Monster Bash

Written by Austin Lei and Catherine Wu

Answer: IN FOCUS

At first glance, the clues look like a set of printer’s devilry crossword clues. We can attempt to piece together a few clues, and realize that instead of a string getting removed, it is actually inserted into an otherwise normal clue. By using the “chain attack” and “you will ... know their names” in the flavor text or by looking at the removed strings, we notice that this puzzle is actually a reference to Xenoblade Chronicles. In particular, all of the crossword clues contain two parts of a Unique Monster’s name.

Unique Monster names typically follow the pattern [Adjective] [Name]. The cleaned crossword clue, once the Name is removed, solves to an Adjective of a different unique monster. Crossword answers are listed alphabetically which can help disambiguate between multiple possible answers.

We then form a cycle linking the Adjective-Names of unique monsters. The start and ends of the chains uses only one part of the Monster’s name (Adjective or Name). The starting letters of the clues read MAP LOCATIONS OF UNIQUE MONSTERS.

Clue Starting LetterFinal ClueCleaned clueWord Hidden in ClueClue answer
MMove sad Ro: (ital.) soju TARDIS poised (8)Moves adroit, also is poisedJutardGraceful
AA "who?" LAN day to describe the Impostor on Polus, maybe (12)A way to describe the Impostor on Polus, maybeHolandSubterranean
PPuffy sign of fair days that could look like a bozo Marat or car (7)Puffy sign of fair days that could look like a boat or carZomarCumulus
LLost for words; Danae mos' astonished (13)Lost for words; astonishedDanaemosFlabbergasted
O"One way to describe a situation that provokes" - C.J.E. Rome on fusion (9)One way to describe a situation that provokes confusionJeromeTurbulent
CCombat, I've all-fi rebel mod up (10)Combative, all fired upBelmoAggressive
AAlways last corn Eli using (7)Always lastingCorneliusEternal
TTrait of one who I sun; beat ab pals, a dialed Oughty. (11)Trait of one who is unbeatable, doughtyPalsadiaIndomitable
IIntimidate aside, Canada Ulton Staraptor: Deal damage without this ability, no? (8)Intimidate aside, can a Staraptor deal damage without this ability? NODaultonReckless
OOld, experience God wind (7)Old, experiencedGodwinVeteran
NNot like yoyo Zelda, but like Xim (8)Not like Yoda, but like XimYozelDespotic
SSparked by Lemieux's ill ear senegal hit, rivalry between this team and Red Wings (9)Sparked by Lemieux's illegal hit, rivalry between this team and Red WingsArseneAvalanche
OOld name, a "baa", system, Ming (from its use in navigation) (5 4)Old name stemming from its use in navigationAbaasyNorth Star
FFuzzy, like one's memory of a Dre Among Us; I, on waking (5)Fuzzy, like one's memory of a dream on wakingGusionVague
UUndirect bar-based traveling (9)Undirected travelingBarbasWandering
NNeed to -- Ma, a monster! -- all the topics for this test (5)Need to master all the topics for this testAmonFinal
IIntegers don't form one of these, but them arc us complex numbers do (5)Integers don't form one of these, but the complex numbers doMarcusField
QQuarry or mount AI nap exalt rich (8)Quarry or mountain apexAltrichClifftop
UUS author who Ma ba; Yer NDE children cry with a web (5)US author who made children cry with a webBayernWhite
EE.g. like A to .edu; ardour of the Winchester House (10)E.g. like a tour of the Winchester HouseEduardoMysterious
MMesmerizing gorge bar: nab "you"s (10)Mesmerizing, gorgeousBarnabyEnchanting
OOrdinary trait for on, e.g. rune who does bad (4)Ordinary trait for one who does badGruneEvil
NNomad, on emig. RAR hang rotting (9)Nomad, one migratingRhangrotItinerant
SSprouting greed: "oro!" The Anor lush with vegetation (7)Sprouting green or lush with vegetationDorotheaVerdant
TTypical place to store high C, Alb. lucha libre wines (6)Typical place to store high calibre winesBluchalCellar
EExtract bug, worming coal (6)Extracting coalBugwormMining
RRigid, or word be for pat rich eve snake (5)Rigid, or word before SnakePatrichevSolid
SShoulder work? Out with, OK, one VN (ESL, e.g.) sand back against a vertical surface (9)Shoulder workout with ones legs and back against a vertical surfaceKonevWallslide

Unique Monsters all spawn at specific points, which can be found at this link. In the cycle, neighboring monsters spawn in the same areas, which suggests that we are tracing out lines on the maps. The parentheses denote monsters who are only clued with half of their name.

Monster NameAreaMap

(Drifter) Jutard

Colony 6

Graceful Holand

Subterranean Zomar

Eryth Sea

Cumulus Danaemos

Flabbergasted Jerome

Turbulent Belmo

Aggressive Cornelius

Satorl Marsh

Eternal Palsadia

Indomitable Daulton

Reckless Godwin

Veteran Yozel

Despotic Arsene

Avalanche Abaasy

Valak Mountain

North Star Gusion

Vague Barbas

Wandering Amon

Final Marcus

Field Altrich

Bionis Leg

Clifftop Bayern

White Eduardo

Mysterious Barnaby

Enchanting Grune

Colony 9

Evil Rhangrot

Itinerant Dorothea

Verdant Bluchal

Cellar Bugworm

Tephra Cave

Mining Patrichev

Solid Konev

Wallslide (Gwynry)

By treating each map as a distinct letter, we spell out the answer IN FOCUS.

Author's Notes

Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition for the Nintendo Switch.