Players who pick up Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered will embark on the adventures of Oliver, a boy from the real world, as he travels to Another World in order to find a cure for his ailing mother. Throughout his journey, he is accompanied by the songstress Esther and the thief Swaine as they get through thick and thin to accomplish their objectives.
Thankfully, the Ni no Kuni game doesn’t let the protagonists go off on their own unprepared. With the right equipment, Oliver and his friends can take on any challenge. And while their Familiars can equip more pieces of armor than them, Oliver and his pals can at least equip up to two of either Patches, Fangs, Medals, or Scales. However, just which of these accessories work best for them?
Oliver: Omniseal (Patch)
- 20% Resistance against all attacks
Serving as the equivalent of a badge or a license in the game, Patches provide quite a wide range of defensive bonuses and resistances to characters. Throughout the course of the Ni no Kuni experience, players obtain various Patches that provide them with a wide range of resistances. However, of all these Patches, perhaps the Omniseal seals the deal for the likes of protagonist Oliver, who is arguably the most flexible of all the characters.
This item is craftable via Alchemy: Recipe 125, obtainable through the completion of Errand 70 and needs Angel’s Wings (5), Evil Eyes (5), and All-Seeing Eyes (5) to create. With this item, a character like Oliver receives up to 20-percent resistances against all kinds of attacks. Compared to base defensive benefits, outright resistance against all forms of offensive abilities can give Oliver a definitive edge when encountering tougher foes.
Oliver: Nix Gnashers (Fang)
- ATK: 12
- M. ATK: 12
- ACC: 12
- 3% chance to Nix enemies
When it comes to duels between spellcasters, even games like Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch know that debilitating the other’s spellcasting capabilities is a surefire way of winning combat. In the game, this comes in the form of Nix Gnashers, a decent medal that provides rather plentiful bonuses to ATK, M. ATK, and ACC. Players can acquire this after completing Bounty Hunt 126, and through Smiley ‘n’ Surly.
However, where the Nix Gnashers shine is its 3-percent chance of Nixing enemies, essentially sealing their ability to cast Magic. On the hands of a spellcasting-heavy character like Oliver, the Nix Gnashers can become a great way for him to potentially render enemy spellcasters useless while he and his party can finish them off.
Marcassin: Medal Of Impunity (Medal)
- Immunity to all Ailments (except Unconsciousness)
Of all accessories, Medals become the equivalent of “titles” bestowed upon its wielders, with the Medal’s symbolism affecting the kind of benefits they receive throughout the course of the Ni no Kuni game. Interestingly enough, of all Medals available in the game, it’s perhaps the Medal of Impunity that becomes the most useful for spellcasters like Marcassin who want to focus more on their offensive capabilities but lack the necessary resistances.
Players can acquire this item via Alchemy, particularly Recipe 115. They need the Star Pearl, All-Be-Gone (3), and Glowcap (3) to be able to craft this item. At its core, this Medal doesn’t provide other bonuses to defense. Rather, it excels in providing characters - in this case Marcassin - immunity to all Ailments except Unconsciousness. This proves essential in extended combat against monsters that often deal various status ailments, allowing Marcassin to become an ace in the hole to provide the necessary heals or to finish off foes.
Marcassin: Ironclad Badge (Patch)
- DEF: 30
- M. DEF: 30
- -1 Speed
Considering how a lot of the spells in Wrath of the White Witch are usually reliant on Oliver’s casting, another Sage like Marcassin can feel left out in the process. However, whereas Oliver can become the players’ go-to offensive spellcaster, Marcassin can actually become the backup magical tank. In that case, a great pairing to Marcassin’s ailment-protecting Medal of Impunity is the Ironclad Badge.
Players can acquire this Badge through Alchemy: Recipe 121, of which it requires an Adamant Badge, Drakestones (2), and Rumblenuts (3) to craft. While it does give a Speed penalty, its significant boosts to DEF and M. DEF make it a great defensive component to Marcassin’s arsenal. And while Marcassin’s toolkit is limited compared to Oliver’s, Marcassin can make up for it for survivability, especially with these items.
Swaine: Wyrm King’s Scale (Scales)
- ATK: 5
- DEF: 5
- M. ATK: 5
- M. DEF: 5
- EVA: 5
- ACC: 5
- 2% chance to deal a critical hit
Players of RPGs like Wrath of the White Witch knows that the primary tool at a long-ranged user’s arsenal lies in their accuracy. And in the Ni no Kuni game, it’s thief Swaine and his gunslinging skills that serves as the team’s go-to reference when it comes to shooting things at a distance. In that regard, the balanced stat bonuses of the Wyrm King’s Scale serves as a good benchmark for building the perfect Swaine build.
Gamers can acquire this through Alchemy, particularly Recipe 114. They can mix Dragonstooth Ring, Star Pearl (2), and Drakestone (2) to attain this item. What makes this item all the more perfect for Swaine is its bonus 2-percent chance to perform criticals, something that could greatly upgrade Swaine’s long-ranged prowess.
Swaine: Brinkman’s Badge (Patch)
- ATK: 5
- M. ATK: 5
- x1.2 ATK if HP falls below 10%
Considering how Swaine among Wrath of the White Witch’s characters serves as its stereotypical rogue, it makes sense for players to delegate the “riskier” combat approaches to him. Those players who want to take this a step further may want to consider stealing a Brinkman’s Badge from a Mermite or obtain it through a Treasure Chest in Bungler’s Bay, especially for its emergency benefits.
When equipped, this item provides Swaine with a decent boost to ATK and M. ATK, perfect to compliment the Wyrm King’s Scale. In addition to this, players will appreciate how the Brinkman’s Badge will boost Swaine’s attack by 1.2-times as soon as his HP falls to 10-percent, making this a great way to “go out with a bang” should players find themselves in dangerous situations.
Esther: Hardheaded Badge (Patch)
- DEF: 12
- x1.5 DEF when HP is below 10%
Of all the protagonists in Wrath of the White Witch, it’s perhaps Esther that meets the middle ground in terms of offensive prowess and utility. Her ability to Serenade to Tame Familiars is an invaluable part of the party, making her a priority when it comes to protection detail. Thankfully, players can vastly improve Esther’s survivability through the Hardheaded Badge.
Players can acquire the recipe to create this Patch in Perdida, from the boy outside Anciana’s house. This Recipe 123 will require a Battler’s Badge, a Soldier’s Helmet, and two (2) Tachestones to construct. Aside from its decent addition to DEF, the Hardheaded Badge will give players additional 1.5x DEF should their HP fall to 10-percent, making this the perfect emergency survivability tool for Esther.
Esther: Medal Of Steadfastness (Medal)
- DEF: 20
- M. DEF: 20
- EVA: -20
- 2% chance to block an attack
A character in any RPG like Wrath of the White Witch is only as vulnerable as their players allow them. And despite the integral nature of Esther in combat that would have players constantly protect her with other characters, there are surely other ways to boost her defenses without necessarily making her weak in battle. Part of this method is through the Medal of Steadfastness, which players can acquire through Alchemy: Recipe 117, which they can once again obtain from the boy outside Anciana’s house. This time around, the recipe needs an Iron Shield, Bubble Pipes (2), and Bass Bells (2).
This Medal provides decent boosts to DEF and M. DEF, perfect for the likes of Esther if she is targeted. However, the -20 to Evasion definitely makes her more incapable of dodging attacks, which at first seems like a detriment. However, this weakness is circumvented if this is equipped alongside the Hardheaded Badge, which can significantly boost her DEF if her health gets low.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch was released for the Xbox One and Series X/S last September 15, 2022. The game is also available for the Switch, PS3, PS4, and the PC.