Berserker
A bare-knuckle Dressphere that hits hard, moves fast, and punishes anything that touches it, provided nothing casts a spell at it.
Overview
The Berserker is built around counters.
Counterattack,
Magic Counter, and
Evade & Counter let it strike back at anything that attacks it, and once all three are learned it deals a good share of its damage on the enemy’s turn rather than its own. That is what keeps it useful long after its raw numbers stop impressing.
Its other standout is
Howl, which doubles the user’s maximum HP for the battle. On a Dressphere this vulnerable to magic, that single ability is often the difference between surviving a boss’s opening move or being KO’d.
The catch is that its Magic Defense is the worst of any Dressphere by a lot. A Berserker survives physical hits on its high HP and Evasion, then dies to the first high-damage spell that lands, so it belongs in fights against enemies that use physical attacks rather than cast spells.
Be aware that the counter abilities are expensive, costing 180, 300, and 400 AP, so a Berserker takes a long time to reach its best form.
How to Obtain It
You’ll earn the Berserker Dressphere in Chapter 3 by taking on the Mission to protect the travel agency at Lake Macalania and winning six battles in a row. The Mission is only available in Chapter 3, so this is your only chance at the Berserker. If you lose one of the battles, you can take on the Mission again. Check out the walkthrough for more information:
Walkthrough
The Thunder Plains and Lake Macalania in Chapter 3, with Lian and Ayde, a good spot to catch a Chocobo, and defending the Travel Agency.
List of Abilities
| Ability | AP | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | ||
| 0 | ||
| 20 | ||
| 30 | ||
| 30 | ||
| 40 | ||
| 40 | ||
| 50 | ||
| 30 | ||
| 60 | ||
| 80 | ||
| 20 | ||
| 180 | ||
| 300 | ||
| 400 | ||
| 80 |
Stats
The Berserker’s stats are the same for Yuna, Rikku, and Paine.
| Level | HP | MP | Strength | Magic | Defense | Magic Defense | Agility | Accuracy | Evasion | Luck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 179 | 15 | 18 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 58 | 102 | 13 | 11 |
| 10 | 763 | 30 | 39 | 2 | 25 | 2 | 59 | 103 | 14 | 12 |
| 20 | 1393 | 44 | 59 | 3 | 26 | 3 | 61 | 104 | 15 | 13 |
| 30 | 2003 | 58 | 78 | 4 | 28 | 4 | 62 | 105 | 16 | 14 |
| 40 | 2593 | 70 | 96 | 4 | 28 | 5 | 64 | 106 | 17 | 15 |
| 50 | 3163 | 82 | 112 | 5 | 29 | 5 | 64 | 106 | 18 | 15 |
| 60 | 3713 | 92 | 126 | 5 | 30 | 5 | 66 | 107 | 18 | 15 |
| 70 | 4243 | 102 | 139 | 5 | 30 | 6 | 66 | 107 | 19 | 16 |
| 80 | 4753 | 110 | 150 | 5 | 30 | 6 | 68 | 108 | 19 | 16 |
| 90 | 5243 | 118 | 160 | 5 | 31 | 6 | 69 | 108 | 19 | 16 |
| 99 | 5667 | 123 | 166 | 4 | 30 | 5 | 68 | 107 | 19 | 15 |