Gameplay

A lot of players of .hack find Wavemasters to be the most useless, annoying, and weakest class in the game. Well poo to those people. In this section, I'm here to tell you the roles that Elk plays in the four-part game series and just how helpful this little guy can be!

.hack//INFECTION
Infection is just the beginning of the saga, and of course, the game where you first meet the little Wavemaster.
You first meet Mia and Elk in a back alley of Mac Anu, where Mia seems rather curious about Kite's Bracelet, while Elk has no idea what's going on. By first glance, Elk seems like he really doesn't like Kite much. Later on, after kicking the royal tushie off of a Data Bug, you recieve Elk and Mia's member address, so now you can invite them into your party. More later on into the game, Elk requests for Kite's help, saying that there's a possible Data Bug in their favorite area. Well, they get there, and it seems like he simply wants your Bracelet just so Mia will stop flocking all over Kite. Not too long after, Elk's little lie actually becomes the truth, so the duo goes off into the dungeon where they meet up with Mia, who's in the middle of a little pest control. Though, Mia call's out for Elk's help (rather than Kite's), which made him realize that they're still friends. Of course, all ends merry and happy, the two go off, and that's really all they play in Infection's plot. Even so, you can still invite them to your party and kick boo-tay.

.hack//MUTATION
Again, Elk (and Mia) don't play much of a role in this game either. Basically, you're about to head off into another Protected Area, then run into Elk and Mia in Carmina Gadelica. Since Mia's voice seems to be fux0red up at the moment, Elk explains that they want to join Kite, insisting that they deserve to go since Mia taught the process of Gate Hacking. They hack, they slash, they're in the admist of adventure. All readily supplied with good ole' Raid, they whoop some more Data Bug butt, and Elk supplies Mia with even more Aromatic Grass. Everybody's happy when Mia's voice gets fixed, but screws up again once they reach town. And that's it.

.hack//OUTBREAK
In Outbreak, you can't invite Elk (or Mia) into your party, not even after you beat the game. You don't see Elk until midway through the game, where you first see him giving some Aromatic Grass to Mia. Elk looks extremely happy that he can see Mia again after not being able to connect to "The World" for quite some time, but Mia seems to be out of it for some reason. Elk asks her where she has been, but she can't quite remember, since her memory has been real fuzzy lately. Kite logs in, and Elk happily greets Kite. Though, when Mia turns around and asks, "So, who are you?", Elk begins to worry a little. Elk suggests that Mia might want to go and rest, so Mia decides she's going to go off for the day. Agreeing, Elk and Kite watch as Mia gates out. Elk explains to Kite that Mia's been extremely worn out lately, to the point where she's beginning to loose her memory, then also tells Kite not to wear himself out either. Elk then decides he's going to log off for the day as well.
Then, later on in Carmina Gadelica, you see Elk standing by the Chaos Gate. Elk asks Kite if he's seen Mia lately. Kite says no, and a dissapointed Elk says he'll continue searching for her, gating out.

In the Game
Even though this applies to pretty much all the Wavemasters of the game, this is basically how Elk fights in the games.
By the time you can invite Elk into you're party, you're going to be more or less around the level 11, but Elk's only going to be at level 3. Since he is a magic user, the weapons he uses through-out the games are Staffs or Wands, which aren't good for physical attacks. He also equips only light armor, which can be difficult to find if you don't look in the right places.
In battle, Elk stays in the backlines, either attacking enemies with magic or healing your party. He doesn't go into battle right away, but instead will attack or heal depending on what you tell him.
Personally, I find it difficult to go through the game without a Wavemaster (er... Elk) in my party. Their healing abilities are essential when you're too busy slicing away, and their magic is extremely effective against enemies. Just find the strongest armor/weapon possible for them, and they can be a lifesaver. Especially Elk ^__^

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