Introduction
Marilith is the second of the Four Fiends in Final Fantasy 1 Pixel Remaster. This six-armed serpentine warrior waits on B5 of Mount Gulg, guarding the Fire Crystal at the bottom of a five-floor volcano dungeon. You'll reach her after clearing 37 chests and fighting through Fire Lizards, Red Dragons, and Lava Worms. A party around level 22-25 is comfortable for this fight.
She's fast, she hits hard, and she casts Fira for party-wide fire damage. Her 183 Magic Defense means offensive spells are nearly useless against her. The entire fight comes down to physical damage and defensive buffs. Make sure your Warrior has the Ice Brand and Flame Mail from B4 and B5 before stepping into her chamber; both are found in Mount Gulg's chests.
Boss Stats
Strategy
Cast NulBlaze on turn one to halve Marilith's Fira damage, then stack Haste and Temper on your Warrior while the White Mage stays on Curaga duty. Her 183 Magic Defense makes offensive spells nearly useless, so the fight is won entirely through buffed physical attacks. Protera and Invisira both help soften her six melee hits per turn.
Marilith has 1,440 HP with no weaknesses and resists both Fire and Lightning. Don't waste MP on damage spells; even Thundaga barely scratches her. Your Black Mage is better off casting Haste on both physical attackers and then following up with Temper stacks. Each Temper cast adds flat Attack to the target, and the bonus stacks. Two or three Tempers on a Hasted Warrior with the Ice Brand can end the fight in four to five rounds.
She can also cast Hold to paralyze a party member and Dark to reduce accuracy. Hold is the bigger threat since it can lock down your healer. But if your White Mage gets paralyzed, your Knight (post-class change) can cover a turn of healing with Cure. And if you haven't upgraded classes yet, keep a few Hi-Potions ready as backup.
Battle Plan
- White Mage - NulBlaze on turn one, then Protera or Invisira, then Curaga every turn after that
- Black Mage - Haste on Warrior, Haste on Monk, then stack Temper on your hardest hitter
- Warrior - Attack every turn with the Ice Brand equipped from B4
- Monk/Thief - Attack every turn; bare-handed Monks deal solid damage at this level
Quick Tips
- NulBlaze first - Halves Fira damage, which is her most dangerous move.
- Stack Temper - Each cast adds flat Attack. Two or three stacks end the fight fast.
Rewards
After the Battle
The Fire Crystal is restored the moment Marilith falls, and a portal appears to take you out of Mount Gulg. That's two of the Four Fiends down; the Fiend of Water and the Fiend of Wind are still ahead.
Head back to Crescent Lake by canoe. Rest at the Inn and pick up any Level 6 spells you skipped earlier (the Gil from Mount Gulg's fights should cover them). Restock on Potions and Phoenix Downs. From here, sail north to the Cavern of Ice for the Levistone and the Airship. The enemies there are weak to Fire, so your spell loadout transfers well. See the trophy guide for the Rekindled Flame trophy that unlocks when the Fire Crystal's light is restored.