How To Beat Abdiel In SMT 5. Shin Megami Tensei 5 has never been one to take things lightly. Even gimmicky bosses like Arkangel Abdiel presented a unique menace that could make even the most hardened Nahbino cry in the sand. If you thought Abdiel was a pain before, she’ll turn into a burning nightmare in her actual Nahobino form.
Every Nahobino in Shin Megami Tensei 5 poses a threat, but none can match Abdiel’s strength. Unlike other foes, she starts out strong and only grows stronger as the battle on. This fight can go either way in a second, so come prepared or don’t come at all.
Table of Contents
Potentials, Attacks, and Resistances of Abdiel
Potentials
| Potential | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical | +5 |
| Fire | +7 |
| Ice | – |
| Electric | – |
| Force | – |
| Light | – |
| Dark | – |
| Almighty | – |
| Status | +6 |
| Healing | – |
| Support | – |
As you can see, Abiel has abandoned her religious beliefs and followed in Lucifer’s footsteps. Physical, her weakest potential, is nevertheless dangerously high. Her Fire and Dark attack potentials are the highest you’ve seen to this time. Finally, Abdiel’s Status ability, which only impacts one of her skills, is surprisingly strong.
Abdiel’s Statline screams anguish, which backs up his excellent Potentials. Her magic stat is a staggering 85, while her Strength stat is an impressive 80. Abdiel is going to hurt when she attacks, no of how she does it.
Furthermore, Abdiel has an alarmingly high Luck stat of 73, which has a direct impact on her Critical chance. This is significant since Abiel possesses a number of Physical attacks, some of which are game-ending.
Attacks by Abdiel
| Attack | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Agibarion +7 | Abdiel deals Severe Fire damage to a single party member |
| Mudobarion +7 | Abdiel deals Severe Dark damage to a single party member. This attack has a chance of instakill when it strikes a weakness. |
| Maragibarion +7 | Abdiel deals Severe Fire damage to the entire party. |
| Megaton Press +5 | Abdiel deals Heavy Physical damage to the entire party. This attack has low accuracy. |
| Tentarafoo +6 | Abdiel has a chance to inflict Confusion on the entire party. |
| Purgatorium +7 | Abdiel deals Severe Fire damage to the entire party. This attack ignores all resistances and pierces. Abdiel will only use this attack once her health drops to 50% |
| Impetus +5 | Abdiel deals Severe Physical Damage to all foes. Abdiel will only use this attack once her health drops to 25%. |
| Omagatoki: Critical | All Abdiel’s attacks, including Magic-based ones, have a 100% chance of inflicting a Critical Hit. |
During the early stages of the combat, Abdiel will mostly employ Agibarion and Mudobarion. If you don’t have at least a resistance to these strikes, they can do a lot of damage. If you go in with a weakness to either, you’ll almost certainly die instantly – even without the instakill effect of Dark magic.
You don’t need to spend too much time training your group entirely immune to Dark damage because Abdiel only has one Dark strike. Concentrate on the fire and the physical.
Maragibarion is Agibarion’s AOE form, and it may deal a lot of damage if you aren’t prepared. Because she has this skill in her kit, it’s a good idea to bring along demons who are immune to fire, either naturally or through a transfer.
How To Beat Abdiel
Abiel’s weakest strike is Megaton Press, so you want her to use it as much as possible. Because of its poor damage and precision, it is a very unreliable damage source for Abdiel and a very reliable turn sink for you. This skill is made considerably worse if you have Physical Block or Physical Repel.
Tentarafoo is more of a nuisance than a danger. Confusion may wreak havoc on your party, so be prepared with items to clear it up. Because Mana on your support demons is likely to be scarce, you don’t want to employ spells.
Abdiel’s most powerful attack is Purgatorium. It has no defences, and unlike the other Nahobino battles, it is not tied to her Magatsuhi. She can cast it whenever she reaches the required health level. The only method to cope with it is to have sufficient health to withstand the attack.
While not as hazardous as Purgatorium, Impetus is nonetheless powerful enough to support your entire party. If this attack lands a Critical, it can wipe out your entire party because to Abdiel’s Luck and Strength stats. However, Abdiel can only utilise this strike when she is close to death. This assault does not pierce, unlike Purgatorum, therefore it can be resisted, blocked, drained, and reflected.
If that weren’t enough, Abdiel isn’t fighting alone. The Depraved Wing and Depraved Arm are also with her. These will only activate after Abdiel’s health dips to 50%, and once they do, Abdiel’s turns per round will rise to four. The Depraved Wing and Depraved Arm each have their own talent pool, making them a prime target.
Wings of Depravity
| Attack | Potential |
|---|---|
| Makarakarn +5 | Depraved Wing places a barrier on Abdiel, reflecting a Magic attack once for one turn. |
| Luster Candy +5 | Depraved Wing increases all the stats of its allies by one rank for three turns. |
Makarakarn is a significant player in this battle. It puts an end to any magical offensive you had planned for that turn, which isn’t a good thing. As a result, you’ll need a powerful Physical demon roster on standby to keep the damage coming.
Luster Candy is just too potent to be overlooked. Abdiel is already a formidable foe, and extra buffs risk her becoming uncontrollable. You’ll need to use debuffs or spells that remove boosts to counteract this.
The Depraved Wing is the more dangerous of the two Depraved opponents and should be slain as soon as possible. It will wreck havoc on your party if left to its own devices.
Arm of the Depraved
| Attack | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Madness Nails +5 | Depraved Arm deals Heavy Physical damage, two to four times, to random party members. |
| Masukukaja | Depraved Arm raises the Accuracy/Evasion of all allies by one rank for three turns. |
While not as dangerous as Depraved Wing, Depraved Arm is a must-kill target before moving on to Abiel. Because Physical damage is easily neutralised, Madness Nails isn’t a danger. Masukukaja, on the other hand, tightens Abdiel’s precision and evasion, which isn’t a good thing.
Bring in demons that can remove bonuses, as well as Depraved Arm once Depraved Wing is gone.
Resistances
| Resistance | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical | – |
| Fire | Drain |
| Ice | Weak |
| Electric | – |
| Force | – |
| Light | – |
| Dark | Block |
Abdiel is exclusively vulnerable to Ice, which is a huge problem considering there aren’t many Ice demons worth fighting in this battle. The ones that are are vulnerable to fire, therefore they will require some maintenance before they can be used. Abdiel also drains Fire while blocking Dark. Abdiel isn’t immune to Physical, therefore this is the most efficient way to deal constant damage to her.
The Depraved Arm and Depraved Wing do not share Abdiel’s or even each other’s flaws. Light weakens the Depraved Arm, while Electric weakens the Depraved Wing. Brawlers are also very effective here because neither are resistant to Physical.
Recommended Party Setup
Ice demons are not suggested because Abdiel is such a fire powerhouse, yet some can be taken if you choose to go that path – be prepared to put in some effort, though.
Physical Demons will be the focus of our attention, as is customary, while we also toss out some potential allies to deal with Abdiel’s nonsense.
Arioch
Arioch is the go-to demon for this fight if you want an Ice demon. He starts at level 75, has good stats, and has a lot of potential. Arioch, on the other hand, shines in his flaws – or lack thereof. Arioch, unlike most Ice demons, is not vulnerable to Fire, and he is also resistant to Dark.
His talent pool is particularly excellent, with characters like Bufubarion and High Ice Pleroma hidden among his unlocks, giving him considerable battle heft. He’ll crunch the stats and generate the turns for you, making him a valuable addition to your roster. For an added layer of defence, consider transferring Fire and Physical resistances.
Arioch’s primary flaw is that he is a Special Fusion demon. He’s a bit pricey to summon, but he’s already prepared to help in this fight.
Skadi
Skadi is one of the more powerful Ice Demons available, but it comes at a cost. Skadi is only level 67 at the start, so you’ll need to raise her up by at least 10 levels before she can compete with Abdiel. Even if you didn’t push her to that level, you’d have to grind to get Bufubarion’s base kit.
Skadi is also vulnerable to Fire, which makes her a liability by default. If you want Skadi to work, you’ll need to transfer Fire resistance – preferably block. Consider using talents like Concentrate, Ice Pleroma, and Life Spring to push her even further.
Skadi is highly good in this fight after she has been built for it. Her damage is respectable, and she has the ability to produce more turns each round. However, getting her to this stage has taken a significant amount of time and effort.
Kali
This bout is virtually a perfect match for Kali. Kail is naturally immune to Fire and reflects Dark, putting her outstanding numbers and Potentials aside for a moment. This cripples Abdiel’s offensive, and Kali is ready to go with just a transfer of Physical resistance.
Kali has Murderous Glee, which enhances her Critical probability, and Catastrophe, a Severe damage Physical attack, in terms of kills. Physical Pleroma is the only thing missing if you want to boost her damage a little more.
Odin
Odin is fantastic in this fight, which should come as no surprise. He’s actually pretty good in most bouts. His stats and potentials are incredible, and he even blocks Dark as a matter of course. Odin lacks Fire and Physical resistances, yet they should be a top priority for him because he is useful in almost every late-game encounter.
Physical Pleroma is the only other transfer Odin requires to improve his already outstanding damage. Odin also has native access to Critical Aura, which allows him to maximise his damage and create additional rounds. Not to mention Gungnir, his one-of-a-kind ability to rip chunks out of anything.
Odin, like Arioch, is a Special Fusion, but he is definitely worth the investment.
Mada
Mada will need to put up a little extra effort in this battle. Specifically, a physical resistance transfer. He’ll be ready to go once you’ve done that. Mada is a master of several trades and a jack-of-all-trades.
Mada’s main appeal is his ability to access Debilitate, Dekunda, and Mediarahan. Debilitate reduces Abdiel’s stats across the board, Dekunda removes whatever buffs she may have, and Mediarahan is a potent AOE heal. Mada is an excellent choice for aggressive supports.
Abdiel is also punished by his inherent Fire drain when he tries to land AOE Fire assaults.
Lakshmi
Another support worth considering is Lakshmi, primarily since she is one of the greatest in the game. This is because she has Luster Candy and Boon Boost at her disposal. For four turns, this combo boosts all of your party’s stats by one notch, resulting in a substantial gain in efficacy. She can also heal herself with Mediarahan.
Lakshmi isn’t weak to any of Abdiel’s assaults, but Fire and Physical resistance should be transferred to keep her safe from AOE attacks.
Fusion of Essence
Nahobino should have complete Fire and Physical immunity going into this battle. This will not make him unkillable, but it will bring him dangerously near. It’s much better if you can only reflect Fire or Physical on him. Rangda is an excellent candidate for Essence Fusion.
Depending on your build, your attacks should be Murakumo or Bufubarion, however if you’re going Bufubarion, attempt to get Donum Magi onto a support demon to boost his damage even more. Murderous Glee and Almighty Pleroma will come in handy if you’re going Murakumo.
Kannabi Veil is an excellent defensive buff that will assist Abdiel take the edge off her assault because she has attacks that can pierce resistances, such as Purgatorium.
Items
Physical, Dark, and Fire Dampers would be useful in this encounter, especially if you have demons in your party who aren’t blocking those elements. This is more of a RNG experiment, but tossing a damper each turn might catch a stray Agibarion or Mudobarion and put a damper on Abdiel’s turn.
Confusion will plague your party at frequent intervals, therefore Amrita Showers are a must-have for this fight.
Battle Strategy
Abdiel is a difficult opponent, but like with every fight thus far, preparation helps to alleviate the stress. As a result, focus on maintaining your party buffs and Abdiel debuffed, then go all out on her with everything you’ve got.
Switch gears and focus on eliminating the Depraved Wing and then the Depraved Arm once she’s been reduced to half health. Keep in mind that Abdiel will begin to cast Purgatorium, so keep your group well-healed.
Refocus Abdiel and burn her as soon as possible once both Depraved are down. Impetus may be a hassle to cope with depending on your party. However, if you kill her quickly enough, she won’t have many – if any – chances to utilise it.
You’ll be one step closer to the Throne Of Creation once Abdiel is defeated.
