The Master of Fame storyline ends with a two-phase battle against Auguste. The first form, Auguste the Playwright, tests how well you manage status effects and shield breaks. The second, Auguste the Prince of Thieves, is faster, stronger, and changes weaknesses mid-fight. If this is the first storyline you finish, this encounter will likely be your first taste of multi-phase final bosses in Octopath Traveler 0.
This guide explains how both fights work, what you should watch out for, and the easiest way to break his shields and push through to victory.
How to Defeat Auguste the Playwright in Octopath Traveler 0?
Auguste begins with a high shield count and several skills that inflict status problems. His biggest threat is Fatal Sentence, a countdown effect that kills a character when the counter drops to zero. He also uses poison and wide magical swings that hit your whole front line.
His weaknesses in this phase are:
- Sword
- Spear
- Axe
- Ice
- Dark
You should bring at least two damage types from that list, or rotate characters so you always have someone who can chip at his shields.
1. Dealing with his main assaults
The sequence of Auguste’s attacks consists of mixing a few strong physical hits directed at a single target with some magic skills that affect the whole front row. Out of these two most important skills, one should be:
2. Toxic Dust
This gives everyone in your front row the poison status. So you have to prepare a healer in advance to heal the poisoned character(s) and prevent the damage from poison being too much for your party to handle for the next few turns.
3. Fatal Sentence
This skill puts a character under a spell that counts down. You are, most likely, not going to have an easy cure at this point, thus, the best way to cope with this situation is to hasten him to shield break. He loses his offensive strength during breaks and that gives you time to prepare.
4. The “Curtain Fall” signal
When you notice the phrase “Time for the curtain to fall,” you get one turn to break his shields. If you fail to do so, he casts a spell that is a shadow attack over a wide area which kills the character determined by Fatal Sentence and hits the front row hardest.
This is your chance to use saved BP. It is not a good idea to spend all your BP in the beginning. Hold it for these shield races so you can manage a clean break and strike before he has the chance to recover.
When the first form of the boss is defeated, the real fight starts.
Phase 2: How to Defeat Auguste the Prince of Thieves
Auguste’s second form is more aggressive and introduces a new problem: he changes weaknesses mid-fight. That means the team that worked in Phase 1 may not always line up for Phase 2. Bring weapons and magic that cover a spread of options so you can adapt when he swaps vulnerability sets.
He keeps his original weaknesses (sword, spear, axe, ice, dark), but he may also shift to:
- Dagger
- Bow
- Staff
- Fire
- Lightning
A balanced lineup works best here.
1. Deal with the Ruinous Rancor first
During this phase, a monster named Ruinous Rancor gets summoned by Auguste. You should not overlook it since it adds extra damage and makes the whole fight last longer through more pressure than you want!
As soon as it shows up, put your focus on it. The fight will be a lot easier when it’s not there anymore.
2. Handling his attacks
Once again, he poisons, hits randomly many times, and uses full-row magic. He also develops a new, dangerous pattern.
3. Weakness Shifting Stance
This changes his weaknesses between two groups. Each time you destroy his shields, he changes again. So, stay mobile and ready to keep breaking him when it’s most convenient for you.
4. Wave of death → Ire of the Prince of Thieves
Before this fatal sequence, he gives a warning line. If you are unable to break him in one turn, he will deal a powerful shadow attack to the front row and inflict Fatal Sentence.
Just like in the first phase, this is the moment to use up your BP and get a shield break before he gets a chance to act.
5. Finishing him before the final mechanic
This “death wave” usually happens once he’s under roughly a quarter of his HP, but you can prevent it if you burst him down quickly during a shield break. If you have enough BP and Boost-ready attacks, you can bypass the mechanic entirely.
Tips to Make the Fight Easier
1. Save BP until shields have an impact
Auguste’s shield breaks are the perfect opportunity for you to unleash a big damage. Using BP too early in the fight just prolongs it without any reason.
2. Guard your back row
Both forms attack the front row frequently. If one of them is marked with Fatal Sentence, rotate the characters so that the person does not waste his turn waiting to die.
3. Bring at least one powerful healer
The combination of Poison and universal magic damage can be very fast and devastating. A healer who can keep up with the spikes in damage makes the fight less tough.
4. Play your damage types by ear
Since Auguste shifts weaknesses, relying on just one source of shield damage will slow you down. If possible, alternate between physical and two or three magic elements.
After breaking his second form, the Master of Fame plotline comes to an end. As a reward, you gain new skills, such as Blade of Vengeance, and also the next chapter of your character’s story will be opened to you.
Auguste’s fight is long, but with good timing and smart BP use, both phases fall quickly. Break his shields, avoid Fatal Sentence, and adapt each time his weaknesses shift—you’ll win the battle without too much trouble.
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