Understanding an enemy’s weakness is key if you want to storm through the trickiest boss battles in Metaphor ReFantazio. This game has a rich combat system that Persona fans will immediately feel comfortable with, and almost every boss has a key weakness you can exploit.
If you’re in the Nord Mines area and you’ve decided to fight the sleeping dragon, it’ll be your first major battle in the game. Here’s a breakdown of Fire Dragon Mauna’s weaknesses in Metaphor ReFantazio, along with tips on how to build your party for success.
What is Fire Dragon Mauna weak to in Metaphor ReFantazio?
The Nord Mines dragon is weak to Ice in Metaphor ReFantazio and favors Fire attacks, meaning burns are a likely issue you need to plan for when preparing for the fight. Having a Warrior to hand is useful as they resist Fire damage, making them a tanky option for this battle.
Officially known as Fire Dragon Mauna and not the Nord Mines dragon, you can find the colossal beast towards the end of the initial dungeon-like area. It hits hard and can easily burn your party members, stacking up damage with this debuff, but having access to Ice damage makes the fight a breeze.
Your party will attempt to convince you to sneak past and avoid the fight—which is entirely possible if it is in bad shape and running low on resources—but it’s worth taking Fire Dragon Mauna on in battle.
The section of the Nord Mines where you fight the dragon is a point of no return, meaning you won’t be able to backtrack to heal, save your game, or visit the vendor. Make sure to finish up anything necessary before progressing to avoid any issues during the battle.
While this may seem daunting, especially if you’re low on health and MP after the previous fight, it’s entirely possible to beat the beast with some solid planning.
First, the peddler sells a number of valuable items that can make this fight easier. Most importantly, you can get Ice Chunks. Pick up some items to heal burns with while you’re at it, along with a Revival Medicine or two just in case things don’t go to plan.
Ice Chunks, unsurprisingly, deal Ice damage, which can take bites out of Fire Dragon Mauna’s health while also giving you extra Turn Icons, extending your party’s offensive output significantly. If you don’t have any Ice attacks in your party, this is a great way to get past the dragon.
These items are not overly expensive and can be useful in later fights, too, so if you have the resources to stock up, it’s worth the expense.
If you have a party member with the Mage archetype, you can use the Blizz attack to hit Fire Dragon Mauna for Ice damage and take advantage of the weakness. This is one of the earlier attacks you can access when leveling up the Mage Archetype.
While Ice hits the dragon hard, Fire barely makes a dent and is not worth trying. Avoid using any Fire attacks during this fight to avoid wasting your turn—even a regular melee attack is more valuable than attempting to win with Fire damage here, as Fire Dragon Mauna repels this type of damage.
If you forgot to stock up on Ice Chunks and don’t have a Mage in your party, position your party defensively and try for Slash damage instead. It’ll take longer to win without any Ice damage, but it’s still feasible, especially if you have healing items to hand.
Positioning your party correctly is crucial in fights like this. If a character is heavily wounded, push them to the back line and have them guard. If you’ve replenished MAG for a character and they can now use a heavy-hitting Ice attack, put them on the front line for a damage boost. Hitting Fire Dragon Mauna with an Ice attack from the backline is a waste of time and resources.
During the fight, you need to watch out for the attacks Scratch, Fireball, and Tail Swipe. Scratch and Fireball only hit one party member at a time—with physical and Fire damage, respectively—but Tail Swipe can take out an entire row with physical damage.
Remember to take advantage of any buffs your team can access when battling the dragon, too. While the Seeker Archetype is weak to Fire damage, it also provides access to moves like Tarukaja, which can help your allies hit even harder.
When you get Fire Dragon Mauna’s health low enough, it will leave the cavern, allowing you to catch your breath and pick up the nearby valuable resources. Make sure you empty the nearby treasure chest, as the weapon it contains (Dragon’s Indignation) has a lot of potential value.
