Boss Abuse is a fan term denoting the usage of a Boss character to farm Experience points.
Overview[]
Boss Characters are usually the main focus of a map's Victory Condition, thus are a powerful adversary. Due to this, characters are rewarded with higher amounts of Experience points whenever they attack the boss and defeat them. Several maps are notoriously known to be able to abuse them to train units.
Though not a guaranteed trait, most Boss Abuses involve a solitary Boss that sits on a fixed tile and are programed not to move from that tile. Usually this is due to them covering a capturable objective that is the map's victory condition. Since these are important spaces, these also regenerate the Boss's HP at regular intervals, thus giving a renewable source for the players to attack.
Common tactics include exploiting enemy weapon ranges since some stationary bosses do not carry multi-range weapons, thus giving those that do attack outside the boss's range a chance to farm attacks. Additionally, players opt to have their stronger units purposefully expend the Usage of the boss's weapons, leaving them completely unable to attack or counterattack in general and thus making engaging on them completely safe for any and all units.
There are generally no penalties for using this tactic except in certain games where Ranking exists as the excessive battles and turn counts will likely lower the ranking in all categories, though this may be a completely moot penalty. Later games have renewable overworld battles that also remove the need for Boss Abuse.
Similar Examples[]
Though mostly kept restricted to boss characters, Archers are sometimes deemed an EXP farmable enemy for any unit that can attack at melee ranges since the player can box them with four units and proceed to attack at melee range without worrying about counterattacks.
Some maps contain Terrain hazards that actively deal damage to characters on top of it such as Lava and the Poison status ailment allows Staff units a free, renewable means to heal allies and gain experience from doing so.