General Tips

 
1. Enemy Difficulties 
Map enemies tend to be easier than enemies guarding areas (or maybe that’s just me). 
 
2. Using ID Scrolls 
Use them to find your lifting scrolls. After that, I tend to ID my scrolls first then potions. 
 
3. Shops 
 
 
ALWAYS buy all the keys until you have enough to get through the White Grave stage (3-1). If RNG grants you a key as a drop, make sure you still buy all the keys since some shops only offer 1. 
Buy lifting scrolls so you have at least 1 per stage, and buy ID scrolls since they’re cheaper than using the shop ID. Also buy the white Skill Book if you have enough. 
 
4. Important Lucy Skills 
Effective Plan > Hasty Counter > 3 card draw skills > Character draw skills > Draw > Others 
 
Hasty Counter is typically the best of the frequent skills. Effective Plan is pretty rare. Otherwise Fan Out, Ray of Light, and other character draw skills are pretty decent. 
 
5. Altar of Greed (Pig Statue) 
 
 
Get random items/gold for donating bread 
Possible drops: 
1g 
Random gold 
Potion 
Scroll 
Gear/Relic 
Skill Book 
 
I always use all my bread. Possible item drops and gold are worth it. 
 
6. Jar of Abyss 
 
 
Get a random scroll/book/gear or heal every ~2 inputs. I typically put in tablets, useless scrolls (ie transfer), and skill books if I don’t expect a library to show up. TBH I usually skip the Jar… 
Using the Golden Apple will give you a random relic. 
 
7. Forge 
 
 
Combine gear to get new gear pieces. Combining gear of the same rarity will give you gear 1 rarity higher – (white -> green -> blue -> purple -> orange) 
 
Combining 2 orange/legendary gears gives you 1 orange/legendary, so don’t do it 
Golden apple can be used in place of a purple/epic gear 
Try to get as many purple/orange gear due to their unique effects 
Try not to pay for re-rolls… it’s easier to save gold for keys and gear pieces in the future. Just hope you get a forge again in a later stage… 
If you somehow have the money though, save the 50% price for a legendary gear re-roll. 
 
8. Library 
 
 
I avoid upgrading gear due to better uses for gold. Good for re-rolling Lucy skills or for turning books into scrolls. Best place to get mapping and purification scrolls. 
Golden Apple gives a black skill book and Lucy skill book. 
 
 

Stage Guide

Process for maps and campsites:

 
Maps: 
1. Look for items/gold/unguarded events 
2. Shop for keys 
3. Hidden map chest (see secrets) 
4. Open locked chests 
5. Defeat all enemies 
 
Campsite: 
 
 
1. Revive incapacitated members (optional) 
– Reviving before resting means more health 
2. Rest/Recruit new members 
– Recruiting available after Misty Garden 1 and Bloody Park 1 
3. Angel Statue/Restore necklace uses (optional) 
4. Relic Stand 
 

Misty Garden 1

 
SoulStone Priority: 
Character Lv.2 > Card Draw 2 > Mana 4 
Save 2 SoulStones for 3rd member Lv.2 
 
Bosses: 
 
Cerberus (Easy) 
 
Relies on 2 attacks to deplete healing gauge 
 
Living Armor (Easy-Medium) 
 
Uses a shield that lowers first dmg to 1 
 

Misty Garden 2

 
1. Fountain of Oblivion – Replace Acceleration with another Lucy Skill 
 
 
SoulStone Priority: 
Mana 4 > Character Lv.3 = Card Draw 3 > Mana 5 
 
Bosses: 
 
Golem (Medium) 
 
Uses a strong AOE or strong atk every turn 
Using the blue orb skill creates a character skill with -1 mana cost 
Not using the red orb skill causes the golem to use another atk the same turn 
 
The Witch (Hard) 
 
Summons a butler (+taunt) and maid (can cause bleed) if not in battle; heals/buffs one if they’re present 
Creates a pain curse (5dmg/turn for 4 turns) or weakening curse (Atk/Heal -10%) you must apply to an ally each turn 
 

Bloody Park 1

 
SoulStone Priority: 
Card Draw 3 > Character Lv.3 = Mana 5 
 
Bosses: 
 
Parade Tank (Easy-Medium) 
 
Very strong AOE every ~3 turns, also applies received heal debuff 
 
Joker (Medium) 
 
Changes a deck skill to The Joker which causes 15 dmg per debuff to each ally 
Inflicts stun to an ally for every 4th ally skill used 
Summons a maid every few turns 
 

Bloody Park 2

 
SoulStone Priority: 
Character Lv.3 = Mana 5 > Character Lv. 4 = Mana 6 > Card Draw 4 
 
Bosses: 
 
Ruby & Sapphire (Medium) 
 
Shared health 
Inflict 2 different debuffs that increase skill cost or cause dmg when a skill is used 
When ~50% HP inflict AOE/debuff dmg and one boss gets a counter status 
 
Time Eater (Medium-Hard) 
 
First ally receives a 10% atk buff skill 
Buff passes to the next ally when a skill is used and increases by 10% 
All skills gain Countdown 9 
Inflicts a debuff causing strong pain dmg to an ally if they have the atk buff 
 
Bomber Clown (Medium-Hard) 
 
Adds bombs to hand 
Top skill is discarded at end of turn if not used 
If bomb reaches top of hand, random ally receives 15 dmg 
Inflicts dmg based on number of skills in hand with a certain mana cost 
 

White Grave

 
SoulStone Priority: 
Mana 6 = Character Lv. 4 > Card Draw 4 > Mana 7 = Character Lv. 5 = Card Draw 5 
(This is the last stage with SoulStone Drops) 
 
Bosses: 
 
Sacred Karaela (Medium-Hard) 
 
One ally receives a debuff causing -100% heal received 
Can be passed to another ally, and allows that next ally skill to be repeated by previous ally 
Summons a burning cross each turn 
Burning cross and boss have counter buffs which deal more dmg to allies without the heal debuff 
 
Phaeros Leader (Medium-Hard) 
 
One dmg skill must be inflicted on an ally each turn before usable on boss 
When HP ~50%, inflicts mind control debuff causing the ally’s skill to be unusable 
Controlled ally casts a skill on other allies unless damaged 
 
The Reaper (Medium-Hard) 
 
Inflicts a 3-turn debuff on the ally with the skill at the top of hand 
If debuff is stacked to 2, all allies receive strong AOE pain dmg 
Summons a Pharos High Priest if not present; if present, receives dmg buff 
 

Final Stage

 
Map is split into 3 parts with a 1:2:2 event placement. The first location is unguarded; always use it. The next section has 2 locations guarded by 1 enemy. Only one location can be used. The third section is the same as the first and contains the merchant. 
 
1. Lucy’s Library 
 
 
Pay 1000 gold to pick 1 of 3 Lucy skills. One use only. 
 
2. Archangel Statue 
 
 
Forget 1 skill. Pick a skill for that character to learn. Options are skills learnable by any teammate. 
 
3. Revival Station 
 
 
Heal team and revive allies. 
 
4. Vault 
 
 
Choose 1 gear to be in inventory on next run. Only works if you fail the current run (or forfeit)… 
 
5. Relic Hermit 
 
 
Pick 1 of 3 relics. Able to open relic display at any time. 
 
6. Merchant 
Sells 3 epic items at 1700g. Also sells 2 bread at 200g each. 
 
Boss: 
 
Forgotten King (Medium) 
 
3 Phases 
 
Phase 1: 
Boss receives buff if certain skill is used 
Can shackle an ally making their skills unplayable until a crystal is destroyed 
Ally dies in 3 turns if not unshackled 
 
Phase 2: 
HP ~50% 
Boss is shielded; dmg = 0 
Summons 3 crystals; once destroyed, discards all skills of the ally who destroyed it 
Create 2 Purifying Lightning skills each turn causing 40% dmg that scales if repeated on an ally 
 
Phase 3: 
Bleeding skills are used more often 
Must choose 1 of 2 skills to exclude from deck (2 times/turn) 
Fixed skills can are debuffed with once 
 
nb. Phase 1 -> 2 is dangerous since boss attacks twice the turn it shields then uses a strong AOE the start of the next turn. This majorly depletes healing gauges and can even faint an ally at full health. 
 
 

Character Rankings

 
My unconventional order for choosing characters… 
As a note I typically choose to start with Sizz and Lian 
 

SS Tier

 
 
 
Lian 
– Passive: Grand Reflex (HP Protect + Armor + Increased Count DMG) 
– Preparation (Low Cost DMG before Enemy DMG) 
Preparation > Reposte > Stunning Strike > Barricade > Bring It On > anything else 
 
Lian basically absorbs damage. Her natural Armor stats are high, especially with Grand Reflex. Since she covers for other teammates with parry and can preemptively attack with Preparation, playing without her on the team makes a run so much more difficult. 
 

S Tier

 
 
 
Sizz 
– Healing Wave (AOE Heal paired with Status Heal) 
– Eve, Guard (Strong AOE Chain Heal) 
– Sacrifice (AOE Attack and Team Barrier) 
Healing Wave > Eve, Guard > Sacrifice > Patch Up > anything else 
 
Sizz is probably the most reliable AOE healer. Enemy AOEs typically don’t hit all characters so the incomplete AOE of Healing Wave is bearable especially due to its high Heal:Mana ratio and debuff removal. 
 
Sacrifice makes Eve unusable, but a healing skill the next turn will bring her back. AOE dmg and a party barrier makes sacrifice useful. 
 
 
 
Joey (DPS) 
– Chemical Substance (Strong DOT) 
– Weakening Smog (AOE DOT) 
– Healing Support Skills 
Chemical Substance > Weakening Smog > Healing Vapor > Healing Potion > anything else 
 
Lol, apparently most people choose Joey as a healer. However, use him as a dps and at 5 stacks of intoxication he can do like 40 dmg/turn. Against bosses and annoying enemies like the wooden carousel horses, he works a lot better than other DPS characters. Also the best character to give the Rod of Faith ( +6/-3 ATK/Heal stats based on class) 
 
 
 
Narhan 
– Mental Shock (Max HP-based DMG) 
– Cold Hearted (Heal when DMG) 
Mental Shock = Cold Hearted > The Mentalist > Stand Together > anything else 
 
When at a loss for the best 4th team member I just typically choose Narhan. Other characters typically take the ATK, Heal, and Armor items, so at least he can make use of HP items they don’t use. Mental Shock is decent DPS, and Cold Hearted practically nulls a strong AOE attack by bosses; even better, it’s only one-use, which allows DPS skills and Heal skills to be drawn more often. At high HP, The Mentalist can give like 30 barrier for 2 turns. 
 

A Tier

 
 
 
Hein – Decent DPS. Enough said. 
Tear Up > Bloody Revenge > Mutilate > Rage Slash > Intimidation > ID Weakness > anything else 
 
 
 
Miss Chain – Decent Skill Effects and Pain Debuffs. Burn effects are useful, but you have to use a skill to access them. Decent DPS, but kind of lacking as a tank. 
Leave This To Me > Engine Burner > Combined Arms > Zoom > Engine Reload > anything else 
 

B Tier

 
 
 
Johan – Decent DPS and Burning Arrow. Good in beginning, but weak in end-game. 
Burning Arrow > HookShot > Rain of Arrows > Sonic Blow > anything else 
 
 
 
Trisha – Pain DOT and Pain Debuff Trigger. Pair with Joey or Charon for best results. 
Illusion Strike > Heart Pierce > Mirror Image > anything else 
 
 
 
Azar – Fair DPS. Requires planning to best use Hollowed Swords. TBH he basically eats cost. 
Veiled Sword > anything else 
 
 
 
Pressel – Standard Healing. Enough said. 
Healing Coil > Healing Light = Blinking Heal = Double Heal > Shining Pillar > anything else 
 
 
 
Charon – Useful DOT. Focus Encroachment DOT ratio is a little weak especially against bosses where it can’t transfer. 
Focus Encroachment > Dark Heal > Dark Barrier = Soul Stigma > anything else 
 
 
 
Helia&Selena – Decent DPS and Heal. Unfortunately they come as a pair and lunar curtain/solar flare effects can be difficult to coordinate. Seleneurion is a “1-cost” swift skill that deals 65 dmg (if you can even manage to get 2 specific rare skills in a single run). 
Combustion > Sun Ring > Prominence = Black Sun = SolarBolt > anything else 
Star Breeze > Lunar Ring > Healing Stars = Power of Full Moon > anything else 
 

C Tier

 
 
 
Ironheart – His Barrier/Mana ratio just isn’t worth it to me… 
 
 
 
Silverstein – Never really tried to use him due to his high mana costs. 
 

F Tier

 
 
 
Huzz – I don’t even know how to use her. I feel like she’d just get my whole party killed off… 
 
 
 
Phoenix – In a game where RNG matters, I don’t need a mildly useful character that can fail if I don’t have enough bread… 
 
 

Finding the Hidden Chest

 
Knowing how to find the hidden chest gives you a HUGE advantage for getting good gear for the run. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find and you can easily spend 4 lifting scrolls and still not reveal it… 
 
However, here are some tips that help tons. 
 
Guidelines: 
 
1. Look for areas surrounded by tiles 
2. Look for paths blocked by enemies but can be passed if a hidden block shows up 
3. 1 Hidden Chest per stage except for Misty Garden 1 and Final Stage 
 
 
Bad 
 
-No empty tiles surrounded on all sides 
-No pathway would be made around the enemy 
 
 
Fair 
 
– Tile is surrounded on all sides 
 
Very Good 
 
– Several tiles are well-surrounded 
– Tile above enemy would create a path around it 
 
Throw a brick if the chest isn’t here 
 
– Many tiles that are well-surrounded 
– A hidden chest above the enemy or to the lower left would create a pathway 
 
To reveal the chest use either a lifting scroll or purification scroll next to the tile. Thankfully it works from about 2-3 tiles away, so if there are multiple tiles in an area, use the scroll in the middleground. 
 
If you don’t have those scrolls, teleport scrolls have a rare chance of teleporting you to the tile too. I feel like they have a better chance if you are right next to the hidden tile, but who knows… 
 
Possible contents: 
Golden Apple (special effect for different event tiles; best if used in forge as an epic gear piece) 
100. gold 
Lucy Scroll 
2 potions + 1 black skill book 
Relic 
Gear Piece 
 
 

Other Tips

 
1. Transformation Potion 
– A rare potion that randomizes an ally’s gear 
– Save it for re-rolling Legendary gear 
 
2. Purification Scroll 
– Clears nearby enemy location without battling 
– Receive normal enemy drops 
 
3. Weakening Potion 
– Use on an enemy to lower atk by 10% 
 
4. Oblivion Potion 
– Use on an enemy to stun 
 
5. Credits 
– You get about 20 credits for completing a run on casual 
 
6. Secret Uses of items 
 
Campground Items 
– Scrolls: Heal all allies for a slight amount 
– Bread: Heal all allies for a small amount 
– Herb: Allies receive an EVA buff for the next stage (2/2 gives +5% EVA) 
 
Library 
– Black Skill Books: Receive 3 random scrolls 
– Lucy Skill Books: Re-roll Lucy skill 
– Golden Apple: Receive a Black Skill Book and a Lucy Skill Book 
– Cursed Gear: Gives a rare enchantment? 
 
Jar of Abyss 
– Golden Apple: Receive a random relic 
 
Forge 
– Golden Apple: Substitutes for an epic gear piece (purple) 
– Relic: Re-rolls relic 
 

This is all about Chrono Ark – Strategy Guide (v. 1.55); I hope you enjoy reading the Guide! If you feel like we should add more information or we forget/mistake, please let us know via commenting below, and thanks! See you soon!