Miitopia, at its core, is a casual JRPG that makes up for what it lacks in depth with charming, quirky humor. However, that doesn't mean the game is entirely void of challenges in either its Nintendo 3DS or Switch incarnations. Easily the game's most frustrating enemies, Fiends first appear in the Realm of the Fey's Bigg Forest, and they can easily decimate a party that goes into a fight unprepared.
Fiends appear randomly in higher level areas, especially Karkaton Ascent and the Dark Lord's Castle. They also have a stronger variant, the Terror Fiend, which appear in the Skyscraper and several post-game regions. Fortunately, while it may be difficult to defeat a Fiend (or group of Fiends) down, this is pretty manageable for players who go into the encounter with a strategy. Here's what you need to know about Fiends -- and taking them down.
Why Fiends Are So Frustrating
Miitopia's Fiends are, in one sense, not particularly strong enemies. Their Attack and Defense stats are nothing special, and they only have 100 HP each. However, they excel in Magic and Speed. Fiends can deal a whopping 999 damage in just one hit -- far more than even the strongest of tanks could survive at max level -- and their 10,000 Speed means they'll take out a party member with a single Scythe attack before the player has an opportunity to even try and get a hit in. Terror Fiends pose even more of the threat, as they have higher Attack and 666 HP, allowing them to take more hits.
Additionally, Fiends resist magic, meaning players will need to rely on physical attacks to take them out (with the exception of the Vampire's Bat Tornado attack). This task is made more difficult by the sheer randomness of Miitopia and party members not directly controlled by the player. Still, starting a Fiend encounter with a plan may save players an untimely trip back to the inn.
How to Defeat Fiends
In addition to always having at least one physical attacker in the party at all times, players should be prepared to use all the tools at their disposal. It may be impossible to make sure that, say, the lazy Warrior actually uses their best attack at the right moment, players will have to take advantage of the Safe Spot and Sprinkles. Before the battle even starts, place your strongest physical attacker in the Safe Spot to ensure that they survive the first attack. Then, right after the Fiend's (or Fiends') turn, move them back into play so they can get a hit in.
Sprinkles will also be useful in these encounters, especially when trying to deal with more than one Fiend. Shield Sprinkles are unlocked the first time a party member is targeted with red crosshairs (likely during the Robo-"Traveler" fight on Nimbus). A shield will block out any one attack and won't break until it takes a hit. If you have multiple physical attackers, it's good idea to put one in the Safe Spot and give Shields to any others. Hyper Sprinkles (unlocked during the Cerberus fight in Karkaton) are also useful for making a physical attacker hit harder, and using a Life Sprinkle can be vital if the party's physical attack is ever taken out.
Finally, it's worth noting that there are actually ways to survive a Fiend's attack. First, energetic Miis may be able to survive with 1 HP with their Hang On ability. The other way is incredibly rare, requiring the targeted Mii to have two other party members use Sacrifice III, an assist skill unlocked at Relationship Level 77. These Miis must be at least level 50 and have their Defense and Magic skills maxed out through eating grub.
Having all of these conditions in place means there's a chance the shielding Miis will split the damage and be left standing. Still, there's no way to even ensure it will activate, so this definitely not a strategy players should rely on.