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Portrait of a Warrior
Or, how to make the most of our spiky-haired hero for his brief duration in your party in Estpolis II.Strengths and weaknesses
 An unequipped level 20 Dekar is equal to or even stronger than an unequipped Guy and Maxim on level 30. However, for what is very high up, there must be some things that bring Dekar far, far down, and they would be the statistics of intelligence (INT — there's a shocker), agility (AGL), and magic resistance (MGR). While intelligence doesn't affect Dekar's fighting prowess (it's the measure of a character's magical skill), its low level does make him vulnerable to sleep and confusion. You'll also quickly learn that even the Fake spell isn't enough to make Dekar fast in battle. He'll almost always go last (though the right equipment can change that dramatically; see below).  A typical Dekar level-up. Go here for more details on the items mentioned here. Anything with an asterisk is from the Ancient Cave. For more smarts
Intelligence really isn't a worthwhile statistic to increase, since Dekar can't use spells. But if you really want to give it a boost, equip him with this list of items. Advantages: The ikari powers of the Water jewel and Silver eye work well against Idura, who is weak against ice. And the Dark mirror protects Dekar from instant death spells, like the ones dished out by the Specters in the Tower of Sacrifice. And the Fry sword deals those guys some major damage. Not into treasure hunting? Then substitute any of the jewels above for the Pumpkin jewel, or just grab the Water jewel from the chest in the Alunze Castle basement. For more magic resistance
If enemy spells always hitting Dekar the hardest are bugging you, these items should help. If you're skipping the Ancient Cave (or can't seem to find a Gloom jewel), then try the Pumpkin jewel. There are also quite a few jewels from the Ancient Cave that will raise MGR by 20 points, in addition to providing other bonuses. Advantages: The Undead ring also provides protection against the Specters' death spells. Too, it will boost Dekar's attacks against them, even without the help of the Fry sword. The Gloom jewel's ikari power can be helpful against a large group of tough-to-beat monsters, as it has the potential for multiple instant kills. For more speed
You can make Dekar the second-fastest member of your party. It happened to me once, and I didn't even have everything on the list here. Instead of the Twist jewel I used the Bee rock, and I didn't have the Fry sword. But along with the Fayza shield and Speedy ring, Dekar had a AGL bonus of 35 points. Only Selan was faster than him at the time. (All my characters were in the level 25 range.) Giving Dekar the Fayza shield is a good idea for saving money: You won't need to buy another shield for him as long as he's in the party. Also, the Ice ring boosts Dekar's attacks against Idura, who is weak against ice, and the Sea ring offers bonuses in other weak areas of his. Out of all of Dekar's attributes that need raising, AGL is the most beneficial to increase. Most of the enemies that he and the party encounter during their travels don't use magic, and again Dekar doesn't use spells himself. An increase in AGL lets the party's strongest fighter go ahead of its weaker ones, meaning monsters get slain faster. For a perfect balance
These items will round Dekar out and give him a fairly even increase in every area he's weak. However, in order to pull this off, you'll have to spend time foraging in the Ancient Cave. A Pumpkin jewel can substitute for the Silver eye. It offers a sizeable increase in INT and MGR (but not AGL). Battle formation
With his high ATP, DFP, and STR, Dekar is wasted in the back row. The best spot for him in the battle lineup is front and center — front row, rightmost spot. This position tends to take the most roughing up from monsters, which he can handle with ease.The Ancient Cave
With the possible inclusion of Maxim, Dekar is the best character to take into this dungeon. His great strength still shines even on low levels, and his high HP will prove to be a lifesaver the deeper inside you venture. I'll add here that I think it's more or less impossible to defeat the Ancient Slime without Dekar in your party — only he can wield the Dekar blade, whose ikari power cuts an enemy's HP in half (unless you're planning to take the easy way out and wipe out your party ;)).
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