🔥 The Moment I Almost Uninstalled the Game
Chapter 8 EX-1 Stage Guide So… my screen went black. My team? Absolutely wrecked. Tentacles came in hot like they had a personal vendetta. This wasn’t my first retry—more like the seventh, maybe eighth. I honestly lost count.
I just sat there, blinking at the “Retry” button like it owed me an apology. 😮💨
If you’ve ever hit that point in a game where you question all your life decisions? Yeah… it was that kind of day.
Chapter 8 EX-1 Stage almost broke me, not gonna lie. But instead of rage-quitting (which I definitely considered), I took a breath, went full detective mode on Reddit, tested some weird team comps, and boom—I found a way through.
This post is for every free-to-play player who’s ever screamed internally during this stage. Let’s fix it together. 🩸
⚠️ Why EX-1 Feels Like the Game Devs Hate You
Alright, lemme break down Chapter 8 EX-1 Stage Guide: this stage is pure evil. Like, did they actually playtest this?
Here’s the nonsense it throws at you:
- ⏱️ A one-minute timer that feels more like 10 seconds
- 👊 AoE spam from four slap-happy tentacles
- ⚖️ Level sync, so your OP squad gets nerfed to peasant mode
- 🔥 Synergy issues—if your team ain’t tight, you’re toast before you even ultiload
It’s like trying to play dodgeball in the middle of a hurricane. With knives.
And the worst part? The game doesn’t really explain how the Blood Moon combo works. You gotta figure that mess out yourself… or you know, keep reading. 😉
🧩 Your Team = Your Heist Crew
Look, this isn’t about flexing SSRs. It’s about roles, timing, and making your squad work like an anime heist team.
Here’s how mine looked:
🛡️ The Sponge (Tank)
Jestel (SR) – oh My girl , took hits like a champ. Plop her in the front line and let her soak up the hate.
💥 The Nuker (DPS)
Transcendent Noah (SSR) – The guy’s AoE is cracked. But if you don’t have him, no biggie.
→ Use Empousa (SR) or Agares (SR)—both slap hard and are F2P-friendly. (TRUST ME, IT WORKS)
✨ The Ghost (Teleport / Utility)
Aiona (SR) – If you’re not using her, you’re playing EX-1 on hard mode for no reason. Her teleport legit saves runs. Well, She is kind of muist have in team. SSR version is super bonus.
🧙 The Witch (Debuffer)
Setti (SR) – Her stuns and debuffs kept me alive longer than I expected. Big underrated support.
Real talk: If your team doesn’t have synergy, no SSR is gonna save you. You need a unit that taunts, someone who teleports, AoE, and some crowd control. Done.
🧠 The Four-Phase Plan That Actually Worked
🔧 Phase 1: Prep Like a Nerd
- Check your BP (Battle Power). Super Low BP = high death chance.
- Gear up—hit the Timeworn Dungeon for some decent stuff.
- Use Transfusion to sync weaker characters to your top level. (Unlocks at Chapter 4-5, and yeah, it’s OP.)
Noah was level 80. Empousa? Level 50. Transfusion fixed that gap real quick. if you know how it works.
📍 Phase 2: Position Like a Pro
Start with Jestel in the front line to take the heat. Put your DPS (Noah/Empousa) in the back. I’am sure you gonna use your SSR DPS here for sure. Aiona? Middle-back. She’s about to pull off the clutch teleport that changes everything.
🚨 As soon as the match starts—use Aiona’s ult to teleport your whole team to one side of the grid.
This reduces AoE chaos and lets you laser-focus a single tentacle.
Someone on Reddit said, “Start left, destroy one tentacle, then reposition right.” I laughed—then tried it. It worked. 😮✌️
🌕 Phase 3: Hit That Blood Moon Combo
Okay, so Blood Moon mechanics are kinda busted—but in a good way.
Here’s the Moon Phase combo you want:
- Jestel (New Moon)
- Empousa or Aiona (Crescent Moon)
- Noah (Full Moon)
Time those ults in that order to trigger Blood Moon. You’ll get:
- Boosted damage
- Energy regen
- Mad synergy
When I hit it right, I was like “Wait… am I winning?! 😳”
🔥 Phase 4: Chaos Control
Now comes the spicy part—surviving the chaos.
- Use Setti’s stuns to stop those mobs from charging like angry bulls.
- If the tentacles start aiming for your squishy DPS, reposition fast.
- Burn down one tentacle at a time. Don’t spread damage—commit to the kill.
🛠️ F2P Hacks That Kept Me Sane
I didn’t grind 8 hours a day. I got a life too 😅
Here’s how I stayed ahead with a simple 10-minute daily routine:
Daily F2P Checklist:
- ✅ Claim Ritual Time idle rewards (don’t let them cap!)
- ✅ Run Timeworn Dungeon for gear
- ✅ Check mailbox for promo codes (today, I got 1,000 Moon Tears !)
- ✅ Use skill reset event to respec ults without spending
And I didn’t touch paid banners—just saved for Blue Dawn SSR guaranteed pulls.
🤯 Losing Still? You Might Be Doing This…
Here’s what tripped me up before I figured things out:
| ❌ What I Did Wrong | ✅ The Fix |
|---|---|
| Used Aiona mid-fight | Use teleport at the START to dodge AoEs |
| Ignored tank gear | Prioritize DEF gear for Jestel |
| Skipped Blood Moon | Use the Moon combo—it’s worth learning |
| Bad ult timing | Sync ultimates to burst one tentacle |
| Didn’t interrupt mobs | Setti = stun queen. Don’t ignore her. |
🧬 That Victory Felt Like Magic
No joke—I almost cried. 😭
After getting my butt kicked all the time, finally seeing those tentacles fall and the clear screen pop up? Felt better than pulling an SSR on a 1% banner.
If you’re stuck, don’t quit. You’re probably one tiny tweak away from winning.
Got a weird team that worked for you? Drop it in the comments! Or hit me up on Discord—I’m collecting builds to feature in the next guide.
[📝 Submit Your Team to Get Featured]
❓ FAQs
Q1: Can I beat EX-1 without any SSRs?
Absolutely. I did it with Jestel, Empousa, Setti, and Aiona. No whaling. No SSR pity. Just pure grind and good strategy.
Q2: How crucial is Aiona?
Let me put it this way—without her, EX-1 is like walking into a meat grinder. With her? It becomes manageable chaos. Use that teleport!
Q3: Do I have to use the Moon combo?
Technically no… but skipping it is like ignoring your ult in a boss fight. Blood Moon is what lets F2P teams punch above their weight.
Q4: Best way to power-level?
Grind Threads of Fate, and use the Transfusion system to sync your weaker vassals to your strongest. Saves a ton of time and headache.
🎬 Final Thoughts
Chapter 8 EX-1 slapped me silly for a day straight. But in the end? I slapped it back harder. 😎
So if you’re feeling stuck, just know: you’re not bad at the game. The stage is just that unfair. But it’s beatable. You got this. 💪 You can watch my Chapter 8 EX-1 Stage Guide and other SILVER AND BLOOD GUIDES on my youtube channel