Orbfest is coming to an end! But here's another TC for the weekend.

There's 2 events up at the moment - Awakening Cloud and this one, both having their A fights out already. Do people want to have another entry thread for Awakening Cloud as well? It's going to be hard to reward flairs though...

Congratulations to /u/Rillafane for being a first time winner of the TC!

Also, please note this new rule going forward, which will also be reflected below:

Your RW adds 1/4 of the character's points to your total based on tier list. If you used a BSB RW or USB RW with an EX mode, you add 1/2 instead.

Entry thread for FFVII and FFXIV: https://www.reddit.com/r/FFRecordKeeper/comments/6n6qbz/ffxivffvii_tier_challenge_megathread_notification/

Rules Here: Total Points cannot exceed 17. Mastery is required. A synergy team (3-5 members, all with character synergy) gets (-2) points for their run (I.E., a 9 point synergy team only counts as 7). A synergy duo gets (-1) points, and a synergy solo gets (-0.5) points.

Your RW adds 1/4 of the character's points to your total based on tier list. If you used a BSB RW or USB RW with an EX mode, you add 1/2 instead.

Link to past thread (FFVI)

First person to achieve the lowest score for the tier challenge gets a special flair.

Honorary Keeper flair will be given to participants who achieved the lowest point to (lowest point 2 points, rounded to nearest .5), or the lowest synergy point to (lowest point 1 point, rounded to nearest .5). If the lowest points happen to be a synergy team, the flair goes to lowest ~ lowest 2.

TC Veteran flair will be given to participants who achieve 10.5 points or less, but do not meet the requirements for Honorary Keeper.

Tier Challenge Winners (Iron Will, Iron Fists)

4.125 points: Rillafane*

4.75 points: OldManAesop

5.5 points: Valomire

8.125 points: Din_of_Win, Estrallagar, Spiffmanicus

9.0 points: Xarukas

9.125 points: bh8288, roandres

9.5 points: ScanXn

13.25 points: keepa78

13.5 points: sleepslacksnooze

* Asterisked names obtained lowest score~lowest score 1 for synergy team.

Note

The points will be tracked by /u/spiffmanicus over here, who has kindly chosen to take over for /u/angusmiranda after many months of service. Thank you both very much for all of your work!

Point Shift

• Cloud (3.0) moved to 5.0 points

• Zack (2.0), Cait Sith (2.0), Minfilia (2.5) moved to 3.0 points

• Sephiroth (2.0), Thancred (2.0), Firion (3.0) moved to 2.5 points

• Sabin (1.5), Locke (1.5), Ovelia (1.5), Yda (1.5), Ashe (2.5) moved to 2.0 points

• Cid Garlond (NEW), Aerith (2.0) moved to 1.5 points

• Dorgann (1.5), Lann (1.5), Cloud of Darkness (1.5) moved to 1.0 points

Patch Notes:

This covers the much-hyped Awakening Cloud release and the XIV event. To nobody's surprise, Cloud jumps up to 5 points. Zack increases too, as even if you were to not utilize the Wind Chain/Cloud's USB, ATK 50% & Crit Damage 50% is an exceptionally powerful, and unique, combo. Finally, Cait Sith comes in with some welcome stacking debuffs and Sephiroth comes in with an updated BSB2, though his BSB1 is one of the rare anti-powercreep ones.

As for XIV, Cid Garlond comes in with pretty uninteresting stuff to be honest, and if he didn't come with Support 5, he'd be a 1. Another disappointment is Y'shtola's USB. She herself will probably be the go-to healer in this Cloud-centric meta, but you TC guys don't care about that, so popularity will not bring her up. Minfilia comes with a pretty decent USB for native use, but it's a very small upgrade RW-wise from using Vessel of Fate (or Gogo's SSB to avoid BSB penalties). Yda's USB is ok, but her only fire-extortion options are Fires Within or her BSB. Thancred comes with an iteration-like BSB2 like Squall. On the one hand, it's poison element, yay! On the other hand, it's poison element...ugh. It may get better in the future, but for now it's mostly just gonna be a non-elemental slight improvement for 95% situations.(edited) Ovelia moves up due to usage, and Aerith moves down to take her place. I am conflicted between moving all of those healers to 2 points, or leaving it as is. While the vast majority of parties do use healers with medicas, the occasional speed-run, solo, or otherwise incredibly impressive mastery often does not have a healer, thus creating a bigger disparity between those clears and the average player. One thing I know for certain is that regardless of whatever the lowest point threshold for healers is, I want at least 2 there. This offers more choices and availability. Dorgann, Lann, CoD, and Ashe all move down due to not being used. Firion as well, but also because his main merit (his lifesiphonable instant-cast BSB Magic Blink) is getting a little old. Sabin and Locke move up due to popularity.

Character Points

5: Cloud, Fujin, Onion Knight, Orlandeau, Raines, Terra, Tyro, Vaan

4: Alphinaud, Celes, Desch, Eiko, Exdeath, Lightning, Luneth, Ramza, Rapha, Rosa, Setzer, Squall, Tidus, Y'shtola, Yuna, Zell

3: Agrias, Arc, Beatrix, Cait Sith, Cid (VII), Edea, Faris, Fran, Golbez, Gordon, Irvine, Kain, Larsa, Lion, Maria, Minfilia, Quina, Papalymo, Refia, Relm, Rikku, Shantotto, Vivi, Warrior of Light, Zack, Zidane

2.5: Bartz, Cecil (PLD), Ceodore, Curilla, Echo, Edward, Edge, Firion, Garnet, Gilgamesh, Gogo (V), Hope, Jecht, Krile, Lenna, Marach, Mog, Noctis, Penelo, Porom, Quistis, Reks, Sazh, Selphie, Sephiroth, Serah, Snow, Strago, Thancred, Vanille, Vayne, Yuffie

2: Ashe, Auron, Balthier, Barret, Basch, Braska, Cyan, Delita, Edgar, Emperor, Fang, Galuf, Ingus, Kefka, Kimahri, Kuja, Laguna, Leo, Leon, Locke, Lulu, Matoya, Minwu, Mustadio, Noel, Ovelia, Paine, Palom, Prishe, Raijin, Reynn, Rinoa, Sabin, Seifer, Steiner, Tifa, Vincent, Wakka, Yda

1.5: Aerith, Angeal, Cid (IV), Cid Garlond (XIV), Fusoya, Gabranth, Gaffgarion, Josef, Leila, Nabaat, Red XIII, Ricard, Rydia, Sarah, Tellah, Wol, Yang

1: Amarant, Ayame, Cecil (DRK), Cloud of Darkness, Dorgann, Freya, Garland, Gau, Guy, Lann, Master, Reno, Rufus, Seymour, Shadow

0.75: Black Mage, Dark Knight, Devout, Knight, Magus, Ninja, Red Mage, White Mage

0.5: Bard, Berserker, Dragoon, Gladiator, Monk, Ranger, Samurai, Spellblade, Summoner, Thief, Viking, Warrior

The Galuf Addendum: Players utilizing Galuf (either as a native member or Roaming Warrior) will be registered for a minimum of 9.0 points. This means even if your run totals 3.5, it'll be registered as 9.0. If it totals more, then it'll be registered as whatever you ran. This rule was created due to Galuf being able to solo almost any boss in the game.

The Same Effect Soul Break Addendum: When an RW is selected, if the effects of that SB can be replicated like for like with another RW, use the highest points that would be given by each. For example, if Ramza (Shout) was worth 4.0 and Cid (VII) (Pilot Steel) was worth 3.0, Shout RW would add 1.0 points, and Pilot Steel would add 0.875 points instead, so if you used Pilot Steel, you would add 1.0 points.

Submission Template:

 **Need Help/In Progress/Completed**

1. **Party:**  
2. **Kill picture:**
3. **Medal tally:**
4. **Total points:**
5. **Notes:**  
> Thoughts and advice here 

Please post each attempt in a separate reply. Info regarding this challenge can be found at the wiki links or here.