Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance - Ishtar Boss Guide

Guide on How to Defeat Ishtar in Shin Megami Tensei V

Ishtar 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 Ishtar

In order to face Ishtar in battle, continue playing the main story and reach the Chiyoda Region. From the Tokyo Station Leyline Fount, proceed to the Tokyo Station entrance and trigger a cutscene. Take note that you need to disable seven Magatsuhi devices within Chiyoda region prior to the battle. Getting the terminals disabled will diminish the strength of the boss. Otherwise, you will face the boss in full power in terms of having eight Press Turns per turn as well as having a lethal Electricity skill, Dreadful Gleam, that ignores through Elec resistances. After the cutscene, battle the boss automatically. Make sure to save your game before the boss fight.

Ginza, Akihabara, and Tokyo Station Walkthrough

Ishtar Boss Information

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

Ishtar Details

Ishtar Stats

Ishtar Demon Stats and Skills

Ishtar Strength and Weaknesses

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

Ishtar Skills

Skill	Skill Effect
Dreadful Gleam +2	Heavy Electricity attack to all foes. Ignores affinity and pierces through. Chance of inflicting Seal. (Unique)
Ziodyne +2	Heavy Electricity attack to 1 foe.
Mazionga +2	Medium Electricity attack to all foes.
Hamaon +3	Heavy Light attack to 1 foe. Chance of instakill when striking weakness.
Mahamaon +3	Heavy Light attack to all foes. Chance of instakill when striking weakness.
Sexy Dance	Chance of inflicting Charm to all foes.
Diarama +2	Moderate HP recovery to 1 ally.
Marakunda +2	Lowers Defense of all foes by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Omagatoki: Critical	All attacks, including magical attacks, will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn.

Ishtar 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. Also, don’t forget Ailment recovery items such as Amrita Soda.

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 Force and Dark skills

Make sure to import Force and Dark 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 Wind/Black 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 Elec and Light skills

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

Pick ally demons that can counter Elec and Light skills

Bring party members can innately Reflect/Absorb/Void/Resist Electricity and Light 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, Force, and Dark skills

Similarly, add demons to your active party that can use Physical, Force, and Dark 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.

Ishtar Boss Strategies

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

Pass Regular Turn 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), defense power decrease (Rakunda), and hit/evasion power decrease (Sukunda). In addition to these Support skills, you can utilize skills from other types such as Fang Breaker (Tarunda), Pierce Armor (Rakunda), Toxic Spray (Rakunda), and Blinding Strike (Sukunda) to cast similar effects. These debuffs can be accessed by Nahobino and any demons in your party.

Prioritize on landing Sukunda first. Followed by Tarunda and Rakunda.

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). 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. Since the boss will keep on using its Marakunda skill, cast -kaja buffs again to boost your party’s capabilities in battle.

Cure Seal/Mute and Charm Ailments inflicted to the party

If a party member got inflicted with an Ailment such as Seal/Mute or Charm, make sure that you have access to Ailment recovery skills such as Patra or Me Patra to cure it. You can also use status recovery items such as Amrita Soda to remove them if available. Ailment recovery skills can be accessed by Nahobino and any demons in your party.

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 Light and Electricity 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 Force and Dark skills against Ishtar

Ishtar is weak against Force and Dark 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 Wind/Black Dracostrike, cast Charge/Donum Gladi instead to boost the damage.

Use Phys skills against Ishtar

Ishtar 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.

Ishtar Boss Video

Here is a boss fight video against Ishtar. 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