Your first true test of skill in occurs shortly after the protagonist has successfully infiltrated Grand Tran's rank-and-file. You'll be properly introduced t🍃o the young man named Strohl, and it'll soon become apparent that the two of you will need to band together to survive.

Many monsters stand b𓂃etween the heroes and the man you've been sent to find. This ♈will be a pretty quick jaunt, but there are a handful of secrets to uncover, and we've got a couple of tips for you along the way. Our guide will get you through the Northern Border Fort in one piece.

Into The Fort

Once you've gained control, interact with the door up ahead to trigger a brief cutscene. The multiple piles of dead soldiers in this gᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚruesᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚome first area can each be investigated, though there are no rewards for doing so, and the dialogue simply repeats.

From the entrance, proceed into the next room, taking the first available right turn to acquire a Medicine which restores 50 HP when used. Once you've taken a few more steps into this second room, you'll come face-to-face with the first battle in the game.

While Strohl will be fighting alongside the protagonist at the Northern Border Fort, you'll not be controlling Sಌtr꧒ohl yourself, so focus on the fundamentals while the young noble proves his mettle through automatic actions.

Do as the tutorial suggests, pressing the button on your controller or keyboard which prompts the protagonist to slash his sword. Striking this enemy, Homo Oppo, roughly three times before pressing the button to initiate the squad battle will leave the foe stunned.

This is going to be your aim in plenty of fights moving forward - get a few hits in, and then initiate the squad battle before your enemy can strike first. Success will render the enemy stunned, preventing them from attacking in the first round.

After you've defeated the Homo Oppo, pull up your map, and you'll see that you can exit this room through the northern or eastern paths. For now, head east. You'll descend a staircase and arrive in an area with several prison cells.

There is a locked door down here which cannot be opened at this time, but the door below it contains a Revival Medicine, which can resurrect a downed ally in battle. There's nothing more to see down here, so head back upstairs, and this time, exit north.

Up The Tower

You'll emerge into a room with a short staircase and another Homo Oppo. You don't actually need to sneak up on it as the tutorial pop-up suggests, but to get the jump on it, wait until it's looking at the wall, and then run up and slash.

Be sure to start a squad battle immediately thereafter, or you'll lose the element of surprise. Fetch the three-pack of Medicinal Herbs just past the Homo Oppo's location before moving up the next two flights of stairs.

None of the enemies in the Northern Border Fort should be cause for much concern, but you can kill the Homo Tentas faster by not casting Mage Fire, as they're resistant to it. The Feral Hundos will often go down in one hit when that spell is cast on them.

Speak with the dying soldier, then head right to ascend the winding staircase. Don't open the door yet near the last of these ill-fated men, lest you miss the medicine at the peak of the tower. Sin💫ce this is a dead end, retrace your steps to that door, swing it open, and wa꧙tch the scene.

The tower you've exited from is positioned at the north edge of this area's map. Go southwest, past the barrels alongside the ramparts, to dispatch a single Feral Hundo and acquire a Broken Igniter.

Unless you found something we didn't, the Broken Igniter will be the first item in Metaphor: ReFantazio that is intended to be sold to merchants. Its sole purpose is to make you richer, so remember to pawn it off when you're at a shop.

Over The Wall

Your destination is across the small wooden bridge to the east and into the second tower, due east of your starting position from th💦eღ first tower.

But before you cross over, enter the storage room, where you'll find a ton of barrels - and, more importantly - another medicine. Take care not to get ambushed by the Homo Tenta here lurking among the barrels. And no, there aꦉre no items within any of these 🌱barrels. Alas.

Now that you've seen everything there is to see up here, descend the staircase to the right of the wooden bridge and fetch the Old Coin while you're at it. Make your way through the room down here, and grab the Magla Pill that's up ahead.

Magla Pills restore MP, making them high🐼ly valuable. Be sure to hang on to them until they're necessary!

You've gotten the items down here, so return up the stairs. But be sure to heal up before opening the door. As soon as it's been opened, you'll come face-to-face with the first boss in Metaphor Re: Fantazio, Homo Gorleo.

Boss Fight: Homo Gorleo

Homo Gorleo is essentially a scripted battle. As such, you really can't go wrong - but we'll still cover🌠 each stage of the figh🧜t below.

Start out by hitting Homo Gorleo a few times with regular attacks. There's no point in wasting MP with Mage Fire. Your attacks will do pitiful single-digit damage, and Strohl will soon fall unconscious.

Once he's down for the count, the protagonist gains newfound power. Use the Wind-elemental spell, Cyc, on the Wing and Leg body parts. Once they're destroyed, Homo Gorleo will heal itself. Doꦇ some damage to the apple in the following turns.

Although this battle is remarkably straightforward, you'll likely need to heal at least once. Fortunately, your new form includes a cure spell as well.

Accept Gallica's offer to grab Homo Gorleo's apples, and from thereon out, it's a matter of brute-forcing it to death with repeated Cyc spells. Once it's dead, you'll have cleared the Northern Border Fort dungeon!