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:

1. Jestel (New Moon)
2. Empousa or Aiona (Crescent Moon)
3. 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.

Wanna Share Your Build?

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

The post Chapter 8 EX-1 is a Nightmare—Here’s How I Beat It as F2P appeared first on Digits Guide : Ultimate Guides .