SMT V: Vengeance [CoV] - Amanozako (Low Level, No Fusion/Demon Modification, Hard)

Rules:
1. Hard difficulty, New Game
2. No fusion or using essences to alter the skillsets of demons
3. The Nahobino may only acquire skills from Proto-fiend essences, and essences used for his resistances may only be Proto-fiend essences, purchasable from the Cadaver's Hollow, or be from recruitable demons at or below the Nahobino's level
4. EXP gain is limited to forced battles, Main Quest completion, and abscesses, minimized when possible, and abscess completion will be delayed as long as possible
5. No Balms, Incenses, Sutras, Gospels, Grimoires, use of petrified demon statues, Omagatoki: Luck, or stat-boosting Miracles
6. The Demon Haunt may not be used for stat boosts or items
7. No use of the Skill Manifestation miracle
8. Guest party members or demons may not be used when their level exceeds that of the Nahobino
9. No Dampeners, Block skills, Tetrakarn, Makarakarn, Attack Mirrors, Magic Mirrors, or Luminescent Mirage
10. No Taunt/Fierce Roar
11. No Knowledge of Tools

Amanozako is the first optional boss from the original SMT V worth featuring. She is one of the only bosses with multiple weaknesses, but also has a number of other unique traits that allow her battle to stand out from other optional bosses.

Amanozako begins the battle by alternating between Mazionga turns and Mazanma turns until around 80% HP, when she uses Energy Drain and gathers Magatsuhi for Mazionga. On the turn after that, she uses Energy Drain twice, then returns to alternating between Mazionga and Mazanma, but with Energy Drain replacing some of her basic attacks. She gathers Magatsuhi again for Mazanma at around 40% HP, then begins a new four-turn cycle. On her first turn of that cycle, she uses Diarama to heal around 1700-1800 HP followed by Tentarafoo, on her second and fourth turns she’ll use either Mazionga or Mazanma, and on her third turn she will use Makarakarn followed by Mazionga or Mazanma. However, in ensuing cycles, she will use Diarama on the first turn and Makarakarn on the second and fourth turns, with Mazionga and Mazanma on every turn and she may also use Tentarafoo on the third turn of the cycle. Unlike earlier in the battle, Amanozako’s use of Mazionga and Mazanma appear to be random during this phase. She also has Heavenly Counter, which has a chance of countering any strength-based attack with a Dark attack that decreases attack.

This battle is pretty simple until Amanozako’s final phase; up until that point, Fire and Ice attackers can chip her down with assistance from Inflaming Divinity and Rasetsu Feast, while demons with Electric and Force immunities are swapped in as necessary and Tao heals with Mediarama. Many Chakra Drops are needed between the Nahobino and Tao, especially with Amanozako’s Energy Drain use, but it should still be manageable. However, once Amanozako begins using Diarama, Makarakarn, and Tentarafoo, it can become very difficult to defeat her if that’s not adequately prepared for. I gave the Nahobino Parvati’s resistance for Panic immunity, but it also helps to guard with some party members on the first turn Amanozako uses Diarama. It becomes even more difficult to defeat her after the first cycle since she uses Makarakarn every other turn, so with a lower damage output she essentially has to be defeated before she uses Diarama a second time. Even though they’re purchasable by this point, I wanted to avoid using too many Fire and Ice Gems since that can make the first half of the battle a little too easy, but at this point Yoko and the Nahobino needed them to produce a solid enough damage output to finish Amanozako off. This part of the battle is also a bit more dangerous since Mazionga and Mazanma are random, so it’s more difficult to cover both of them with immunities but it should be fine as long as weaknesses aren't struck.