my personal favourites) is Level 80 and that of the Rune Blade is Level 95. The Dragonslayer therefore is nothing more than a stepping stone on the path to perfection.

The effect of creating a higher level Weapon is not that of boosting ATK but rather of reducing RP Use. Here are the stats for a Level 1 Gladius and a Level 7 Gladius.
Gladius, Lv 1: 270G
Skill Level 18
ATK 23, REQ SKL 18, SP ATK 1, RP Use 6, FX Seal Defence
Gladius, Lv 7: 594G
ATK 23, SP ATK 1, RP Use 4, FX Seal Defence
Note that ATK does not change but that RP Use decreases with Level increase.

The Gladius is an ingredient in the Defender. To create the Dragonslayer, you must forge both a Defender and a Durandel Sword.

Defender: 660G
Skill Level 45
ATK 47, REQ SKL 45, SP ATK 2, RP Use 6, FX Defence +20
Ingredients: Gladius, Gold, Turtle Shell, Insect Hide, Glue

Durandel: 730G
Skill Level 48
ATK 55, REQ SKL 48, SP ATK 2, RP Use 6
Ingredients: Cutlass, Gold, Glittering Edge, Knife Piece, Warrior Medal

Dragonslayer: 1870G
Skill Level 75
ATK 99, REQ SKL 75
Ingredients: Defender, Durandel, Platinum, Magic Talon, Sharp Fang, Wet Scale

Ultimately, when you have one or two Little Crystals, you should upgrade your trusty Luck Blade to a Smash Blade and your Dragonslayer to a Rune Blade:

Smash Blade: 2400G
Skill Level 80
ATK 109, REQ SKL 80, SP ATK 4, RP Use 54, FX Poison Defence, Seal Defence
Ingredients: Luck Blade, Platinum, Magic Talon, Sharp Talon, Glittering Edge, Little Crystal

Rune Blade: 3210G
Skill Level 95
ATK 121, REQ SKL 95, SP ATK 4, RP Use 81, FX Rune Power
Ingredients: Dragonslayer, Little Crystal, Water Rune Stone, Rock Rune Stone, Tree Rune Stone, Grass Rune Stone

If you are fortunate, however, and have high levels of combat experience, you may be able to obtain Lv. 10 Glue as a War Trophy from one of the Orc Archer’s more powerful cousin, an Orc Hunter, at the higher levels of Whale Island.

Even if you manage THIS, however, you are left with the problem of obtaining a high level Little Crystal. The Little Crystals found in the Towers in the Floating Chamber area are location-specific:

Tower of Birth: Little Crystal, Lv. 1
Tower of Life: Little Crystal, Lv. 2
Tower of Rebirth: Little Crystal, Lv. 4
Tower of Glory, Little Crystal, Lv. 8

To obtain a Little Crystal at Level 10, you probably need to forge The Hammer, upgrade it with Scrap Iron to Level 10, then increase your levels of Experience with THAT as you smash rocks in various dungeons, hoping that one will contain a Little Crystal.

With a Level 8 Little Crystal from the Tower of Glory, you can forge a Level 9 Weapon or Accessory if you do so ‘with expertise’.

Rune Factory Frontier is logical and fair to some extent. You start with low level ingredients to create low level weapons and accessories. As your experience and skills increase in every activity, you can collect ingredients at higher levels to create high level Weapons and Accessories.

N.B. You will find all Recipes now in my Rune Factory Frontier Cookbook Recipe Guide at:

Rune Factory Frontier Cookbook Recipes Guide

Rune Factory and the Rich World of the Imagination

Every one loves Woolies. How can one not love those gentle, delightful little Monsters? In Rune Factory 2, they are paid tribute in the form of the Wooly OUtfit that your character will receive in the 2nd Generation if he is a boy. I have to say that, although Rune Factory 2 may be my favourite game of all time, Rune Factory Frontier has wonderful Wooly Monsters and their behaviour is both charming and endearing.

They can cause damage when untamed, but even so, their combat behaviour is amusing to watch (from a distance). They roll about on the ground and cry out, 'Wee wee! Wee wee!' Their attack can cause confusion, however, so it is best not to allow them to damage you or your Monster Ally, although it is a temporary effect.

It is when you have tamed a Wooly (or one of his cousins) and have sufficient Friendship with one to obtain Wool that his behaviour is most endearing. The little Wooly will look up at you, paws clasped almost as if in prayer and when you shear him with the Harvester, he will sneeze!

Incidentally, another wonderful addition to Monster behaviour in the Rune Factory universe in Rune Factory Frontier is the ability to 'harvest' Seeds and Ores/Gems from specific Monster types. The 'plant' Monsters of prior Rune Factory games now, when tamed, give Seeds as a Product. The 'Mimics' and their cousins give Ores and Gems. The 'Grim Reapers' such as Necros and Ghosts actually can use their sickles to mow your Grass and create Fodder.

Thinking of all of this, I once more realised how real these 'virtual' worlds become to those who explore them regularly. Those who never play these games are missing so much! I am infinitely grateful to Marvelous Interactive, Natsume and XSeed for creating Harvest Moon and Rune Factory games and making them available to an English-speaking audience.

One more point should be made about Rune Factory: all three Rune Factory games are worth playing. It would be a mistake to choose one over another. Those players who choose Rune Factory Frontier without ever playing the original Rune Factory will miss an important chapter in the story. Vital events in the history of Norad are experienced in the original Rune Factory. Characters from Kardia actually reappear in Trampoli in Rune Factory Frontier. In the same way that Harvest Moon DS and Cute DS combine threads and characters from A/Another Wonderful Life and Friends/More Friends of Mineral Town, all Rune Factory games are connected.

Rune Factory 2 has its roots in the original Rune Factory. Some of the characters from Kardia are included in the game as well. Although you may find the same or similar Monsters in all three Rune Factory games, each offers its own unique experiences and challenges.

Ghosts and Spirits in Rune Factory Frontier

From trivial Events to fundamental aspects of the plot, 'Spirits' and 'Ghosts' are integral to Rune Factory Frontier. You could marry the 'Ghost' in the original Rune Factory... is it any surprise, then, to find that there are sightings, rumours and actual visitations and appearances of 'Ghosts' in Rune Factory Frontier?

This video provides a little introduction to some of the ghostly characters...

Golden Turnips in Rune Factory Frontier

The Coming of Age Day Festival with its Adventure Contest may not be critically important in Rune Factory Frontier but it may offer you the first opportunity to obtain a Golden Turnip.

It is an amusing Event as well. The fact that you can see the true nature of the item that your character finds while he still is excited about the possibility of it being a Golden Turnip is only one of the entertaining aspects of this Festival Day.

New Temporary Effects Section in General Guide

As I was copying Recipes from the various Cookbooks in Rune Factory Frontier into my Walkthrough/General Guide, I realised that a guide that organised Cooked Dishes by the temporary Special Effects that they provided in battle could be invaluable. I therefore began to create lists of all Cooked Dishes organised by special effects.

As I did this, I began to note the patterns. Ingredients and method of cooking both determine the special effects that any Cooked Dish provides.

For example, both Rice and Flour as ingredients tend to boost Maximum HP. Chestnuts boost Earth Attack. Fish tend to boost Defence. Most Cooked Dishes have two temporary Special Effects.

The Cooked Dishes that you choose to eat before you encounter specific enemies can improve your chances of success greatly. For example, I found that eating Ice Cream before I engaged the Giant Fire Slime in battle made my task much easier.

I did complete all the lists and the section has been added to the General Guide. The latest version of the guide should be uploaded later this afternoon.

Table of Contents added to both RFF Guides

Just a note to players to say that I buckled down and did a job I really detest, but one that is vital to any decent guide: I created a Table of Contents both for the General Guide and for the Bestiary Guide for Rune Factory Frontier.

I am adding Recipes to the General Guide daily. It is dull work but necessary. Meanwhile, I have to confess that I was appalled by the poor organisation of the General Guide. I reorganised it completely and players now should be able to use it without acquiring a bad headache in the process!

Thanks for every one's patience and understanding. As always, I do believe it is better to publish the information as quickly as possible, even if it is disorganised, and then organise it when time permits.

I am working on a new section for the General Guide that gives ALL Recipes for Cooked Dishes by temporary special effects. This should be most useful in combat situations.

In other words, a player instantly can go to this section to see what food dishes will boost Maximum HP or Wind Attack or anything else... without hunting through the Cookbooks!

Know your Dungeons in Rune Factory

The following tips are included in my General Guide and Bestiary and Caves Guide for Rune Factory Frontier but are equally applicable to ALL Rune Factory games.

Rune Factory is Harvest Moon plus traditional RPG which means that Cooking and Forging are important not only where Energy Recovery is concerned but in order to increase your Attack and Defence powers in the various Caves/Dungeons.

In any Rune Factory game, including Rune Factory Frontier, each Cave/Dungeon is ruled by a specific season. Each season is associated with a specific element. Spring is Wind, Summer is Fire, Autumn is Earth and Winter is Water/Ice. If there is any doubt in a player's mind as to the veracity of this, he/she need only confront the Boss Monster of the Cave/Dungeon to see how much Elemental Power affects the nature of that Monster.

Following the Seasons in natural order, you will find that each Cave/Dungeon tends to produce more powerful Monsters. In other words, the Monsters in the Snow Ruins are far more powerful than those in the Green Ruins.

Fortunately, there is a logic in this that affects other components in the game. The more powerful Monsters tend to supply War Trophies that can be used to create better weapons. The Lava Ruins, unlocked after the Green Ruins, is a place where one can find Gold instead of the Silver found in the Green Ruins. In general, Gold is required in Recipes for Tools, Weapons and Equipment that is superior to those in which you will find Silver as an ingredient.

Knowing your Dungeons/Caves and how to deal with Elemental power is the key to success in any RPG and therefore in Rune Factory as well.

My Guides contain tips as to the best Weapons, Equipment and Cooked Dishes to take into any Dungeon.

With respect to the Lava Ruins, Kross will tell you:

Kross: So you went to the Lava Ruins. Heh… The monsters there are resistant to fire and weak against ice. It’s a good strategy to aim for the enemies’ weaknesses.'

Each Monster has its own strength and weakness. Some Monsters are not ruled by ANY Element. Others, like the Giant Clucky, have a specific Elemental Power. Use any Earth Power against the Giant Clucky to increase the Damage of your attacks. In the case of the Giant Clucky, use of an Earth Wand will allow you to keep a safe distance from her as well when you attack.
In this situation, if you take a Silver Wolf with you, you need to dismount so that you can fight independently. Her attacks will cause some damage and may tip the scales in your favour if your own Levels still are low when you engage the Giant Clucky for the second or third time.
Incidentally, paying attention to the temporary effects of food items can make victory a breeze. If you intend to use Magic to fight the Giant Clucky, for example, eat a couple of Berry Jams before you walk through the entrance to engage her. Even a Level 1 Berry Jam (made in a Pot with a single Strawberry) will increase your Magic by 30 points!
If you have only an elementary Forge, you will not be able to make very sophisticated Elemental Swords. The best you will have probably are the Aquasword, the Windsword and the two-handed Flame Sabre and Earth Shade. You can use the Earth Shade fairly effectively against the Giant Clucky but a magic Rod with Earth power is far better as it keeps you out of range of her counterattacks.
Remember that any combat will serve to raise your own character's Experience Levels. Fighting the Giant Clucky again has other positive side-effects in terms of allowing you to obtain a number of War Trophies, including another Giant Cockscomb and at least two Bird Feathers. The rest of the War Trophies obtained in any Victory against her are randomly chosen.
Incidentally, another vital consideration in ANY combat situation in ANY Rune Factory game is the defensive equipment that you equip.
In Rune Factory Frontier, two of the items obtained as War Trophies from the Giant Clucky can be made into an excellent accessory in the form of Head Equipment. A Feathered Hat has the following stats:
Feathered Hat, Lv. 2: 804G. ATK 0, DEF 34, MAG 35, FX Wind Attack +5, Wind Resistance +5.
Wind Attack is of no use against a Wind Elemental Creature such as the Giant Clucky but the Defensive Wind Resistance will help. Apart from that, the Feathered Hat is one of the best Head Equipment items that can be created with only a small Forge, as it requires only 2 ingredients: Giant Cockscomb and Bird Feather. (There are two different Recipes for the Feathered Hat, actually. The other one requires 3 ingredients. Both create the same item.)
Furry Belt: 1240G (Torso EQ): ATK 0, DEF 60, MAG 30, FX Max HP +20, Fire Resistance -10
To create the Elemental Pendants, you will need a Great Forge, as they require 4 ingredients rather than 2.
In fact, in any battle with the Giant Clucky, if you want Elemental Attack boosted, the Earth Pendant may be the best choice of Neck Equipment:
Earth Pendant: 740G; ATK 0, DEF 40, MAG 30, Earth Attack +8, Earth Resistance +15.
You may prefer to have protection AGAINST the Giant Clucky's Wind power, however, by equipping the Storm Pendant.
Storm Pendant: 790G; (Neck EQ): ATK 0, DEF 40, MAG 30, FX: Wind Attack +8, Wind Resistance +15.
Note that, in the context of the Lava Ruins, the Furry Belt actually is weak to Fire, as it gives minus 10 Fire Resistance, but even so, its DEF and MAG power is very good.
If you want to have special power against Fire, you can equip the Aqua Brooch instead.
Aqua Brooch: 320G (Torso EQ): ATK 0, DEF 12, MAG 20, Max HP +40, Water Attack +12.
Obviously, its defensive power is far less than the Furry Belt, but it actually boosts Water Attack by 12 points, making it a weapon in a sense when confronting Fire Elementals.
A good defensive choice in the Lava Ruins would be:
Dew Pendant, Lv. 2: 948G, (Neck EQ) ATK 0, DEF 44, MAG 30, FX Water Attack +8, Water Resistance +15
As you can see, a player who spends time at the Workbench forging accessories can 'stack the deck' against any specific type of Enemy.
Personally, I always believe that Experience is both the best form of Weapon and Protection in any Rune Factory game or indeed, any RPG. Weapons and Accessories can maximise your strength and minimise your weaknesses, but high Skill and Experience levels can make victory much more likely in ANY situation.
Other Battle Tips:
Note that a single Bamboo Shoot baked in an Oven offers not only a gain of 10 HP and 100 RP but 100% defence against Paralysis AND Seal for two minutes! This can be extremely useful when confronting enemies with the power to inflict Seal.


Defeating the Boss Monster of the Lava Ruins

By the middle of Autumn, your experience Level should be high enough to defeat the Boss Monster of the Lava Ruins. In fact, the most difficult aspect of the Lava Ruins is solving the maze, especially with respect to the 4th and 5th floors. Finding the door that you need to open from the other side in order to create a shortcut via the stairway in the southeast corner is particularly difficult in terms of the 4th and 5th Floors. You actually need to unlock only the door on the 6th floor in order to be able to access the Boss instantly without being obliged to use Catapults and Round Giant Boulders each time to clear your path.
When you have unlocked the door on the 6th floor, make certain that you forge an Ice Hammer before you return to enter the Boss Monster’s Lair.
Ice Hammer: 620G
ATK 56, REQ SKL 26, SP ATK 1, RP Use 13, FX Stun Attack 24%, Water Attack +10
Other items that will be of great use are:
Sakura: 890G
ATK 41, REQ SKL 38, SP ATK 2, RP Use 8, FX HP Absorption, Poison Attack 50%
As you can see, the Sakura offers a chance for you to drain Enemy HP, giving you an HP boost each time it does.
E. Drink S: 280G
HP 105, RP 0, FX 0
Ice Cream: 260G
HP 10, RP 125, FX 120 sec. Water Attack +10, Water Resistance +20
As you can see, Ice Cream offers 10 points of Water Attack, very useful against Fire Elementals.
The Boss Monster of the Lava Ruins actually is accompanied by a number of minions who will attack you before he ever appears. Defeating each ‘wave’ of Enemies will not deplete the Boss Monster’s HP at all. You must defeat each wave, however, if you ever wish to MEET the Boss!
The first wave consists of a number of Fire Hornets. They will sting you with darts. Stay mounted on your Silver Wolf Monster Ally for these attacks. They will harm your Monster Ally very little and you will be able to defeat them without using either HP or RP. As each Enemy is defeated, it will be transformed into fire. The fire will remain on the ground until the next wave appears.
If you choose to fight at your Monster’s side instead, I would recommend that you equip Sakura or the Luck Blade instead of the Ice Hammer. The Ice Hammer is slow and uses too much RP to be of use against multiple weak enemies such as these. With Sakura, you can absorb your Enemies’ HP in your Attacks.
The next wave consists of 4 Fire Panthers. Again, the easiest way to defeat them is by remaining mounted and using your Silver Wolf’s Special Attack but if you choose to fight unmounted, use the Luck Blade or Sakura again.
The 3rd wave consists of two Fire Trolls. They are monstrous creatures but, like all Trolls, rather slow. Make certain that you do not get caught between them. You can remain mounted for this as well.
When the two Fire Trolls are defeated, you will encounter the 4th wave of Monsters in the form of a number of Fire Slimes. Like all members of the Slime family, they have the power to inflict Poison so make certain that you use Antidotes when necessary to heal yourself and your Monster Ally. It is during this wave that your Monster Ally will be at risk finally. You may lose him in fact.
With all of these waves of lesser enemies, it is best NOT to use the Ice Hammer. Use Sakura or your Luck Blade. As previously stated, the Ice Hammer is slow and uses too much RP to be wasted on lesser Enemies. Furthermore, you will have two Special Attacks with the Luck Blade or Sakura as opposed to a single Special Attack with the Ice Hammer.
Once you have defeated all the Fire Slimes, the fire remnants will morph into the true Boss Enemy, a Giant Fire Slime. At this point in the battle, you should equip your Ice Hammer.
This Monster has a number of Fire Attacks, not surprisingly. You may need to restore your HP with E. Drinks S. Now is the time to consume Ice Cream as well in order to augment your Attacks. Use the Ice Hammer.
The most dangerous attack of the Giant Fire Slime is his third mode of Attack, when he will rise above the ground, then attempt to crush you beneath him. If you can avoid this, you should be able to remain standing. You can weather his first and second modes of attack and indeed, if you have sufficient energy, can counterattack during those attacks.
Make certain that you watch your Energy gauges and replenish HP and RP as necessary, using items that increase total HP, boost Attack and Defence and finally, offer Water Attack.
When the Giant Fire Slime is defeated, he will drop a number of War Trophies. Two are guaranteed: a Relic and a Red Core.
The Relic is the ‘key’ to unlock the Snow Ruins. The Red Core can be used in forging. Other items that the Giant Fire Slime will drop include Gold, a Gem and Cooking Items such as Curry Powder and Cooking Oil. The latter are items that are associated with heat and fire!

Ganesha will inform you that: ‘The Snow Ruins, as the name suggests, has monsters that are resistant to cold. But they’re also weak towards heat, so adjust your equipment that way to prevent needless damage to yourself.’
In other words, equip items that either offer Ice/Water Resistance or Fire Attack.

Upgrades that use Gold

My Guides as well as the preceding post give tips about easy acquisition of Gold from the Lava Ruins.

Gold will be an incredible aid in preparing for the Snow Ruins and the higher areas of Whale Island beyond the Whale's Fin.

Once you have a regular supply of Gold, you should study your Recipe Books to find Weapons and Equipment that use Gold as an ingredient. You will discover that many of the best Weapons you had can be used as ingredients, with Gold, to create a better Weapon of the same time. For example, your Windsword can be upgraded to an Aerial Blade. Your Aquasword can be transformed into an Icifier.
Aerial Blade: 1570G
ATK 63, REQ SKL 52, SP ATK 3, RP Use 21, FX Wind Attack +10, Seal Attack 100%
Icifier: 1570G
ATK 71, REQ SKL 54, SP ATK 3, RP Use 24, FX Water Attrack +10, Paralysis Attack 100%
The Icifier will be a liability rather than an asset in the Snow Ruins but you can use it to advantage in the Lava Ruins.
With Gold in your inventory, you can make a Gold Ring to supercede your old Silver Ring. A Gold Ring can be used as an ingredient to create other Rings as well as being worn. Better even than a Gold Ring, however, is an Au Bracelet. This requires 3 Gold and a Cheap Band but gives the following:
Au Bracelet: 560G
Arms EQ, ATK 15, DEF 60, MAG 50
Ingredients: Cheap Band, Gold x 3
Other upgrades that can be performed once you have access to Gold are upgrades to all your Farm Tools. Possibly the most important of these is the upgrade to your Watering Can from Lion Can to Rainbow Can. The Rainbow Can allows you to water 25 squares at a time and holds a total of 21 uses.
Depending on the amount of exploration and fighting that your character previously accomplished in the higher areas of Whale Island, you may have items such as the ‘Fair Hide’ and the ‘Magic Talon’ in your inventory. If not, however, the Snow Ruins offers easy access to monsters who drop these War Trophies.
A Fair Hide can be used to create a Stylish Hat, an item of Head Gear offering better protection than the Cats Ears.
Stylish Hat: 1890G
ATK 0, DEF 55, MAG 60
Ingredients: Feathered Hat, Toy Herb, Fair Hide, Quality Cloth
When you obtain a Magic Talon, you can create the Headdress.
Headdress: 1580G
ATK 0, DEF 85, MAG 80, FX Element Attack +10, Element Defence +10
Ingredients: Katusha, Quality Cloth, Charm Blue, Moondrop, Yarn Ball, Magic Talon
Note that the Headdress requires a Charm Blue, an Autumn flower. By the middle of Autumn, you should have both Charm Blue and the necessary Skill Level to create a Headdress. Skill Level Requirement for this piece of Head Gear is 70.
If you lack necessary experience for advanced Accessories, you can make Hand-Knit Hats from your Wool and Yarn until you raise your levels. You should have ample supplies of these in your Storage from your Woolies and their cousins by the middle of Autumn.
Make as many upgrades as possible to Weapons and Equipment as well as preparing Cooked Dishes that either give protection from Ice/Water Attacks or contain Fire Attack power before you begin to explore the Snow Ruins in earnest.
If you have unlocked the Snow Ruins in Autumn, you should have a large supply of Eggplants on hand.
An Eggplant Grill offers Fire Attack as well as boosting general Defence as follows:
Eggplant Grill: 310G
HP 10, RP 100, FX 120 sec. Defence +30, Fire Attack +10

Bestiary and Caves Guide for Rune Factory Frontier

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My General Guide for Rune Factory Frontier now is complete to the point of unlocking the Snow Ruins. I created a Bestiary and Caves Guide as well today but I see now that I neglected to add the Lava Ruins Boss section to it. At this point, therefore, the information about the Lava Ruins Boss Monster and its Minions and the unlocking of the Snow Ruins is to be found solely in the General Guide. Tomorrow's update of the Bestiary Guide will contain those sections as well. I am working on a Farming Guide that gives all information about each Crop and the Seeds to create it. It is a mini-guide and therefore not long, but should be completed tomorrow as well.

Meanwhile, here is a Tip from my guide for obtaining Gold quickly and easily, for those players who have been searching for that metal.


Tip for Obtaining Gold

You will find Gold in the Snow Ruins but there is a very easy source of Gold in the Lava Ruins on the 6th floor. In the antechamber in front of the door that leads to the Boss Monster and his minions, you will find three Rocks that can be smashed for Ores. You usually will find at least one Gold here and sometimes even two. Once you have defeated the Giant Fire Slime in the Lava Ruins, you will find a circle portal that leads from the entrance of the dungeon directly to the 6th floor, much like the one that appeared in the Green Ruins after the 1st defeat of the Giant Clucky.

Two urns to the right of the door that leads to the Boss Monster and Minions can be smashed for items. One usually contains Ketchup, an item that ships for over 700 Gold.
Remember that each time you leave a dungeon and re-enter it, all Crates and Rocks will respawn. With either the ‘circle portal’ shortcut or access to the 6th floor via the stairway in the southeast, you will have an almost infinite supply of Gold… and Ketchup!


N.B. I looked at the new Bestiary and Caves Guide and in fact, I copied the Lava Ruins information twice... I have edited this now, but the latest version will not appear until tomorrow. Sorry about that... too much work and too little time always!

Walkthrough for Perfect IoH Game

I continue to receive so many emails about Island of Happiness that I thought I should post this Walkthrough of mine for a 'perfect game' again:

Walkthrough for Perfect Game in IoH

I wrote this Walkthrough last year and it IS included in my General Guide for Island of Happiness, but evidently there are a large number of players who have not noted its existence.

If any one is having trouble with Taro and the Fishing Rod, or obtaining the Event with Mirabelle that allows you to obtain a Dog... or ANYTHING else in the first year of the game, please read this little Walkthrough.

'Dressing for Success': Weapons and Equipment in Rune Factory

Harvest Moon and Rune Factory are based on the principle of balance and harmony in all aspects of life. If you focus on one aspect to the exclusion of others, you will lose chances to benefit.

Cooking always is an important aspect of life in any Harvest Moon game. In Rune Factory, Forging is added to the Skills that your character needs to succeed. If you neglect to practice forging as well as cooking, you will be at a disadvantage where combat is concerned.

Here is a brief introduction to Weapons and Eguipment in Rune Factory Frontier. 'Dressing for Success' in terms of choosing Weapons and Equipment wisely may make the difference between victory and defeat, especially when confronting a Boss Monster in any Rune Factory game.

100 Blows as opposed to 100 Roses in Rune Factory Frontier

In Rune Factory 2, a Bouquet of 100 Roses played a pivotal role in the successful courtship of Rosalind. In Rune Factory Frontier, 100 Slaps by Rita may not be its romantic equivalent, but it certainly adds entertainment value to more than one Event.

The Ganesha Cup Boat Race near the end of Summer could be a Romantic Event if you managed to raise an Eligible Girl's heart level sufficiently to persuade her to lend her presence to your gondola in the Race. In the 1st Year, however, I daresay many players will not have managed to increase any girl's heart level enough to make this a reality.

At the 11th hour, however, when you have agreed to enter the Race alone, an unexpected character will offer to join you! What follows then is one of two Events, chosen randomly without any connection to the response you make to the individual's offer.

Here are the Events at the Ganesha Cup Boat Race with some background material about the nature of the '100 Blows'.

Using Magic in any Rune Factory game

*****************************************************************

In Rune Factory Frontier, you can make a return engagement with any Boss Monster after defeating it the first time. A 'portal' in the form of a circle of light will open at the entrance to the Green Ruins, for example, allowing you to descend instantly to the lair of the Giant Clucky.

You then can go through the door to meet her again in battle.

Players have noticed, somewhat to their consternation, that the power and maximum HP of the Giant Clucky increases enormously after her first defeat. She is not particularly difficult to defeat in the first engagement. In subsequent battles, however, you may require a different strategy to experience victory.

This is where a player may wish to use Magic instead of an ordinary Weapon and Attack.

In Rune Factory 2, the only Magic Spell available to a player in the 1st Generation is Fireball. In Rune Factory Frontier, although Kanno will give you your first magic wand in the form of the Fire Rod, you can forge Wands for the other Elements as soon as you purchase an elementary Forge from Lute. Having the Wand gives you the power to use it without need for a separate Spellbook as in other Rune Factory games.

You can make an Earth Wand with a small Forge (no house expansion required) using only an Earth Crystal and a Thin Stick. The Skill Level requirement for this is very low, at Skill Level 6.

Earth Wand: 560G; ATK 30, REQ SKL 7, SP ATK 1, RP Use 17, Magic +55, Earth Attack +7

A far more powerful Earth Wand is the Gaia Wand, requiring a Great Forge as it uses four ingredients: Earth Crystal, Magic Powder, Root and Thin Stick.

Gaea Rod: 670G; ATK 70, REQ SKL 40, SP ATK 1, RP Use 67, FX Magic +40, Earth Attack +14.

Note however, the difference in RP Use between the two. The Earth Wand uses only 17 RP as opposed to the 67 RP required for use of the Gaia Wand. If your character has not attained high levels, you may wish to opt for the lesser Earth Wand so as not to deplete RP too quickly. Both Wands have 1 Special Attack and the Earth Wand actually boosts Magic higher by 55 points as opposed to 40.

In my guides for Rune Factory 2, I urged players to use Magic as often as possible in the 1st Generation simply in order to increase their Skill Levels in Magic in anticipation of the 2nd Generation. Talents and Skill Levels are inherited by your child in Rune Factory 2 and, at the very start of the 2nd Generation, your child can obtain all the recovery Spells such as Cure and Medication. In my view, having high Magic Skill Levels in Rune Factory 2 was worth more for the ability to use Cure and Medication effectively than any of the Elemental Spells.

In Rune Factory Frontier, however, being able to forge Wands for all the Elements early in the game means that Magic is a resource in combat that should not be ignored even in the early stages of gameplay.

When you unlock the Lava Ruins, Kross will tell you:

Kross: So you went to the Lava Ruins. Heh… The monsters there are resistant to fire and weak against ice. It’s a good strategy to aim for the enemies’ weaknesses.'


Each Monster has its own strength and weakness. Some Monsters are not ruled by ANY Element. Others, like the Giant Clucky, have a specific Elemental Power. Use any Earth Power against the Giant Clucky to increase the Damage of your attacks. In the case of the Giant Clucky, use of an Earth Wand will allow you to keep a safe distance from her as well when you attack.

In this situation, if you take a Silver Wolf with you, you need to dismount so that you can fight independently. Her attacks will cause some damage and may tip the scales in your favour if your own Levels still are low when you engage the Giant Clucky for the second or third time.

Incidentally, paying attention to the temporary effects of food items can make victory a breeze. If you intend to use Magic to fight the Giant Clucky, for example, eat a couple of Berry Jams before you walk through the entrance to engage her. Even a Level 1 Berry Jam (made in a Pot with a single Strawberry) will increase your Magic by 30 points!

If you have only an elementary Forge, you will not be able to make very sophisticated Elemental Swords. The best you will have probably are the Aquasword, the Windsword and the two-handed Flame Sabre and Earth Shade. You can use the Earth Shade fairly effectively against the Giant Clucky but a magic Rod with Earth power is far better as it keeps you out of range of her counterattacks.

Remember that any combat will serve to raise your own character's Experience Levels. Fighting the Giant Clucky again has other positive side-effects in terms of allowing you to obtain a number of War Trophies, including another Giant Cockscomb and at least two Bird Feathers. The rest of the War Trophies obtained in any Victory against her are randomly chosen.

Incidentally, another vital consideration in ANY combat situation in ANY Rune Factory game is the defensive equipment that you equip.

In Rune Factory Frontier, two of the items obtained as War Trophies from the Giant Clucky can be made into an excellent accessory in the form of Head Equipment. A Feathered Hat has the following stats:

Feathered Hat, Lv. 2: 804G. ATK 0, DEF 34, MAG 35, FX Wind Attack +5, Wind Resistance +5.

Wind Attack is of no use against a Wind Elemental Creature such as the Giant Clucky but the Defensive Wind Resistance will help. Apart from that, the Feathered Hat is one of the best Head Equipment items that can be created with only a small Forge, as it requires only 2 ingredients: Giant Cockscomb and Bird Feather. (There are two different Recipes for the Feathered Hat, actually. The other one requires 3 ingredients. Both create the same item.)

Furry Belt: 1240G (Torso EQ): ATK 0, DEF 60, MAG 30, FX Max HP +20, Fire Resistance -10

To create the Elemental Pendants, you will need a Great Forge, as they require 4 ingredients rather than 2.

In fact, in any battle with the Giant Clucky, if you want Elemental Attack boosted, the Earth Pendant may be the best choice of Neck Equipment:

Earth Pendant: 740G; ATK 0, DEF 40, MAG 30, Earth Attack +8, Earth Resistance +15.

You may prefer to have protection AGAINST the Giant Clucky's Wind power, however, by equipping the Storm Pendant.

Storm Pendant: 790G; (Neck EQ): ATK 0, DEF 40, MAG 30, FX: Wind Attack +8, Wind Resistance +15.

Note that, in the context of the Lava Ruins, the Furry Belt actually is weak to Fire, as it gives minus 10 Fire Resistance, but even so, its DEF and MAG power is very good.

If you want to have special power against Fire, you can equip the Aqua Brooch instead.

Aqua Brooch: 320G (Torso EQ): ATK 0, DEF 12, MAG 20, Max HP +40, Water Attack +12.

Obviously, its defensive power is far less than the Furry Belt, but it actually boosts Water Attack by 12 points, making it a weapon in a sense when confronting Fire Elementals.

A good defensive choice in the Lava Ruins would be:

Dew Pendant, Lv. 2: 948G, (Neck EQ) ATK 0, DEF 44, MAG 30, FX Water Attack +8, Water Resistance +15

As you can see, a player who spends time at the Workbench forging accessories can 'stack the deck' against any specific type of Enemy.

Personally, I always believe that Experience is both the best form of Weapon and Protection in any Rune Factory game or indeed, any RPG. Weapons and Accessories can maximise your strength and minimise your weaknesses, but high Skill and Experience levels can make victory much more likely in ANY situation.

Other Battle Tips:

Note that a single Bamboo Shoot baked in an Oven offers not only a gain of 10 HP and 100 RP but 100% defence against Paralysis AND Seal for two minutes! This can be extremely useful when confronting enemies with the power to inflict Seal.

Tips for Raising Item Levels in Cooking in RFF

Tip for Raising Item Levels in Cooking


In Rune Factory Frontier, the Level of an edible item can determine its effects when consumed. HP will not vary but RP and the length of time that any temporary effect endures will be boosted by a higher level.

There are a number of Recipes that require a single Ingredient. Bread is one of these, requiring nothing more than a bag of Flour and an Oven. When you make Bread, you can stop the gauge in the green to create Level 2 Bread from a Level 1 bag of Flour.
You then can increase the Level again by making Toast. Toast requires nothing more than Bread to create. Place the Bread in the Oven and stop the gauge again in the green to make the Level 2 Bread into Level 3 Toast.
Level 1 Toast has the following stats:
Toast, Lv 1: 190G; HP 50, RP 100, FX Time 120 sec, Max HP +40, Earth Resistance +20
Level 3 Toast has these stats:
Toast, Lv 3: 266G; HP 50, RP 150, FX Time 180 sec, Max HP +40, Earth Resistance +20
It is only in combat situations that the difference can become critical. Having an item that raises your Maximum HP by 40 points for 3 minutes instead of 2 minutes can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Even having an item that boosts your Maximum HP by 40 points for 2 minutes may bring critical aid at a point when your character is approaching zero HP! Food supplies can be critical during battle. Remember that any food items your character consumes will benefit both your own character and that of any Monster Ally who accompanies you.
There are a number of Dishes that can be boosted in Level twice in the same way that a Level 1 bag of Flour can become Level 3 Toast. Rice can be made into a Rice Ball using no utensils at all. Hit the gauge in the green and make it into a Level 2 Rice Ball. Place it in the oven and hit the gauge in the green again to create a Level 3 Hot Rice Ball.
Rice Ball, Level 1 has the following stats:
Rice Ball, Lv. 1: 160G; HP 45, RP 75; FX Time 120 sec. Max HP +45
Hot Rice Ball, Level 3 has the following stats:
Hot Rice Ball, Lv. 3: 266G; HP 55, RP 150; FX Time 180 sec. Max HP +50, Earth Resistance +10
Both Rice and Flour can be found inside Caves/Dungeons in Treasure Chests, Crates and Urns. If you use the 2nd Beanstalk on any Holiday to access the Whale’s Fin, you can obtain a fine quantity of Rice, Chocolate, Flour and other items, including Crystals, Gems, Energy Drinks and Ores, simply by climbing the Beanstalk again and again… If you prefer to use your time in a different manner, you can purchase both Flour and Rice always at the Tavern at night.

Where forging items is concerned, the level of the item may increase its power as well in certain aspects. In a number of cases, there will be two separate Recipes for the same item. For example, if you wish to create a Wing Ring, you can choose between the following Recipes:

Wing Ring, Skill Level 30: Silver Ring, Wind Crystal, Glue
Wing Ring, Skill Level 30: Silver Ring, Giant Cockscomb

If you have all the ingredients needed to create the Wing Ring using either of these, which is the best Recipe to follow?

Your decision may rest upon a couple of factors. One may be that of choosing the Recipe for which ingredients are most easily obtained. Another may be that of choosing the Recipe with the ingredients of the highest level.

The ultimate Level of any item created in the Kitchen, Forge, Craft Bench or Pharmacy is based on the LOWEST level of ingredient in Rune Factory Frontier. In other words, if you have three ingredients at Level 3 and one ingredient at Level 1, the item created will be Level 1, unless you create it 'perfectly' by hitting the green section of the gauge, in which case its level will be raised to Level 2. In other words, it is not the average of all ingredients but the ingredient that is the lowest level that will determine the level of the new item.

A Silver Ring created using Level 1 ingredients can be made as a Level 2 item by hitting the green gauge at the Craft Bench. You then will have a Level 2 Silver Ring.

If you have only Level 1 Glue or Level 1 Wind Crystal, it would be better to use a Level 2 Cockscomb instead to create your Wing Ring using the Level 2 Silver Ring previously fashioned. By hitting the green in the process, you can create a Level 3 Wing Ring, which will give you more defence than either Level 1 or Level 2.

Level 1 Wing Ring: 750G, ATK 10, DEF 30, MAG 40, FX Wind Attack +12, Wind Resistance +8
Level 3 Wing Ring: 1050G, ATK 10, DEF 38, MAG 40, FX Wind Attack +12, Wind Resistance +8

As you can see, only the Defence is raised when a higher level of Wing Ring is created, but Defence can be critical while your character remains at fairly low experience levels. When you compare the 8 points of defence obtained by creating a Level 3 Wing Ring and remember that the initial Item available from Danny in the form of the Pendant had only 8 Defence total, you will see that it is in your best interests to attempt to hit the Green on the gauge. Furthermore, only energy is used in any failed attempt at the Forge or Crafting Bench. This was the case in other Rune Factory games as well. It is only in Cooking that ingredients will be wasted if you fail to achieve a successful Dish, as your ingredients in such a situation will be USED to create a Flop instead of the Dish in the Recipe.