Shin Megami Tensei V - Arioch Boss Guide

Guide on How to Defeat Arioch in Shin Megami Tensei V

Arioch is a main story boss enemy faced by the Protagonist or Nahobino in Shin Megami Tensei V (SMT 5). The demon is encountered at Da’at’s Chiyoda Region.

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How to face Arioch

In order to face Arioch in battle, continue playing the main story and reach the Chiyoda Region. Enter the Demon King’s Castle, defeat Chernobog, and proceed to the 4th Stratum. After the cutscene, battle the boss automatically. Make sure to save your game before the boss fight.

Demon King’s Castle Walkthrough

Arioch Boss Information

Here is a breakdown of the boss’ stats, strengths and weaknesses, and skills:

Arioch Details

Arioch Stats

Arioch Demon Stats and Skills

Decarabia Stats

Decarabia Demon Stats and Skills

Arioch Strength and Weaknesses

Physical	Fire	Ice	Electricity
–	–	Reflect	Weak
Force	Light	Dark	Ailment
Resist	–	Resist	Resist

Decarabia Strength and Weaknesses

Physical	Fire	Ice	Electricity
–	–	–	–
Force	Light	Dark	Ailment
–	Weak	Void	Resist

Arioch Skills

Skill	Skill Effect
Brave Blade +2	Heavy Physical attack to 1 foe. High chance of Critical.
Mighty Cleave +2	Heavy Physical attack to 1 foe. Low accuracy, but hits are always Critical.
Bufudyne +5	Heavy Ice attack to 1 foe.
Hades Blast +2	Heavy Physical attack to all foes.
Mabufudyne +5	Heavy Ice attack to all foes.
Omagatoki: Critical	All attacks, including magical attacks, will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn.

Decarabia Skills

Skill	Skill Effect
Agidyne +2	Heavy Fire attack to 1 foe.
Megidola +3	Heavy Almighty attack to all foes.
Masukukaja	Raises Accuracy/Evasion of all allies by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Omagatoki: Critical	All attacks, including magical attacks, will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn.

Arioch Boss Setup

Here is a breakdown of the battle preparation against the boss:

Carry HP and MP Recovery Items

Before engaging the boss, bring HP and MP recovery items in case your party runs out of HP and MP during battle.

Max your Magatsuhi Gauge

In addition, make sure that your Magatsuhi gauge is already maxed. Having it maxed prior to battle is helpful in setting up your offense. Also, having a Miracle skill, Magatsuhi Wellspring, will provide your party HP and MP recovery at the start of your party’s turn.

Assign Nahobino Elec and Light skills

Make sure to import Electricity and Light skills if you can in order to exploit the weakness of the boss. Otherwise, you can rely on your ally demons to have those skills for you. To add, complement your offense with strong Physical skills like Aramasa/Wrath Tempest and/or with strength-based elemental skills such as Storm/White Dracostrike.

Furthermore, put in Support and Passive skills to boost damage if there are still skill slots remaining. Recovery skills are optional if your active party members do not have these skills. This is to sustain the party during battle.

Attach resistances to Nahobino that nullify Phys, Fire, and Ice skills

With the Divine Amalgamation Miracle, Nahobino can implant new resistances from essences. Add to Nahobino resistances that can Reflect/Absorb/Void/Resist Physical, Fire, and Ice skills.

Pick ally demons that can counter Phys, Fire, and Ice skills

Bring party members can innately Reflect/Absorb/Void/Resist Physical, Fire, and Ice skills, if possible. If you can’t, make it a point that their weaknesses are covered during battle. Options include using Block skills or consuming Dampener items.

Add demons that can use Phys, Elec, and Light skills

Similarly, add demons to your active party that can use Physical, Electricity, and Light skills. If they don’t have access to those skills, utilize Essence Fusion to grab those skills from demon essences. Preferably, implant these skills to demons with skill potential on those skill types.

Decarabia Boss Strategies

Here is a breakdown of the battle strategies against the mini-bosses:

Start with Light skill users

Assign to Nahobino party members that can deal multi-target Light damage. Preferably those who have their own buff skills at their disposal.

Pass action to support demons

If you start the battle with Nahobino and don’t have access to debuff/buff Support skills, make use of the Press Turn System and pass your turn to demon allies that can use debuff Support skills.

Land debuffs

Land debuffs on the boss while leaving some MP for offense and recovery. Debuffs are in the form of attack power decrease (Tarunda/Matarunda), defense power decrease (Rakunda/Marakunda), and hit/evasion power decrease (Sukunda/Masukunda). These debuffs can be accessed by Nahobino and any demons in your party.

Prioritize on landing Sukunda/Masukunda first. Followed by Tarunda/Matarunda and Rakunda/Marakunda. Since the boss will keep on using its Masukukaja skills, cast Dekaja or -nda debuffs again to impede the bosses in battle.

Cast buffs

Cast buffs on your party members as well. Buffs can be in the form of attack power increase (Tarukaja/Matarukaja), defense power increase (Rakukaja/Marakukaja), and hit/evasion power increase (Sukukaja/Masukukaja). Another option is by casting Golden Apple for a quicker setup. These buffs can be accessed by Nahobino and any demons in your party.

Prioritize on landing Sukukaja/Masukukaja first. Followed by Rakukaja/Marakukaja and Tarukaja/Matarukaja. You may also use Charge/Donum Gladi and Concentrate/Donum Magici buffs to boost your party’s damage even further if available.

Use Block skills or Dampener items to void enemy skills

Before using a Magatsuhi skill in your next turn, you can use a Block skill or a Dampener item to nullify an enemy’s upcoming attack. You can prioritize voiding Fire since the boss has a multi-target skill on it. Once the attack misses, it will consume an additional press turn resulting in fewer actions. Take note that you can only block one affinity or element per turn and it is not stackable.

Activate Magatsuhi skill

Unleash the Magatsuhi skill such as Omagatoki: Critical to boost your damage even further. Make sure to use it once debuffs and buffs are already set. Activate the Magatsuhi skill on Nahobino’s turn and you will have up to 8 possible actions against the boss.

If you already unlocked the Race Transcendence Miracle skill, you can also use other Magatsuhi skills held by other party members.

Use Light skills against Decarabia

Decarabias are weak against Light skills which Nahobino and his ally demons can capitalize on. The damage will be higher if the party is buffed with Tarukaja/Matarukaja and Concentrate/Donum Magici.

Use Phys skills against Decarabia

Decarabias do not have resistance against Physical skills so add party members that specialize in this skill type. The damage will be higher if the party is buffed with Tarukaja/Matarukaja and Charge/Donum Gladi. This is to maximize the damage potential of your Physical attacks.

Heal allies

Keep the party’s HP sustained by using healing skills. Especially when other party members are getting overwhelmed by enemy damage.

Arioch Boss Strategies

Here is a breakdown of the battle strategies against the boss:

Switch party members to Elec skill users

After defeating Decarabia, switch your damage dealers to Electricity skill users. Preferably those who have their own buff skills at their disposal.

Land debuffs again

Start landing debuffs against Arioch. Prioritize on landing Sukunda first. Followed by Tarunda and Rakunda.

Cast buffs again

Cast buffs on your party members again in order to boost your newly summoned ally demons. Another option is by casting Golden Apple for a quicker setup.

You may also use Charge/Donum Gladi and Concentrate/Donum Magici buffs to boost your party’s damage even further if available.

Continue using Block skills or Dampener items to void enemy skills

Prioritize voiding Physical and Ice since the boss has a multi-target skill on it.

Activate Magatsuhi skill

Unleash the Magatsuhi skill such as Omagatoki: Critical to boost your damage even further. Make sure to use it once debuffs and buffs are already set. Activate the Magatsuhi skill on Nahobino’s turn and you will have up to 8 possible actions against the boss.

If you already unlocked the Race Transcendence Miracle skill, you can also use other Magatsuhi skills held by other party members.

Use Elec skills against Arioch

Arioch is weak against Electricity skills which Nahobino and his ally demons can capitalize on. The damage will be higher if the party is buffed with Tarukaja/Matarukaja and Concentrate/Donum Magici.

If you are setting up for Storm Dracostrike, cast Charge/Donum Gladi instead to boost the damage.

Use Phys skills against Arioch

Arioch does not have resistance against Physical skills so add party members that specialize in this skill type. The damage will be higher if the party is buffed with Tarukaja/Matarukaja and Charge/Donum Gladi. This is to maximize the damage potential of your Physical attacks.

Heal allies

Keep the party’s HP sustained by using healing skills. Especially when other party members are getting overwhelmed by enemy damage.

Arioch Boss Video

Here is a boss fight video against Arioch. The battle is already timestamped so you no longer need to browse through the whole video:

Other Bosses

SMT V Minato Region Bosses

SMT V Shinagawa Region Bosses

SMT V Chiyoda Region Bosses

SMT V Taito Region Bosses

SMT V DLC Bosses