Visions of Mana: How to defeat Armed Griv Nemeses

Visions of Mana’s Armed Griv is an adorable little Sahagin hiding in the snow near Etaern, the Moonlit Parish. This area has at least two Nemeses hiding away for you to fight, and both of them are particularly strong. By the time we got to this area, we were two levels lower than this Nemeses but could overcome it. This is mostly due to it having favorable Elemental weaknesses that were easily exploited.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s an easy fight. Like earlier Nemeses, they can take you down in a flash if you underestimate them. If you want to know where and how to take on Armed Griv in Visions of Mana, read on.

---

How to find Armed Griv in Visions of Mana

Just head up these rocks to find the enemy (Image via Square Enix)

You’ll find the Level 10 Armed Griv (Aquatic, Demi-Human) in the Lefeya Drifts in Visions of Mana. This monster is weak to Fire and Wind Magic and Immune to Earth Magic. It won’t take long for you to run into it. Right after you defeat the Mantis Ant and head into the next section of the map, you’ll find some icy rocks to the right you can jump and climb up. Doing this will take you to a higher platform; you can see the blue circle on the map denoting this.

It’s worth noting that this enemy doesn’t come alone, either. It also has a Level 9 Blood Owl hovering over it, so keep that in mind before diving into this fight. There’s a save point just ahead of this rocky section, so it’s worth heading forward to save, before coming back to fight.

---

How to beat Armed Griv in Visions of Mana

Here's some extra information about the Armed Griv (Image via Square Enix)

The Armed Griv in Visions of Mana can start off by conjuring a swarm of bubbles over his head, which shoot out in all directions. It’s worth it to immediately cast Thunder Sabre or Fire Sabre since he’s weak to both. I went with Thunder Sabre. Cast it on both yourself and Careena for maximum effect. Just keep some Acorns in your Item Ring to restore MP if needed.

In addition to the wind blades that Mantis Ant used (Destructo Disc attack), Armed Griv can use a series of repeated trident attacks to knock you back. This fight also introduces the Mute/Silence status ailment, which prevents you from casting spells.

If you get picked up by the Blood Owl and attacked by the Armed Griv, it could easily take Val from 100% to 0% in short order. This happened to us, but we were stocked with Cup of Wishes. When this Nemeses dashes away from you, get ready to move. It casts a spell that rains wind arrows down from the heavens in particular spots.

Just keep Thunder Magic close at hand, and batter this big fish (Image via Square Enix)

It can also make little bubbles float around it that can harm you, but they don’t hit as hard. Keep a closer eye on the powerful Trident attacks it delivers. If you have Thunder Magic on your weapon, mash out lots of Heavy Attacks to knock back and down as often as possible.

When the enemy is down to around 25% or less, it’s a great time to use your Class Attack—if you’re using Rune Fencer. Garuda’s Tempest does several hundred damage, followed up by additional strikes that can take Visions of Mana’s Armed Griv down in no time. I tend to save it as a finisher, which in this case almost worked to perfection. Success will net you 292 Lucre, 1,070 EXP, and the Armed Griv Corestone.

---

Visions of Mana releases on August 29, 2024, on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms.