How to Beat Piscodemons
Introduction
The Piscodemons are your third boss fight in Final Fantasy 1 Pixel Remaster, and the first real test of your party’s gear and tactics. Four of them ambush you the moment you grab the Crown from the chest on the lowest floor of the Marsh Cave (B3), and there’s no way to skip the fight or run. You’ll want a full stack of Potions, Cura on your White Mage, and ideally Haste from the Elfheim magic shop before opening that chest.
This is a sharp difficulty spike from the Pravoka Pirates. Each Piscodemon hits twice per turn, so four of them can land up to eight attacks per round at 30 Attack each. Sloppy target priority or a missed heal can cascade into a wipe in two rounds. The good news: they have nothing to drop and no special attacks, so once you survive the first couple of rounds the fight tilts heavily in your favor.
A few numbers worth flagging. Hits per turn: 2 is the headline; with four Piscodemons that’s up to eight incoming attacks per round, and your White Mage will be casting Cura every turn just to keep pace. Magic Evasion 98 means most spells will simply miss, so the old “open with Fire” plan from earlier bosses doesn’t apply. When a spell does land, Magic Defense 0 lets it hit for full damage, but Fire, Ice, and Death are all resisted; only Thunder is worth casting on the rare connection. Evasion 66 also means your physical attackers will whiff more often than usual, so don’t be surprised by a string of misses. Total fight rewards across all 4 Piscodemons: 1,104 EXP, 1,200 Gil. No drops, no steals; pure XP and Gil.
Piscodemons have no spells and no special moves. Each one just swings twice per turn, every turn, which combined with there being four of them is exactly why eight incoming swings is the actual worst case. Nothing else can stack on top.
Strategy
Quick Tips
- Physical attacks carry the fight
98 Magic Evasion means most spells whiff outright. Your weapons do the work here.
- Focus fire one at a time
Killing one Piscodemon removes 2 incoming hits per round. Spread damage and you'll get ground down.
- Open with Haste
Doubles your front-line damage and can cut the fight from 6 rounds to 3.
- Heal before the chest
The ambush triggers the instant you grab the Crown. Top everyone off first.
- Skip status effects
Immune to Sleep, Paralysis, Stone, Stun, Poison, and Darkness. Don't bother.
To beat the Piscodemons in FF1, focus your physical attackers on one target at a time and keep your White Mage on Cura duty every turn. Open the fight with Haste on your strongest melee character; a Hasted Warrior with a Broadsword can drop a Piscodemon in one round and immediately cut your incoming damage by a quarter. With four Piscodemons swinging twice each, the longer this drags out, the more punishing it gets.
The trap that catches most parties is spreading damage across all four targets. Eight incoming hits per round adds up faster than your White Mage can heal if the fight drags. Every Piscodemon you finish off is worth more than the damage you’d deal by spreading attacks. Pick the leftmost one and beat it down before moving on.
Status effects are a dead end. The Piscodemons are immune to Sleep, Paralysis, Stone, Stun, Poison, and Darkness, so every disabler in your White Mage’s book whiffs. Spend those turns on Invis instead. Stacking Invis on a squishy member like your Black Mage or Thief shifts incoming hits onto your better-armored targets, which is exactly what you want when up to eight swings per round are looking for the weakest link in your formation.
Battle Plan
- Turn 1: Cast Haste on your Warrior or Monk. If you have a second caster, stack Temper on the same target.
- Warriors / Monks: Focus the leftmost Piscodemon. A Hasted Broadsword swing will usually drop one in a turn.
- Black Mage: Temper your front line. Thunder is a desperation play given the 98 Magic Evasion.
- White Mage: Cura whenever someone drops below 30 HP. Invis on squishies if the party is stable.
- Thieves / Red Mage: Attack normally and contribute supporting damage. Nothing to steal.
After the Battle
Beating the Piscodemons adds the Crown to your inventory automatically. Use a Tent or two to recover before you head back up through the Marsh Cave; there are still random encounters between B3 and the exit, and a stray Bloodbones or Werewolf pack will gladly wipe a low-HP party right after the boss. If you’re low on resources, sail back to Elfheim and rest at the Inn before continuing.
From here, the Crown gets handed off at the Western Keep northwest of Elfheim, which sets up the Astos fight. Full route, encounters, and treasure breakdown live in the chapter walkthrough.