Daedalus


 * [[Image:Daedalus_Icon_GSDD.jpg]] "Master craftsman of ancient times."

Basic Characteristics
Daedalus is a Summon of the Mars element first appearing in Golden Sun: The Lost Age and Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. When four Mars Djinn and three Venus Djinn are on standby, and Daedalus’s Summon Tablet (guarded by the Valukar in the Yampi Desert Cave) has been collected, the Daedalus Summon can be activated. It resembles a giant golem-like statue emerging from a forest, launching a barrage of small missiles and then a single, larger missile, fueled by some sort of fantasy technology. Players who haven't enhanced the game with a password from the first Golden Sun will find it the strongest Mars summon at their disposal.

Daedalus has a unique method of attacking; it unleashes its punishment in two turns. When summoned, Daedalus’s salvo of small missiles damages all foes with a base Mars power of 100 and takes an additional 7% of the enemy’s maximum HP. The battle is then waged as normal until the end of the next turn, when suddenly the giant missile appears from the sky and detonates in a massive explosion, damaging the opposition with a Mars power of 250 and taking an additional 15% of the enemy’s maximum HP. The missile hits all enemies with the same force instead of hurting secondary targets less.

In Dark Dawn, it is found in Burning Island Cave. The Sol Blade is required to open the door that leads to the summon tablet, guarded by 5 Ogre Titans.

Analysis
Daedalus is among Azul, Catastrophe, Charon, and Iris as “ultimate” Summons in The Lost Age and Dark Dawn, though the far more powerful Iris summon outshines it. One may be excused for thinking of the Daedalus setup of two attacks in two turns as a silly gimmick, and that it would have been better if both attacks were treated as one like with all other summons, especially since there is only one boss against whom the special effect changes anything. A strategy, however, that can be used to take advantage of this setup is to summon Daedalus in the first turn, and in the next turn lower the enemies' resistances so that the impending missile attack will deal more damage.

Cultural Allusions
Origin: Greece

Daedalus itself bears no resemblance to its mythological counterpart. Instead it resembles one of his creations. In Greek myth, Daedalus was a great inventor and the father of the more well-known Icarus. Among Daedalus's inventions was Talos, the giant bronze robotic guardian of the island of Crete. He also built the labyrinth used to house the Minotaur, the source of the Minotaurus monster line.

Trivia

 * There is a glitch that prevents Daedalus's second attack from landing. If the Djinni Lull ends the second turn prematurely, the missile will be lost, an effect that could cause egregious frustration in the battle with a certain dangerous boss.