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/ / T A C T I C S
T h e W a r o f t h e L i o n s
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS FAQ %
% Version 1.51 %
% by Fritz Fraundorf %
% qumarsh@gmail.com %
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
%%%%TABLE OF CONTENTS%%%%
To jump to any section of this FAQ, press Ctrl+F to Find and type in the code
(beginning with 00) next to the section title.
I. Revision History 00rev
II. Frequently Asked Questions 00faq
III. Walkthrough - Main Quest
Chapter I: The Meager 00walk1
Chapter II: The Manipulative & The Subservient 00walk2
Chapter III: The Valiant 00walk3
Chapter IV: In the Name of Love 00walk4
IV. Walkthrough - Subquests 00sub
Agrias's Birthday 00agr
Gollund Colliery 00col
Recruiting Balthier 00balt
Nelveska Temple 00nel
Recruiting Cloud 00cloud
Disorder in the Order 00dis
Lionel's New Liege Lord 00lio
Midlight's Deep 00md
V. Battle Strategies
Chapter I: The Meager 00bs1
Chapter II: The Manipulative & The Subservient 00bs2
Chapter III: The Valiant 00bs3
Chapter IV: In the Name of Love 00bs4
Subquests 00bssub
Midlight's Deep 00bsmd
VI. Multiplayer Modes
Rendezvous Mode - General Information 00ren0
Rendezvous Mode - Treasures and Ranking 00ren1
Rendezvous Mission Strategies 00ren2
VII. Jobs and Abilities
Job Requirements (Quick Reference) 00req
General Information about Jobs 00job0
Standard Jobs 00job1
Special Jobs 00job2
Job Statistics Comparison 00jobstat
Monsters 00mon
Enemy-Only Jobs 00job3
VIII. Ability Strategies
Ability Combos 00abil
Character Strategies 00char
Party Strategies 00par
IX. Statistics and Leveling
Bravery and Faith 00brave
EXP, JP, and Gil 00exp
Quickly Raising EXP and JP 00quick
Automated Leveling 00auto
Level-Downs and Stat Grinding 00down
X. Equipment and Items 00equip
Weapons 00weap
Shields 00shield
Headgear 00head
Armor 00armor
Accessories 00acc
Items 00item
XI. Finding Items
Poached Items 00poach
Shop Chart 00shop
Rare Item Locations 00rare
Missable Items and Events 00miss
XII. Errands 00err
XIII. Other Game Information
Ivalician Calendar 00calendar
Zodiac Compatibility 00zodiac
Party & Boss Zodiac Signs 00boss
Status Changes (Quick Reference) 00status1
Status Changes (Detail) 00status2
Elemental Affinities 00elem
Arithmeticks Chart 00arith
Random Battles 00rb
Various Tricks 00tricks
XIV. Miscellaneous Reference
Zodiac Stone Locations 00stones
FMV Movie List 00fmv
FF References 00ffr
XV. PSone -> PSP Changes
Game Changes 00psone
Name Conversion Chart 00names
XVI. Credits / Disclaimer 00cred
*******************************************************************************
I. REVISION HISTORY 00rev
*******************************************************************************
---Version 1.52 (2/12/08)---
- Added battle strategies for the Brave Story (whew, talk about a marathon!)
and Guarded Temple missions in Rendezvous Mode.
- Added an additional note to the Rendezvous Mode treasures section noting that
the number of turns you take does *not* affect your ranking. I also retitled
this section to "Treasures and Ranking" to better reflect its contents :)
- Added the Scorpion Tail and Cachusha as more rare items found in Rendezvous
Mode.
---Version 1.51 (2/11/08)---
- Made a few additions / clarifications to the Rendezvous Mode rules:
> Added a note that having characters KOed during Rendezvous Mode does not
count as a "Casualty" on your Chronicle screen.
> Added more explanation about the titles and star ratings obtained after
each battle.
> Clarified that both players always earn the same number of chests, even if
one player is completely wiped out. Thanks to Johnny World for the
suggestion.
> Clarified that having characters KOed does NOT seem to affect your post-
battle rating.
- Multiplayer-only weapons can't be thrown. I've noted this throughout the FAQ
wherever it seemed appropriate (weapons section, Ninja job description,
Rendezvous mission rules). I had made a goof on this in the last version of
the FAQ -- my apologizes for the oversight!
- Added the Chaos Blade as another rare item that can be obtained in Rendezvous
Mode.
- Fixed the broken Ctrl+F jump code for the Rendezvous Mission Strategies.
---Version 1.50 (2/10/08)---
- FINALLY started the multiplayer section! Yay! The section is quite rough so
far: I've just added general information on Rendezvous Mode and strategies
for 5 of the later missions. The remaining 9 missions and Melee Mode will
follow over the next few days ... but I just wanted to get SOMETHING up since
this section has been SO late in coming. Thanks to winddraco for some of the
rare items that can be found in Rendezvous Mode.
- Updated the description of the Minerva Bustier in the armor list to note that
it can be used by female characters of ANY job.
- Updated the description of the Lucavi's jobs to note that they cannot enter
water, and that the Death Seraph has Fly.
- Corrected the Job Stat Comparison chart to note the Onion Knight's evade rate
also changes when it powers up.
- Fixed the omission of Lettie's Zodiac sign in the Chapter III Battle
Strategies.
- Changed the Ctrl+F jump code for the Shields section so it doesn't overlap
with anything else.
(Older updates not listed.)
*******************************************************************************
II. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 00faq
*******************************************************************************
Q. Is Cloud still in this version of the game, like he was in the PSone
release?
A. Yes. In fact, you can actually recruit him earlier than you could before.
Q. How do I get Cloud to join my party? And where do I find his sword?
A. See the "Walkthrough - Subquests" section of the FAQ. You need to complete
the Gollund Colliery, Nelveska Temple, and Recruiting Cloud quests in
sequence.
Q. I didn't buy the flower when I had the chance. Can I still get Cloud?
A. Unfortunately, it seems that you have only one chance to buy the flower. If
you declined to buy it, you are not able to get Cloud, or complete the other
sidequests that depend on the flower. Sorry :(
Q. What's new in the PSP version of the game?
A. Check out the PSP Version Changes section - just hit Ctrl+F and type
in 00psone to jump to that section of the FAQ.
Q. How do I beat Wiegraf?
A. Equip the Auto-Potion ability on Ramza. Run from Wiegraf and keep using the
Tailwind ability to boost your speed. Repeat until you are getting seven or
eight turns in a row, then start using Focus to raise your attack power.
When you have high attack power, just attack and KO Wiegraf. Against
Belias, run up and attack him repeatedly. (If you don't have these
abilities, check out the Chapter III Battle Strategies for a slew of
alternate strategies.)
Q. Where is Midlight's Deep?
A. After you beat Mullonde Holy Place, go to the Port City of Warjilis. You
will see a scene at the bar, then the way to Midlight's Deep will appear.
Q. How do I beat / find items in Midlight's Deep?
A. See the cleverly-titled Midlight's Deep section of the walkthrough ;) .
Just hit Ctrl+F and type in 00md to jump to that section of the FAQ.
Q. OK, I think I understand the idea of finding the items, but how do I rotate
the camera to get the correct perspective?
A. Use the analog stick (in the lower left of the PSP). Every time you tap it
left or right, the perspective changes.
Q. How do I use items like Potions or Phoenix Downs?
A. Items are used with the Items command, which belongs to the Chemist job, so
switch one of your characters to a Chemist -- or assign Items as a secondary
Action Ability.
To learn how to use each type of item, the character must also learn the
ability that goes along with it. For instance, to use Phoenix Downs, you
must first learn the Chemist's "Phoenix Down" ability. These abilities can
be bought on your status screen using JP (Job Points) earned by using the
Chemist job.
Q. Are there items or events in this game that I can permanently miss? What do
I need to do to see them?
A. I've put together a Missable Items and Events list -- just press Ctrl+F and
enter 00miss to jump to that section.
Q. How do I use the Samurai's ability Iaido?
A. First learn the ability you want to use. Then buy several of the
corresponding Samurai sword. During battle, you can use the ability if you
have the appropriate type of sword in your inventory (NOT equipped). Note
that this may break the sword, so I'd buy several copies.
Q. How do I learn Ultima?
A. Only Ramza and Luso can learn Ultima. Ramza or Luso must be in their base
job; then, if someone casts the spell on him, he will learn it. (As long as
just one of the two characters learns it, you can have him cast it on the
other to learn it later.) The best time to learn the spell is from the
assassins outside Limberry Castle in Chapter IV, but you can also have Luso
learn it on the Riovanes Castle Roof in Chapter III or from another player
in the multiplayer mode. (There's also a guest character who can learn
Ultima during the final battle if Ramza or Luso casts it on her.)
Q. How do I get the lipstick accessory?
A. First, you need to keep Agrias, Alicia, Lavian, and Mustadio on your roster
until Chapter IV. Once Chapter IV begins, travel back and forth between
Gollund and Lesalia until the calendar says 1 Cancer. If you have at least
500,000 gil and are standing on a town (NOT a castle) when the calendar
turns 1 Cancer, you should get the scene where you acquire the Tynar Rouge
accessory.
Q. How can I revive a dead character?
A. If the character is simply KOed (lying down with a red counter over his/her
head), you can use a Phoenix Down, the White Mage's Raise/Arise spells, or
the Monk's Revive. Or, finish the battle before the counter expires and the
character will also be restored.
If the counter counts down past 0, the character will turn into a treasure
chest or crystal. Once this happens, the character is gone for good and
there is unfortunately NO way to revive him or her, ever. (You can recruit
replacement generic characters from the Warriors' Guild in any town; special
story characters are irreplaceable if killed.)
Q. Help! I beat the last boss and the game said it was saving afterwards, but
when I load up my last save, I'm just at the last boss fight again. Can I
go anywhere else?
A. Unfortunately, no :(. The game clear save is just to unlock some of the
multiplayer missions. If you want to continue roving the world map, you
need to keep a separate save from before you began the final sequence of
battles.
Q. How do I beat the Lionel Castle Gate?
A. There are two main methods: One is to give Ramza the Chakra ability and have
him use it every turn. The other is to use Teleport to warp outside the
gate. Either way, don't open the gate until the fight outside is finished.
For more tips, see the Battle Strategies for Chapter II. Press Ctrl+F and
type in 00bs2 to jump there.
Q. How do I learn Zodiark?
A. You can only learn Zodiark from Elidibus, the boss of Midlight's Deep, by
having him cast it on one of your Summoners. Equip the Mana Shield ability
to survive it. (You only have a random chance to learn the spell when
you're hit with it, so you might not learn it the first time you're hit with
it, but the odds are definitely in your favor!)
Q. How do I recruit monsters?
A. You need an Orator. Then just use their Entice or Tame abilities on the
monsters. (For more information, see "Recruiting Monsters" in the Monsters
section.)
Q. How do I poach enemies?
A. Equip the Thief ability Poach and kill a monster with a regular attack.
Then go to a Poachers' Den in a trade city and you can purchase what
you've poached. Note that Poachers' Dens are NOT available in all cities;
only Dorter, Warjilis, and Sal Ghidos have them, and they don't appear until
the start of Chapter III.
Q. How do I get the Genji equipment? Can I steal it from the boss who has it?
A. Unfortunately, you can never steal from that boss in the PSP version, so he
gets to keep his Genji gear to himself. Alas! However, you CAN get the
Genji Armor and Masamune from the new "Lionel's New Liege Lord" subquest.
Press Ctrl+F and enter 00lio to jump to the guide for that quest.
Q. Aren't there some new jobs added to the PSP version that weren't in the
PSone version? How do I unlock them?
A. The PSP version of FF Tactics has two new jobs. To make a character into an
Onion Knight, simply get their Squire and Chemist jobs up to level 6. To
make a character into a Dark Knight, you first Master (learn all the
abilities for) Knight and Black Mage, have Dragoon, Geomancer, Samurai,
and Ninja at level 8, AND kill 20 enemies (not just KO--they must turn to
chests or crystals) with the character. Yikes! :)
Q. How do I unlock the _______ job?
A. I've put together a Quick Reference chart with all the job requirements;
press Ctrl+F and enter 00req to get there.
Q. What are the new subquests in the PSP version? How do I access them?
A. There are three new subquests in Chapter IV, one revolving around Beowulf
and the others revolving around Agrias. Beowulf's subquest is available
after returning Reis to human form at Nelveska Temple and after completing
Mullonde Cathedral in the main storyline. (Press Ctrl+F and enter 00lio to
jump to the section with all the details on the Lionel's New Liege Lord
quest.)
Agrias has a couple of different subquests. First, if you still have Alicia
and Lavian, the Tynar Rouge event can be accessed on 1 Cancer. Second,
after Mullonde, travel to Zeltennia to open up another battle accessed via
the Tavern at Gariland. For details on these events, press Ctrl+F and
enter 00agr to jump to Agrias's Birthday or 00dis for Disorder in the
Order, respectively.
Q. How do I recruit Luso and Balthier?
A. Luso is recruited automatically in Chapter III, as you head through the
Zeklaus Desert on the way to Riovanes.
Balthier isn't available until you've completed the battle at the Free City
of Bervenia in Chapter IV. Any time after that, read the "Rash of Thefts"
rumor at the Gariland tavern, then go to the Dorter tavern and read the
"Call for Guards" rumor. Win the battle that ensues when you try to leave
town and Balthier joins.
Q. What do the Bravery and Faith statistics mean? Do I want high or low
Bravery and Faith?
A. A high Bravery is almost always good. It increases your chance of using
Reaction Abilities, and makes certain weapon types (fists, knight's swords,
and katanas) stronger. The only advantage of low Bravery is that helps you
find rare items with the Treasure Hunter ability, but you can just keep a
single low-Bravery character for that purpose.
Faith makes a character's magick more effective, but also makes enemy magick
more effective when used against that character. So, generally, you'll want
your magick users to have high Faith (to make their magick stronger) and
characters not using magick to have low Faith (to defend them from enemy
magick).
See the Bravery and Faith section for more specific details, as well as tips
on raising/lowering Bravery and Faith.
Q. What job should I use for the best HP? The best attack power?
A. I've added a Job Statistics Comparison chart to the FAQ to quickly compare
each job's stats. Ctrl+F and 00jobstat will get you there.
Q. Is there a way I can quickly gain levels?
A. Sure, see the Quickly Raising EXP & JP (00quick) for strategies for this.
With the right magicks, it's even possible to make this process completely
automatic! But keep in mind you never *need* to do this to finish the game.
Usually, a change of strategy should be enough to get you past the next
battle and you don't need to spend time leveling if you don't want to.
Q. How do I ride a Chocobo?
A. Move the character onto the same square as the Chocobo.
Q. What's the deal with Onion Knights? They seem horrible. Is there any way
to make them stronger?
A. Actually, yes. The Onion Knight's job level goes up as you master other
jobs, and if you can get the Onion Knight up to job level 8, they'll become
more powerful. Also, if you play the game's multiplayer missions, you can
earn some powerful "Onion" equipment that only Onion Knights can equip.
Q. One of my characters is threatening to leave the team. What do I do?
A. This is happening because your character has either a very low Bravery or
a very high Faith. Use Orator skills to increase his/her Bravery or lower
his/her Faith a little.
Q. Is there any kind of New Game+ mode, so that I can start from the beginning
but keep all my levels and items?
A. Unfortunately, no. FF Tactics dates back to a time before this feature
started becoming common in RPGs. Whenever you start a new game, you always
have to start from scratch.
Q. Where do I get all the Zodiac Stones?
A. Look in the Zodiac Stones list near the end of the file. Be warned that
this list contains some spoilers.
Q. Why don't any of the characters have noses?
A. Your guess is as good as mine. Some genetic defect or something, I suppose.
*******************************************************************************
III. WALKTHROUGH - MAIN QUEST
*******************************************************************************
You'll begin by entering your name and birthdate. If you want Ramza (the
protagonist) to end up with a certain Zodiac sign, see the Ivalician Calendar
section to match up the sign you want with what birthdate you should enter. In
a regular game, it's not *too* important to give him a particular Zodiac sign,
so you can enter your own birthday or whatever else you want if you'd like.
But, if you want to maximize the damage he can do to enemy bosses, Capricorn is
probably your best bet; you'll get this sign if you enter a birthdate between
December 23rd and January 19th. (Or, if you want as wide a range of Zodiac
signs as possible, you could make him a Taurus, Virgo, or Sagittarius, as no
other story characters have these signs.)
The game starts at Orbonne Monastery. A band of enemy knights shows up, and
you have to fight. This battle is pretty much automatic, as everyone except
Ramza is controlled by the computer. Gaffgarion and Agrias will take care of
most of the enemies without any trouble, so you can have Ramza just do pretty
much whatever you want. It's possible that one or more of your weaker
teammates--Alicia, Lavian, and Ladd--will get KOed. Don't worry; none of them
can die permanently in this battle. After Gaffgarion and Agrias finish wiping
out the enemies, there will be some story scenes, and Ramza will enter into an
extended flashback.
%%%CHAPTER I: THE MEAGER%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00walk1
All of Chapter I is a flashback to Ramza's days as a knight-in-training with
the Order of the Northern Sky. You (Ramza) and Delita will be at the academy
in Gariland, where you receive the assignment to defeat some thieves entering
the town. You are automatically joined by four squires and two chemists, then
the first battle begins. See "Battle Strategies" for tips on the battles.
After you win the battle, you will go to the map screen. You can click on
Gariland to visit its shops. The Tavern is used to hear information about the
game's story and world, and later to run Errands for extra JP and money and to
enter the multiplayer mode. The Outfitter is used to buy items. Finally, the
Warriors' Guild allows you to recruit new human characters to your roster.
You may want to stop at the Warriors' Guild recruit some new characters. In
particular, look for characters with reasonably high Bravery, especially if
your current characters don't have very good Bravery. Bravery affects the
your chance of using Reaction Abilities and the strength of some attacks --
higher is better, of course! (Although there are abilities to raise everyone's
Bravery later, you probably won't get them right away.) You may also want a
character or two with high Faith to turn into a magick-user. A second thing to
look at is the character's Zodiac sign. Taurus and Capricorn characters will
be particularly effective against the bosses in this chapter and the next, so
getting some of those signs on your roster will give you a bit of a leg up.
If you want to spend the time, you can mine the Guild until you get just the
character you want. If you don't like the character that appears; simply
select "Don't Hire." You won't be charged anything and you can select Male
Soldier or Female Soldier to roll another character. You can keep doing this
until you get some high Bravery characters -- though it's certainly not
necessary to spend the time here if you don't want. Note that female recruits
are 100 gil cheaper and probably more useful in the long run since some of the
game's most powerful items can only be used by female characters.
This is probably the only time in the game that you'll want to use the
Warriors' Guild. If you lose any of your main team members later in the game,
you're probably better off resetting. It's tough to replace characters who
have already been built up with a lot of abilities!
Stop by the Outfitter's in Gariland to buy some Potions. If one or both of
your Chemists has enough JP to learn the Phoenix Down ability, learn that
ability and then buy a few (1-2) Phoenix Downs at the store. Phoenix Downs are
great to have as they allow you to revive a KOed character. You'll also want
to equip one of your Chemists with the Mythril Knife you picked up as a Battle
Trophy in the first battle; it's stronger than the Daggers they already have.
Save the game by pressing Triangle and choosing Data, then head west to
Mandalia Plain. As soon as you leave the city, you'll have a flashback (yes, a
flashback within a flashback) to the death of Ramza's father Barbaneth. After
that sequence has ended, you'll be back in Gariland. Click on Mandalia Plain
once again and this time you'll actually get there.
At Mandalia Plain, you'll meet Argath, under attack by the Corpse Brigade. You
can choose whether or not to help him (bottom option) or just go after the
Corpse Brigade (to option). This has no long-term impact on the storyline;
it only affects the victory conditions for the upcoming battle:
- If you choose not to help Argath (top choice), your goal is just to defeat
all the enemies. It doesn't matter if Argath is KOed during the battle
or not. Choosing this option also adds 10 points to the Bravery score of
every character in your current squad, including Delita. 2 points of this
change will remain even after the battle.
- Choosing to help Argath (bottom choice) adds an additional requirement to
the battle: you'll have to keep Argath from getting KOed during the battle.
This option has no effect on your team's Bravery.
The first option both makes the battle easier AND gives you a boost in Bravery.
High Bravery is pretty useful since it increases some weapons' attack strength
and your chance of using Reaction Abilities. There's no benefit at all from
choosing the second option, so choose the first!
When the fight concludes, Argath will join as a guest regardless of which
option you choose before the battle. Back on the map, go on up to Eagrose
Castle. You'll have a brief chat with Dycedarg, then Zalbaag will send you to
rendezvous with his spy at Dorter.
At this point, you might want to consider changing some of your characters to
new jobs. Chemists are really more useful than either White Mages or Black
Mages, so keep your Chemists as-is. But you might want to change some of your
Squires to Knights, since Knights have more HP and damage potential than
Squires. (Archers are also available at this time. They're good in
general, but I'd skip them for the next few battles as melee combat is best
for them.) I made Ramza into a Knight at this point. It's probably a good
idea to keep at least one Squire, though. Why is that? As long as you have at
least one Squire active in battle, everyone will earn some JP towards that job,
and that will help you buy useful Squire abilities like Counter Tackle, Move
+1, and JP Boost. Move +1 and JP Boost are particulary useful -- JP Boost
increases the amount of JP you earn, and will help you learn all the other
abilities faster--it's a good investment! At any rate, if you do change
jobs, be sure to buy (and equip) new gear for those characters.
Before you leave Eagrose, stop by the Outfitter. There's new equipment for
sale here. Stock up on Potions, then arm your characters with the new gear.
Make sure all your Squires and Knights have Longswords, the best weapon
available to them right now. In particular, if you changed any of your
characters' jobs, be sure they have equipment that goes with the new jobs. You
can safely skip the Mythril Knife, though--it'll just increase a Chemist's
attack power by 1 point, and they don't do much fighting, anyway. The shop
also sells Battle Boots, which increase your movement range by 1 tile. As
handy is this, they're pricey, so you won't be able to afford them for your
whole team. If you buy them for anyone, give them to your Chemist, so he/she
can get around the battlefield quickly enough to heal people.
Also stop by the shop at Gariland, which sells different items than the one at
Eagrose. The Eagrose has equipment for Knights and Archers, but the shop
offers Plumed Hats and Leather Clothing, which is better armor for your Squires
and Chemists. Pick up these upgrades as well; you want to make sure your
Chemists stay alive so they can heal people! (Unlike in a lot of games,
armor in FF Tactics doesn't actually reduce the damage you take; it gives you
more HP or MP. Still, it helps you stay alive longer!) Don't forget that
you change Delita's and Argath's equipment, too, despite the fact that they're
guest characters. You can (and should!) have them learn new abilities, too!
You may want to gain some levels before proceeding. You can do this by
strolling back and forth across the Mandalia Plain until you get into a random
battle. Note that while Ramza is required in story battles, you do NOT have to
deploy Ramza during the random battles. (Also, since Delita and Argath are
Guest characters, they won't participate in random battles, only story ones.)
By the way, it'll help you out in some of the future battles if you're able to
teach Argath a simple Black Magick spell. This is pretty tricky, though, since
he doesn't participate in any of the random battles and can only earn JP in the
story battles. So, the only way to do this is to have your Chemists take
enough actions during the story battles that Argath gains some JP in the
Chemist job and is able to unlock the Black Mage job. It's cool if you can do
this, but don't worry too much about it if you can't; it's not *necessary*.
Your next story destination is the Siedge Weald, to the east of Gariland. Head
down that direction. When you get to Gariland, you'll see a scene promoting
the multiplayer mode. Continue on to the Weald and complete the battle there.
Before proceeding on to Dorter, make sure your Chemists have learned both
Potion and Phoenix Down. You can skip the abilities for all the individual
condition-curing items, though; most of the conditions are that bad and when
you get Remedies, those will cure *any* status change. Other good abilities
to learn are Stone and Rush. When you get the JP, pick up Move +1, Focus, and
Counter Tackle. Ramza can also use the Tailwind ability, which you'll want to
get as well. Chemists should have Potion and Phoenix Down.
When you enter Dorter, there will be a cutscene, and then you'll be tossed into
a battle at the Dorter Slums. This is a pretty tough battle. If you don't win
at first, try again, or build up your levels first. Upon your victory, you'll
be able to visit the town. There's no new equipment to buy, but stock up on
items. You'll want at least 10 Potions and 4 Phoenix Downs. Potions are cheap
(50 gil each), so there's no reason not to carry plenty. Also, winning the
battle at Dorter Slums netted you an Iron Sword, which is a better weapon than
anything you can find in stores. Equip it one of your characters.
Again, you may want to build levels before proceeding to the next battle.
When you're ready, go on up to the Zeklaus Desert, where you'll have a battle
at the Sand Rat's Sieve. This is a difficult fight--the toughest in Chapter
I--so it may take you a couple tries. After you win, you'll rescue the
Marquis. You'll also pick up a Blind Knife. It's not stronger than the other
knives you already have, but it does inflict Blind status on enemies (lowering
their hit rate), so give it to a Chemist.
Return to Eagrose Castle. You'll meet Duke Larg, and then Dycedarg will let
Ramza and friends in on the next mission against the Corpse Brigade. The
shops at all three towns will now be stocked with new items. At Eagrose, you
can buy Iron Swords for both your Squires and Knights, as well as
Escutcheons, Iron Helms, and Bronze Armor for any Knights you have. Gariland
has better light armor, used by jobs other than Knights. If you're using
mages, you can buy new magick weapons at Gariland and Dorter, as well as Hempen
Robes, which will raise their MP max. All towns also carry a new accessory--
the Shoulder Cape, which will boost both your physical and magick evade rates
by a little bit (10%). It's not really as useful as the Battle Boots, though.
The most important new item isn't actually an equipment--it's the Hi-Potion,
which is now for sale under Items! Hi-Potions restore 70 HP instead of the 30
you get from a regular Potion, and since you should have a lot more than
30 HP now, you'll need the healing boost. You can't use Hi-Potions unless
you've learned the Hi-Potion ability (under Chemist), so be sure to have your
Chemist(s) learn this ability.
Buy as much of the new gear as you can. There's a lot to buy, so you might not
be able to afford it all. Aside from restocking your item supply, the
priorities are probably the Iron Swords and Bronze Armor at Eagrose, and the
Leather Plate at Gariland, as well as restocking your item supply.
After you're done shopping, your new destination is the Brigands' Den, south of
the Mandalia Plain. You may want to bring more male characters than female
ones here, as there's a chance that one of the enemies can charm a female
character--but it's pretty unlikely, so don't go out of your way to adjust your
roster. Also, if you happen to have any characters on your roster who are
Tauruses, Capricorns, or male Pisces, they're good to deploy here. You'll be
facing your first boss character here, and she's a female Virgo. The three
Zodiac signs listed above will do the most damage to her. Again, it's
definitely not essential to have them, but it'll help you out if you do.
The Brigands' Den is easier than the Sand Rat's Sieve, so if you won
there, you should be able to attain victory here. Victory here nets you a
Bronze Shield, which is a more effective shield than anything else you've got
at this point. Following the battle, there will be a cutscene at Eagrose as
the Corpse Brigade strikes back.
Strip Argath of all his equipment, as he'll be leaving your party shortly. Go
back up to Eagrose. A series of scenes will follow in which Ramza and Delita
decide to rescue Tietra, and Argath leaves.
At this point, you'll probably want to start changing jobs, if you haven't
already. If you change any of your characters to Monks, do so; they're very
strong fighters. If any of your characters have enough JP to buy the Knight
abiity Equip Heavy Armor, a good strategy is to learn that ability and then
make the character into a Monk--the heavy armor will make up for the Monk's
otherwise poor HP count. It would also help to have a Black Mage and Archer.
However, you will still want to have a healer, so give one of your characters
the Items ability. Before switching out of the Chemist job, you need to learn
(and equip) the Throw Item ability ... otherwise, your items will have a range
of 1, and, as Sonic would say, that's NO GOOD!
After you've finished changing jobs, be sure to buy matching equipment for
them. If you're just now switching to Archers, I'll explain the difference
between bowguns and regular bows: bowguns only require one hand, allowing you
to equip a shield, but bows deal more damage. Since Archers are usually in the
back line and don't get attacked too much, a shield isn't too important, so I
almost always use regular bows.
Note, also, that the Flame, Ice, and Thunder Rods (for Black Mages) boost the
damage dealt by your Fire-family, Blizzard-family, and Thunder-family magicks,
respectively. A good trick, then, is to buy a particular Rod and then learn
some of the spells that go along with it (e.g., buy the Ice Rod and then try
to learn Blizzard and Blizzara). This will increase the damage you can do with
your magick. These rods also sometimes cast Fire, Blizzard, or Thunder when
executing a physical attack, if your Black Mage happens to get caught in a
melee.
Return to Gariland. As you cross Mandalia Plain, an animated cutscene will
play. Once you get to Gariland, buy plenty of Hi-Potions (12 or so) and
Phoenix Down (6 should be sufficient). If you weren't able to purchase all
the equipment upgrades you wanted before the Brigands' Den, you could do so now
as well, but you're probably better off saving your money--there are even
better items coming soon. But if any of your equipment was stolen by the
Thieves in the last battle, be sure to replace it.
Go north from Gariland to the Lenalian Plateau. You'll have another battle
against Milleuda (Wiegraf's sister). She is of course still a female Virgo,
so any Taurus, Capricorn, and male Pisces characters you have will be the most
effective against her. After you win this battle, the shops will again update
their shelves with new equipment. As before, you'll find heavy armor and most
kinds of weapons in Eagrose, and lighter armor in Gariland and Dorter. Buy
what you can and replace any items that Milleuda may have broken, then forge on
the Fovoham Windflats.
At Fovoham Windflats, you'll square off against Wiegraf and his Chocobo Boco (a
reference to Final Fantasy V). This battle isn't too difficult if you have
good jobs. If you want to exploit your Zodiac signs to maximize damage against
him, he's a male Virgo, so Taurus, Capricorn, and female Pisces will be the
most effective.
Nothing is added to the shops after the battle at Fovoham, so if your item
supply is okay, you can continue directly on to Ziekden Fortress, the final
battle of the chapter. You'll probably want non-basic Jobs (particularly a
Monk or an Archer) for this battle. A Black Mage with Blizzard family magicks
will be quite useful, especially if paired with an Ice Rod. And, again,
Taurus, Capricorn, and female Pisces characters will be good against the boss.
If you need JP, you can always go to the Siedge Weald or the Mandalia Plain to
fight some random battles.
At Ziekden Fortress, you'll find Tietra being held captive by a Gragoroth, a
Corpse Brigade knight. Argath arrive with some troops, and you'll find
yourself battling an unexpected enemy. After you kill him, there are a couple
FMV scenes, the fort blows up, and the chapter ends. The game will give you a
chance to save, and then you'll move on to Chapter II.
%%%CHAPTER II: THE MANIPULATIVE & THE SUBSERVIENT%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00walk2
You now return to the present, at Orbonne Monastery. Your current mission is
to rescue Princess Ovelia.
After a brief chat, you'll be given a chance to add Ramza's fellow mercenary
Ladd and both of Agrias's Knights (Alicia and Lavian) to the party. There's no
real reason not to take them along, so sign them up! They start with a bare
minimum of abilities, though, so they probably won't see much use compared to
the characters you're carrying over from Chapter I.
Note that to do one of Agrias's Subquests in Chapter IV, you MUST keep Alicia
and Lavian (as well as Agrias, of course) on your roster until the subquest,
even if you never use them in battle. Don't dismiss them or let them get
killed if you want to complete all the sidequests.
Agrias and Gaffgarion will also join as Guests. You still have all your
characters from Chapter I (except Delita) as well.
You'll see that Ramza's appearance has changed at the start of the chapter.
His Squire job is now able to equip heavy armor and shields, plus he has a new
ability to learn, Steel. Steel gives a character a +5 Bravery boost during a
battle, and some of this increase will remain even after the battle. Raising
your Bravery makes your Reaction Abilities and some attacks stronger, so this
is a good ability to learn. If Ramza has some spare turns near the end of a
battle, you can spend them using Steel to boost up characters' Bravery.
If you have any abilities to learn, get them. Since the Guest AI can be
somewhat poor at targeting spells, you may want to de-equip any spellcasting
abilities (Black Magick or Mystic Arts) that Agrias may have equipped. When
you've got your team organized, go north to the only location available to you:
Dorter, where a battle awaits you. Win it (well, obviously) and you'll have
access to all of the map again.
At this point, you should have had all your characters upgraded from the
beginning Jobs (Squire or Chemist) to more advanced ones. In particular,
you'll want to have a Monk, Archer, Black Mage, and White Mage somewhere in the
party. I like making Ramza into a Monk; you'll want to have him learn either
the Monk's Chakra ability or the Time Mage's Teleport for use in a battle near
the end of the chapter. An Orator can also be useful to have on the team, but
might take some time to get, as you have to get the Mystic job up to job level
3, and Mystic itself requires job level 3 of White Mage. If you want to take
the time to get it, you can also get the Thief Job, which is unlocked by
getting Archer to job level 3.
You now have the ability to take Errands at taverns. You can earn a lot of gil
and some JP from these jobs, so take them up (never more than one at a time,
though). Always choose to spend the maxinum number of days possible. While
the characters are away, you can continue on without them, or you have the main
group build up job levels with random battles. Or, if you just want to pass
time, you can walk back and forth between two blue dots on the map, which will
never trigger any random battles. (You can use Eagrose & Ziekden Fortress, or
Dorter & the Monastery.)
All the stores have new equipment, so pay them a visit to gear up your
characters. Remember that you'll have to hike back to Eagrose to purchase
heavy armor and most weapons. Conversely, you'll only find lighter armor at
the other two cities. Don't buy any equipment for Gaffgarion. (It's OK
to get stuff for Agrias, but her equipment is already really good.) Stock up
on Hi-Potions and Phoenix Downs.
Note you can have random battles at the Fovoham Windflats and the Zeklaus
Desert that occur on entirely different maps from the story battles there.
They also feature some advanced monsters, so try recruiting them with a Orator.
Just make sure to keep an eye on the number of eggs they produce; wipe out the
majority of eggs before they clog your roster.
This is a good chance to build up your characters if you want. As long as you
have the Jobs I recommended above and new equipment for your main squad of
characters, you should be fine. When you feel confident that you're done
preparing, go to Araguay Woods, east of Dorter. Here you have to save Boco
the chocobo from goblins. As when you met Argath, you're given two options,
which will affect your victory conditions:
- If you choose not to help Boco (top choice), your goal is just to defeat
all the enemies, and you don't have to keep Boco from being KOed. However,
you'll also suffer a 10 point PENALTY to everyone's Bravery; 2 points of
which will remain even after the battle.
- Choosing to help Boco (bottom choice) means you must keep Boco from getting
KOed during the battle, but does not penalize your Bravery.
This time, the top choice still gives you an easier battle, but you'll take a
hit to your Bravery for selecting it. Since protecting Boco during the battle
isn't hard at all, choose the second option to keep from losing Bravery. After
the battle, Boco will join.
Back on the map, go into your roster screen and change Gaffgarion into a Time
Mage or another crummy job. If you have the auto-equip feature on, be sure to
also strip off all his gear. Equip it on one of your other characters. He has
good armor, and the Power Gauntlet will give you an attack boost. (It's great
for an Archer, or another character who doesn't need the movement bonus of the
Battle Boots.) Then continue on to Zeirchele Falls. It's pretty here, but
there's still a battle awaiting you. Be sure to deploy an Archer for it.
After the battle, Delita will leave you with Ovelia. Ramza sets a new course
for Lionel Castle, so Fort Besselat disappears from your map, not to return
until much later in the game. Back on the map, help yourself to Gaffgarion's
equipment if you didn't earlier. If you need items, go back to Dorter.
There's also some new equipment for sale at Dorter and at Eagrose, so it's
probably worth making the trip as you'll want the new gear for the next battle.
However, you may want to pass on the Poison Rod for your Black Mages. While
it does a little more damage physically (and sometimes poisons its target), it
doesn't boost the power of any of your Black Magicks like the Flame, Ice, and
Thunder Rods do. Since your Black Mages usually attack with magick most of the
time (I assume ;) ), you're probably better off sticking your existing rod.
While Ovelia is listed on your roster as a Guest, she won't actually
participate in any more battles. So, you're safe de-equipping her Wizard's
Hat and Wizard's Robe and giving them to another character. The Wizard's Robe
is an especially nice pick-up since you can't buy them stores yet. It raises
your magick attack, so give it to one of your mages. However, she WILL be able
to use some of her abilities later. So, go into Ovelia's ability screen and
teach her as many abilities under Princess as you can, then equip them.
They'll come in handy in a few battles later down the road.
The next battle is a tough one, so be prepared. You'll want Archers and Black
Mages, and, if you don't include a White Mage in the party, one of the
characters should have White Magick as a secondary ability. A Black Chocobo
also be helpful, if you can get one. (Boco will randomly lay eggs and they may
hatch into Black Chocobos, but there's obviously an element of luck/randomness
to this.) I ended up using Ramza, two Archers, and a Black Mage. If you don't
When you're ready, go south past the falls to the Castled City of Zaland.
You'll meet Mustadio, who is being chased by some bad guys. Once again,
you're given two options for the upcoming battle:
- Choosing the first option means that you DO NOT have to keep Mustadio from
getting KOed during the battle. This option raises the Bravery of each
character on your current squad (including Agrias) by 5, 1 point of which is
permanent.
- Choosing the second option means that you DO have to keep from getting
Mustadio from getting KOed. However, this option raises all the characters'
Bravery by 10, 2 points of which are permanent.
In other words, you'll get a Bravery increase either way, but you'll get a
BIGGER increase for helping Mustadio. Of course, this also makes the battle
harder. So, there's no clear "best option" here. It's up to you which you
choose. Since this battle can be pretty challenging, you might want to just
pick the first option; it makes the fight quite a bit easier and you're only
missing out on 1 extra point of Bravery. Again, no matter what you pick,
Mustadio joins you afterwards as a Guest.
When all the talking is finished, you're now able to visit the stores in
Zaland. There's not very much in the way of selection, but if you didn't
upgrade your equipment after Zeirchele Falls, the Adamant Vest, Wizard's Hat,
and Serpent Staff are all for sale here. (There's nothing brand new.) There
are also a pair of new Errands available at the Tavern.
Your next stop is Balias Tor. When you first try to leave Zaland, there will
be a cutscene. Afterwards, you'll be back on the map, but Balias Tor is still
red. Travel there for real this time, and you'll get into a fight. Following
the fight, a cut scene will pop up back at Eagrose Castle with Dycedarg and
Gaffgarion scheming.
You can now finally get to Lionel Castle--don't worry; there's no fight!
You'll chat with Delacroix and learn about the Zodiac Stones. Agrias and
Ovelia will then leave the party. Then you get to go shopping! There is a lot
of really powerful equipment you can get here, so load up on it (you should
have a lot of money by now). The Lightning Bow is a great weapon for any
Archers you have; it has a fairly high attack power and sometimes casts the
Thundaga spell. The stores also have a lot of new accessories -- you might
want to pick up a Mage's Cloak or two for your magick users. Finally, you can
now buy the Remedy item in all stores. It can cure any status ailment, so now
there's really no point for your Chemists to learn the abilities for any of the
other status-restoring items.
Buy any stuff you want in Lionel now, as you won't be able to do so later.
Since your access to the shops will be blocked off later, it might be a wise
idea to buy some spare pieces of heavy armor and helms. That way, if any of
your gear gets stolen or broken, you have a replacement.
Now that you've reached Lionel Castle, you'll be able to deploy 5 characters
in both story and random battles, instead of just 4. If you've been using a
core team of just four characters, be sure to get a fifth equipped.
Also, you may want to send some of your characters out on a errand if you
haven't been doing them -- you can earn a lot of money from some. Again,
walking between Dorter and Orbonne Monastery is an easy way to pass time and
complete the errands while avoiding random battles. Be sure to complete all
the errands before heading on to Goug, though. Once you get to Goug, it will
be a while before you can go back to the other towns to retrieve your
characters.
If you go back up to Zaland, you can also buy some new light armor: Green
Berets and Wizard Clothing. Keep your magick users equipped with Wizard's
Hats, though, as those raise their magick power.
If Mustadio has enough JP, pick up the Seal Evil ability for him if you haven't
already--it'll be handy in the next battle, as it turns undead to stone.
On to the fenlands. This should be a pretty easy battle as you fight your way
through here on to Goug. However, there's a small chance that you may
encounter a Pig monster here in the initial story battle. (It does not appear
during random battles.) If you have an Orator, deploy him/her so that you can
recruit the Pig if you see it. You can use that Pig to breed monsters from the
pig family and then use the Thief ability Poach to kill them, which will yield
great rare items. (Unfortunately, you won't actually be able to pick up the
items until the Poachers' Dens open in Chapter III.) The next opportunity to
get a Pig won't be until Chapter IV, so if you're particularly intent on
getting a leg up on the enemy, you could keep entering the battle over and over
and resetting until the Pig appears and you can recruit it. But, that's
definitely NOT necessary; you can skip the Pig entirely and do just fine!
Upon arriving in Goug, there will be a brief scene and then you're back on the
map. The store doesn't have much of anything, but if you've got a Orator or
Chemist, be sure to buy them a Romandan Pistol. The Romandan Pistol has a
great rangeoverall, and is especially useful if you have a chance to pair it
with the Knight's Arts of War abilities -- you can use it rend enemies'
equipments or stats at a distance! Goug also has a number of accessories
Make sure you're stocked up on Hi-Potions and Phoenix Downs; you'll need them.
You may also want to equip the Archer's Bane ability on any characters who have
it.
Try to leave the city and you'll be immediately thrust into a battle. Deploy
your Orator (if you have one), somebody with a bow, and somebody with Black
Magick. Ludovich, the leader of the Baert Company, will appear with Mustadio
and Besrudio (Mustadio's father) captive. Mustadio reveals the location of the
Zodiac Stone. Ramza forks it over and you find out that Delacroix was in on
the plot. It's fight time.
After a fairly tough battle, you check on Besrudio. Mustadio reveals that the
Zodiac Stone that Ludovich got was really a fake. Mustadio will now join as
you a normal party member -- now you can control him! The only downside to
this is that he can now be permanently killed. Be sure to keep him alive;
you'll need him to complete most of the subquests in Chapter IV. Musty's
equipment is all gone, so be sure to re-equip him. Also, if he learned any
skills while he was a Guest, they're gone for some reason.
The route back through the fenlands disappears. Take the ship (well, just walk
across the ocean) over to the Port City of Warjilis. Upon getting off the
ship, you'll see a FMV sequence with Delita. After that scene's ended, you can
explore the town. There's no new equipment available, but to make some easy
money, go to the bar and accept the errand (to find the Highwind!), then go
back to Goug and get the job there as well. (There will be a cutscene with
Delacroix's scheming when you leave Warjilis the first time). Just go back and
forth between the two cities until both jobs are complete. If you weren't able
to afford all the equipment you wanted in Goug or elsewhere, you should be able
to get it now.
Now that you have Mustadio, a good general trick for leveling up quickly is to
use Arm Shot or Leg Shot to debilitate the last enemy in a battle. Then,
you're free to let the other enemies turn into crystals/chests. Crystals from
human enemies are often a good source of new abilities. Also, while the last
enemy is Disabled or Immobilized, you can have your characters attack each
other to raise JP. If you use the right strategy, you shouldn't really need to
grind in this fashion, but it's an efficient way to raise levels if you decide
to do so.
Now go up to Balias Swale, where you'll find another fight. You'll deploy
two squads here to save Agrias from Delacroix's Gryphon Knights. This is a
really easy fight, so you might want to deploy some weaker characters to
give them a boost. Agrias will rejoin, this time as a controllabe, non-guest
character. Again, if you want to complete all the sidequests in the game,
don't dismiss her or let her get killed.
After getting Agrias, if you head back down to Warjilis, you'll find the shops
have a few new items available. Most notably, you can replace your Power
Gauntlets with the Diamond Bracelets, which gives you the Power Gauntlet's +1
Physical Attack but also +1 Magick Attack and immunity to Slow. The latter
ability is pretty handy in the upcoming battle, so buy some for your main
squad. You can also upgrade your Wizard Clothing to the Brigandine, which
gives you a few more HP. (You'll probably want to keep magick-oriented
characters on the Wizard Clothing or robes, though, for the magick bonus.)
There's also the Mage's Staff, and, in the unlikely event you have a Samurai,
the Osafune katana.
Your next stop is Golgollada Gallows. Make sure you're ready; this is a tough
battle. The execution turns out to be a trap, and you have to fight
Gaffgarion. Bring your Diamond Bracelets!
After you attain victory at the Gallows (it may take a few tries!), you'll see
a scene back at Lionel Castle in which you find out more about Ovelia's past
and Delacroix's plans. Then you're back on the map. When you move back up to
Balias Swale, you'll see a cutscene with Wiegraf.
Now, you can now wander around the map again. Next up is the final battles of
the chapter, which occur at Lionel Castle. However, if you want to travel
elsewhere, you can do so. If you click on any of the destinations PAST
Lionel Castle, you can walk right through the castle without getting into a
fight. Just don't click on the castle ITSELF until you're ready to fight.
To prepare for the upcoming fight, you'll want to make sure that Ramza has
either the Teleport movement ability (Time Mage) or Chakra (Monk). If you're
using Chakra, you can either make Ramza into a Monk or by assigning Martial
Arts as a secondary action ability. It's also probably a good idea to equip
the Archer's Bane rection ability on any characters that have it. When you've
done all that, it's time for the final battles of the chapter.
When you click on Lionel Castle, you'll have no choice but to attack the
gate. As Ramza tries to open the gate, Gaffgarion shows up yet again and
surrounds the castle. If you thought the Gallows was bad, here's more fun.
Actually, the gate isn't as bad if you play your cards right (see the battle
strategies). The save game screen will pop up at the conclusion of the battle
-- there's another couple battles right after this one. It's your call as to
whether you should save. I'd recommend saving in a separate slot in case you
need to go back to get more JP.
After saving, you cut back to Delita at Zeirchele Falls with Ovelia. There's
an easy battle here against the Order of the Northern Sky, but you get to
control Delita during it :)
Afterwards, you're given another chance to save (again, don't save in your
main slot). Then your roster screen shows up, allowing Ramza's crew to learn
new abilities or change equipment (which might be necessary if the Knights at
the gate used Rend on you.) When you leave the formation screen, you'll
immediately go to the next battle and start deploying your characters. This
time you're up against Delacroix, who uses his Zodiac Stone to turn (with some
pyrotechnics) into Cuchulainn. Beat him and he'll blow up (with more nifty
effects) and drop another Zodiac Stone.
Delita delivers Ovelia to Duke Goltanna, while Duke Larg maintains Orinus as
the heir to the throne. As the War of the Lions begins over these claims to
the throne, Chapter II draws to a close, and you're again given a chance to
save.
%%%CHAPTER III: THE VALIANT%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00walk3
Three months into the War of the Lions, things are looking bad for both Larg
and Goltanna. After a scene of Goltanna's council of war, we cut back to
Ramza, whose new mission is to convince Zalbaag that someone is manipulating
Ivalice into the war.
You'll start the chapter positioned at Dorter. The shops have a lot of new
stuff--as weird as it seems, those Croakadile Bags are *really* powerful,
although expensive. The Headbands are also a great buy; not only do they
increase your HP over the previous hats, they also give you a physical attack
boost. (You may want to keep your magick users with the Wizard's Hats, though,
as those boost their *magick* power.) Now that you're in Chapter III, you can
also buy X-Potions, so you'll want to learn the corresponding ability with any
item-users you have.
The Poachers' Dens are also now open. You can now use the Thief's "Poach"
ability to poach enemies and get items from them at the Poachers' Den. Poached
items are cheap; you can buy them for half their usual price! You can also get
some rare items from poaching that you can't get anywhere else! Note, though,
that Poachers' Dens are only found in Dorter and Warjilis, not other cities.
(Sal Ghidos, which you'll reach in Chapter IV, also has a Poachers' Den.)
For additional shopping opportunities, visit one of the castles, Lionel or
Eagrose. There you can pick up the Ancient Sword, a strong sword that can also
Immobilize enemies, the Mythril Bow, and some other stuff. The Fire Shield and
Ice Shield absorb fire and ice, respectively, which lets you do a handy trick:
Cast a fire or ice spell that targets both enemies and an ally with the shield
-- you'll damage the enemies, AND heal your character! Not only does this let
you get around the "friendly fire" effects when fighting in close quarters, it
even replenishes your HP!
All this new equipment is expensive, so luckily there's a whole slew of new
errands, at least one in every town. If you're short on cash, I recommend
spending a while completing them, buying stuff, and building up your
characters. If you're offered any "contest" errand, take it right away,
because you won't have the chance for very long.
There are some abilities you'll need at the end of Chapter III that it's a good
idea to start learning now. You don't need these abilities just yet, but
if you build your characters towards those abilities now, you won't have to
spend time grinding for them later. Specifically, Ramza MUST have Focus and
Tailwind (both Squire), and Auto-Potion (Chemist). If you have the chance to
unlock the Ninja job for him, that'll also help out a lot, although it's not
strictly necessary. (It can be a bit of pain to unlock, though, as it requires
Ramza to at least have Archer at level 4, Thief at level 5, and Geomancer at
level 2.) For your other characters, acquiring the Dragoon or Ninja job on as
many as characters as possible is helpful, but also not a must-have. Combining
the Ninja's inherent speed and double attack with the Monk's Brawler ability
makes for an incredibly strong and quick fighter.
You may also want to start developing a stealing specialist, if you haven't
already. You'll be encountering more and more enemies with rare equipment
that you can't buy in stores, so you may want to swipe it :). It'll be a big
help if you can learn the Thief's Steal abilities, and either Concentration
(Archer) or Brawler (Monk), either of which will improve your stealing success
rate. If you don't get to this until Chapter IV, though, it's not a big deal.
Some other abilities that you want to work towards over the course of the
chapter are the Samurai's Shirahadori reaction ability, the Ninja's Dual Wield
support ability, and the Time Mage's Teleport movement ability. Shirahadori
blocks physical attacks outright and, if combined with a high Bravery stat
(which you can boost with Ramza's Steel ability), can render you virtually
impervious to physical attacks (save arrows). It's one of the best abilities
in the game. If you haven't already unlocked the Samurai job, though, you'll
need to get a character with Knight level 4, Monk level 5, and Dragoon level 2
to become a Samurai. The Ninja's Dual Wield ability is also great as it allows
you equip two weapons at once and effectively double (or come close to
doubling) your attack power. Finally, the Time Mage's Teleport is helpful both
for navigating battlefields with tall walls (as it allows you to essentially
warp right up them), for teleporting through enemy forces blocking your path,
and for extending your move range in a pinch. If you try to teleport long
distances, it'll probably fail, but this ability is still extremely helpful for
navigating heights and crowded maps. If you have a Summoner, the Golem summon
will also help out in a battle near the end of the chapter.
Lastly, if you haven't been using Ramza's Steel to work on building up your
Bravery, try to do so when you get a chance -- having a high Bravery will make
your Reaction Abilities a lot more useful (such as the aforementioned
Shirahadori).
When you're ready to get on with the game, equip your team with gear that
boosts their Move or Jump ranges. Safeguard may also be helpful. Then go up
from Dorter, across the Zeklaus Desert, to the Mining Town of Gollund. There's
a fight here where you have to rescue Orran (although I can't imagine he'd need
much rescuing). Black Magick and Thieves are handy here. After you save
Orran, you'll chat briefly, and then he'll head off to the south, sadly
depriving you of his super-powerful Celestial Stasis spell.
There's no new equipment in the Gollund shops, so just head straight on to
Lesalia. There's no fight when you first get here, just a short chat with
Zalbaag. However, as soon as you leave, you'll have to fight Zalmour. It's a
pretty easy battle. Alma then joins up as a guest. When you have a chance,
de-equip her Healing Staff, Barette, and Red Shoes. The Healing Staff and
Barette are items you can't ever buy in shops, and the Red Shoes won't be
available to purchase until much later. (It's safe to de-equip all her gear
since, despite being a guest, she won't actually participate in any more
battles.) The Healing Staff is an interesting "weapon" in that it actually
restores HP to the character hit by it. Equipping it on a magick-oriented
character can be quite useful since they probably won't be doing much fighting
anyway and it gives you a free source of healing.
If you want to complete some errands easily, you can take the ones at Gollund
and Lesalia and then just walk back and forth until they're done. Before
leaving this region, you can also stop at the store in Lesalia to buy new
heavy armor. Then go down to Dorter; there's some new equipment here as well.
In particular, the Jujitsu Gi is a great set of clothes for fighting-oriented
characters as it also boots your physical atack power, and the Celebrant's
Miter is a hat that boosts your MP. (You'll probably want to keep your
fighters using the Headband for the attack boost.) Depending on what jobs
you're using, there may be weapon upgrades as well.
A more powerful gun, the Mythril Gun, is now available for sale. Since Goug is
the only city that sells guns, though, you'll have to walk all the way down
there if you want to buy it. (Note that the sea route between Goug and
Warjilis has vanished as of Chapter III.) It's 2 points stronger and a
stronger guns never appears in stores, so it's worth the trip if you didn't
get the chance to steal them during the Gollund battle.
Purchase anything you want, then head to Orbonne Monastery. Note that
once you enter, you'll be locked into a series of three battles, so make sure
that you're well stocked with supplies. You could also pick up a few of the
Jade Armlet accessory, since they'll be helpful in an upcoming battle, but
they're fairly expensive and not really necessary.
At Orbonne Monastery, enter the Monastery Vaults (it's the only option
available), where you'll find Simon wounded. He tells you about Funebris's
plot, and Ramza chases after the troops looking for the Virgo Stone. You'll
have a chance to save your game. All you'd have to repeat if you died is that
short scene with Simon, but if you want to save, save in a separate slot
since you're locked into a series of battle. The roster screen will come up,
then you will go down to the second floor and have a fight.
After beating the second floor, you have another save opportunity. Again,
save in a slot separate from your main file. For the next battle, you may want
to equip any accessories you have that boost your Jump statistic. After you
leave the roster screen, you'll go to the third floor for another battle
against Isilud. Upon winning it, there's yet another save point, and then the
last of the three battles, this time with Wiegraf. This time, equip any Jade
Armlets you have to protect yourself from his sword attacks. Afterwards,
Isilud escapes with a friend and your Zodiac Stones captive. Outside, Wiegraf
transforms in a rather frightening scene and Simon then shows up to give you
the Scriptures of Germonique.
Back on the map, go to the Chronicle option and check out your Artefacts.
Examine the Scriptures of Germonique and press Triangle to read it. After you
read it (which takes a while), go to Dorter. A mage will demand the Scriptures
and ask if you've read them. It doesn't seem to matter what you say. When he
leaves, the route to Riovanes Castle will open. Try to leave Dorter (just
click anywhere on the map) and you'll see an FMV scene with Delita and Ovelia.
After the scene concludes, go into Dorter and check out the shops, which once
again have some new equipment. The Power Garbs are a great buy; they're good
new clothes that also raise your attack power. And don't miss the White Robe
for your magick-users; you'll have to scroll down through all the clothes to
find it. However, you may want to keep your Headbands and Celebrant's Miters
instead of buying Black Cowls, since the Cowls don't have any special stat
boost. Similarly, the Diamond Shields are not an especially great shield since
they don't have any elemental properties, nor the magick block rate of the
Aegis Shield.
There are also a few new errands available down at Lionel Castle and the
Castled City of Zaland, as well as at Eagrose Castle.
It's now time to head north to Riovanes. As you head up through the Zeklaus
Desert, you'll run into a fixed battle. Deploy your characters; if you have
anyone who can Poach or Entice/Tame monsters, they're good to bring here.
There will be a CG scene, as Ramza jumps in to help Luso, and then the battle
starts. Defeat or recruit the enemy Behemoths and Luso will join up. (Luso is
the lead character from the Nintendo DS game Final Fantasy Tactics A2, not
coming to North America until later this year ... he's just moonlighting here
:) .) He's basically a clone of Ramza, but he has an intrinsic Poach ability
(no ability needs to be equipped for it). This makes him very handy for
treasure hunting, especially during the monster-laden random battles. (Story
battles, of course, contain mostly humans and Poach doesn't work on them.)
On the other hand, you may want to de-equip Luso's Icebrand sword and give it
to Agrias -- it will make her Holy Sword techniques extremely powerful!
If you poached any of the behemoths, you may want to go back to the Poachers'
Den in Dorter to see what you got, since a lot of these items can be quite
useful. If you recruited any of the behemoths, you're even better off; you can
keep one behemoth on your team, have it breed other behemoths, and poach
*those*.
After helping out Luso, continue on up to Lesalia, where there is more new
stuff (bows, daggers, and swords). Then continue to the Grogh Heights. Equip
some accessories to boost your Jump and smash your way through here (I actually
felt kind of bad killing those guys off) and you'll meet up with Orran again.
You'll receive a Mythril Gun in spoils from the battle, so if you didn't
bother to go to Goug to buy any Mythril Guns, equip this one now.
Your next stop is the Walled City of Yardrow. Here you'll encounter Marach
(the guy you met in Dorter) and Rapha. You have to save Rapha from Marach and
the Riovanes soldiers. Deploy lots of healers and magick-users; skip the
archers. After the fight, Rapha discusses her past. (Why the Grand Duke wants
Rapha and Marach's powers so badly is one of FF Tactics's great unsolved
mysteries ;) .) Marach, meanwhile, delivers a amphibian ultimatum.
Rapha joins up as a guest for the next couple battles. She probably won't be
all that helpful, though, since her Sky Mantra abilities only strike random
tiles in their effect radius and can't be targeted too precisely.
Before you leave Yardrow, stop at the Outfitter and pick up some better
equipment for Rapha. But do NOT equip her with any "rare," non-buyable items
like the Barette or Healing Staff; if you do, you'll lose them when Rapha goes
from being a Guest into a regular character.
There's also good gear for your magick users: the Gold Hairpins, which raise
both your HP and MP a lot, and the Black Robe, which strengthens the power of
any of your fire-, ice-, or lighting-elemental spells. (You may want to keep
healers on the White Robe, since it's got elemental defenses and they don't
need the offensive capability.) There are also some new accessories; pick up a
pair of the speed-boosting Hermes Shoes for later use. The Bracer is also
available. It's really expensive (50,000 gil), but it gives you a huge +3
attack boost, so buy one or two if you can afford them.
When you leave town, there will be another Delita battle. It's a piece of
cake.
Back with Ramza's squad, if you want to do further shopping, you can go back
down to Lesalia to buy new helmets, the Platinum Sword, and the Assassin's
Dagger. If you have Ninjas, Samurais, or Dancers in the party, you may even
want to trek all the way back to Dorter, as you will find new weapons for those
three jobs there.
When you've completed your shopping spree, fight through the Yuguewood and its
undead inhabitants. Deploy Mustadio and his Seal Evil ability will make quick
work of them.
Don't go on to Riovanes Castle just yet. It contains some very powerful
bosses, so you need to make sure you're prepared. For Ramza, you'll want the
Focus and Tailwind Squire abilities, as well as Auto-Potion from Chemist. Buy
a healthy stock (30+) of X-Potions. You'll also want at least one pair of
Hermes Shoes and a Green Beret. (If you sold all your Green Berets, you can
buy another one at Yardrow.) Also helpful are Jujitsu Gis and Chameleon Robes
(both of which protect against instant KO) and Jade Armlets (protection against
Stop), particularly if you want to try to learn Ultima at Riovanes as opposed
to later. Since the Jade Armlets are pretty expensive, you may not want to
bother buying them unless you're set on going for Ultima. (If you don't get
Ultima now, you can also get it in Chapter IV.) Finally, if any characters are
close to reaching the Dragoon or Ninja jobs, you may want to bring them up to
those jobs, as they are quite helpful. Zeklaus Desert is a good place to level
up if you need to earn more JP.
When you think you're ready, save your game, then pay a visit to Riovanes
Castle. You'll see a scene with Barrington and the Templars, then have a
chance to save. Be SURE to save in a separate slot from your main game, so
that you can get out of the castle if you need to go back and level more/buy
stuff. If you save in your main slot, you may wind up STUCK and have to start
again from scratch!
You then go to the first of a series of three battles. Strip Rafa of all her
equipment; if she gets taken out quickly in the upcoming battle, Marach will
also disappear. Equip the Archer's Bane ability on any characters that have
it. If you have someone with the Golem summon or the Dragoon ability Ignore
Elevation, you'll definitely want to deploy those characters. Finally,
equipping shields or capes for evasion may also be helpful. After you defeat
everyone outside the gate, a wounded Knight will crawl out, warning of the
Lucavi's rampage.
Now, make sure you're prepared. You're about face a two-part battle against a
Zodiac-charged Wiegraf, and he is rather powerful. However, if you're reading
this walkthrough and coming prepared ;), he isn't that hard to beat. Before
the battle starts, set Ramza with the Mettle action ability and Auto-Potion
reaction ability. Next, you need to drop all your Potions and Hi-Potions. On
the roster screen, click on any character and go to Equipment. Choose View
List, find your Potions and Hi-Potions and select Discard. Throw away ALL of
them, so that you can only use X-Potions when Auto-Potion activates. As for
your othercharacters, make them into Dragoons or give them range weapons. Keep
Agrias as a Holy Knight if she has the Hallowed Bolt ability. (If your Ramza
is quite strong, you may not need such preparation--just give him Dual Wield or
Jump.) When you think you're set, close the party roster screen and you'll be
thrust into the battle against Wiegraf. (If you find yourself stuck in the
castle without these recommended abilities, I've listed some other alternate
tactics in the battle strategies below.)
If you win both rounds of the battle, you'll go on to the last of this sequence
of battles, on the roof. Be sure to save again. For this battle, make Ramza
into a job with a high Speed stat (Ninja if available, otherwise Geomancer,
Thief, or Monk), and equip him with a Green Beret and Hermes Shoes to boost his
Speed as high as possible. Equipping the rest of the team with accessories
boosting Speed or Move is helpful as well.
You can also try to learn the Ultima spell during the rooftop battle. To do
so, you'll need to deploy Luso (in his Game Hunter job), and equip the whole
team with Jade Armlets and either Chameleon Robes or Jujitsu Gis. (Keep Ramza
with the Hermes Shoes, though.) Or, if you took Alma's Barette, you can also
equip that to protect a female character against both Stop AND KO. It's pretty
challenging to learn Ultima here. There are other opportunities to learn the
spell in Chapter IV where you don't have to contend with a suicidal Rapha and
will have a much easier time. So, unless you really like a challenge, I would
recommend waiting until Chapter IV.
Anyway, after you (eventually) ward off Elmdore and his assassins, Rapha will
use the Zodiac Stone to restore her family to a happy ending. You'll get your
Zodiac Stones back, along with Wiegraf's Aries stone and Isilud's Pisces
stone.
Finally, Rapha and Marach will offer to join. You'll probably want to take
Rapha, as her low Bravery makes her ideal for using Treasure Hunter. Marach
basically sucks, but if you don't have a full roster already, there's no harm
in signing him up. He's pretty similar to Rapha in that his abilities strike
random tiles. What's interesting is that they do more damage to enemies with
LOW Faith and get stronger when Marach has LOW Faith, the reverse of most
magick abilities. If you have an Orator lower Marach's Faith, you can Marach
to attack the enemies with magick while being resistant to magick himself, but
the randomness of his abilities still makes him not too useful.
%%%CHAPTER IV: IN THE NAME OF LOVE%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00walk4
Chapter IV picks up right where Chapter III left off. After a brief scene
in Zeltennia Castle with Orlandeau and Orran, you'll be plopped back on the
world map -- haven't seen that for a while, huh? -- outside Riovanes.
Ramza's appearance has changed again, giving him the ability to equip knight's
swords, powerful weapons that you'll start acquiring soon. He has also has a
new ability available (Shout), so be sure to learn that. You'll note that
Squire does not appear as a Mastered job even if you learn all the abilities --
that's because Ramza is missing the Ultima spell. If you managed to have Luso
learn it back on the roof, you can now have him cast it on Ramza in any battle
to teach it to Ramza. Otherwise, you'll have a chance to learn Ultima for both
characters later on.
Be sure to change back to your normal jobs if you're still altered from the
fights in Riovanes Castle. While you're still at Riovanes, you can do a bit of
equipment upgrading. There are new swords, shields, and armor available. If
you visit Dorter, you can also buy new a ninja blade, katana, clothes (Gaia
Gear), the Yagyu Darkroods shuriken, and the Angel Ring accessory. Pick up
weapons you might need for you current jobs (and if you're using Throw, stock
up on Darkroods). There are also a number of errands you can take in the
various towns, but many of them aren't worth the time they take (and you
sometimes LOSE money on them), so it's probably not worth the bother.
Now that you're in Chapter IV, you can start accessing the game's side quests.
First, assuming you still have Mustadio, you can head down to Goug to start the
Gollund Colliery quest, which will net you two great new characters (Beowulf
and Construct 8) as well as one OK one (Reis the Holy Dragon). This quest is
covered in the Gollund Colliery section below -- press Ctrl+F and enter 00col
to jump there.
Second, you can also access the event to earn the Tynar Rouge accessory ...
that is, IF you still have Mustadio, Agrias, Alicia, and Lavian on your team.
It occurs on 1 Cancer, which follows the month of Gemini, which follows Taurus.
So, if you're in Gemini or Taurus, keep your head up about that. See the
Agrias's Birthday section below for the full scoop on how to complete that
mission.
If you don't complete these sidequests now, don't worry--they have no
expiration date and you can always complete them later.
You'll notice that a couple new routes have opened up from Riovanes: a shortcut
back towards Eagrose Castle, and another down towards Dorter leading through
the new Mount Bervenia location. You'll need to visit Mount Bervenia later if
you're doing the Cloud Subquest, but there's not much to see there now.
Instead, you'll want to head towards Zeltennia, where Ramza hopes to meet up
with Delita to discuss the Church's plot. Go up to the pass near Lesalia.
This is a routine battle against the Order of the Southern Sky. Whip through
here and continue on towards the Free City of Bervenia.
Before you enter the town, equip the Safeguard ability on everybody who has it.
Archer's Bane, Jump, and Ignore Elevation or Teleport are also helpful. In
Bervenia, you'll encounter -- and fight -- Isilud's sister Meliadoul,
accompanied by some Summoners and Archers. She has some very useful pieces of
equipment (the Defender knight's sword and the Chantage perfume), so you may
want to deploy someone with Steal and try to snag them, especially the
Chantage. (See the battle strategies for more tips on stealing.) If you don't
get them here, there *are* other ways to get them, but it's certainly worth
taking a shot at acquiring them here.
When you win the battle against Meliadoul, she'll teleport away and you'll be
able to visit the shops in town. The Outfitter doesn't have anything new, but
if you were able to steal Meliadoul's Defender and/or Chantage, equip them.
The Defender is the first knight's sword you will have come across, which can
only be used a select few jobs (Knight, Dark Knight, plus Ramza's Squire job
and Agrias's Holy Knight job are the only ones who can use it now.)
Also, now that you've completed the battle at Bervenia, you can begin the
subquest to recruit Balthier. It requires trekking back down to Gariland, so
you can either do it now or just wait until you pass through that way a few
battles later. For the full scoop on the Balthier quest, see the Recruiting
Balthier section -- press Ctrl+F and enter 00balt to jump down there.
When you first leave Bervenia, there will be another intermission with Delita
and Ovelia. Move on to Finnath Creek for another battle. You may want to
bring an Orator or someone else with Speechcraft and Beast Tongue as you may
able to recruit a Pig here. Instant-KO attacks (e.g. the Black Mage's Death)
or petrification attacks (the Mystic's Induration or Beowulf's Break) will also
be helpful here.
After crossing the creek, you can finally get to Zeltennia Castle. Ramza will
go to the church, where he'll meet Delita again. In an FMV scene, Delita
explains more of the church's plan. Zalmour then shows up, and it's fight time
(did you really think you could go somewhere without one?). With Delita's
help, it's quite easy. After the battle, you'll meet with Valmafra, then
Delita will leave (bummer).
Strangely, the shops *still* don't have anything new. But restock your items;
you'll need lots of X-Potions. You may also want to grab a couple Aegis
Shields for any shield-using characters, if you don't already have some in your
inventory. Then go to the Beddha Sandwaste, south of Bervenia. Here you'll
encounter another Knight Templar, Barich, in a tough battle. To prepare
yourself, you may want to equip White Robes and Aegis Shields to protect
against enemy magic; deploying someone with the Esuna White Magick spell may
also be helpful. This is one the last difficult encounters of the game, as
pretty soon you... well, you'll see.
After beating Barich (it may well take you a few tries), go to Fort Besselat.
You'll have a choice as to whether to attack the south or north wall. Each is
a different battle. I find that the south wall is easier, especially if you
don't have characters with a good Jump rating. Still, a good Jump stat is
useful for either battle, as is Archer's Bane.
Whichever way you go, you'll end up at the floodgate. Save your game in a
different slot, then continue. There's a second battle at the sluice. After
Ramza blows up the sluice, he, Orran, and Valmafra will rescue Orlandeau.
Orran goes back to Zeltennia to guard Ovelia, but Orlandeau THEN JOINS YOU!
YAHOO!! If you just heard a giant sucking sound, it was all the challenge
going down to Mexico (er, unless you live in Mexico, then it all went to
Zimbabwe). Orlandeau is ridiculously powerful, and once you have him, hardly
anyone in the game has a chance against you. He has all of Agrias's,
Gaffgarion's, and Meliadoul's sword techniques, plus a full set of Crystal
equipment and the Excalibur, the latter of which gives him a permanent Haste.
He can also use every type of sword (katana, knight's sword, etc.). To put it
simply, he is hell on wheels.
Meanwhile, Delita advances his power. A cutscene pops up instructing you to go
to Limberry. A handy new path now opens up between Fort Besselat and Zeirchele
Falls. If you didn't already recruit Balthier, now is a great time to hike
over to Gariland and begin that quest. (Again, see the Recruiting Balthier
section below for the full scoop.)
Your next stop is the Trade City of Sal Ghidos. On the way, stop in at
Zeltennia. Finally, there's new equipment for sale! Aside from one hat that
becomes available after Limberry, the gear here and at Sal Ghidos is the last
round of equipment upgrades you can find in stores. There's better equipment
out there, of course, but you have to steal or find it; you can't buy it.
There's no point in holding back on upgrading, but save 50,000 - 75,000 gil or
so for some accessories you'll need for the next arc.
At Zeltennia, you'll find a new knife, sword, crossbow, polearm, shield, helm,
armor, and the Featherweave Cloak accessory. Note that there are two new sets
of armor available: the Crystal Mirror, which is a "regular" set of armor, and
the Mirror Mail, which gives the character a permanent Reflect (basically the
same as a Reflect Ring, but it doesn't take up your accessory slot :) ). This
reflects enemy spells, but it also reflects your own cure spells or buffs. If
you only use items to heal, though, the Reflect effect can be useful.
At your next stop, the Trade City of Sal Ghidos, you'll run into what is
probably a familiar face ... it's Aerith! Choose the SECOND option to buy a
flower from her; you'll need to do so if you want to complete all the
subquests. Be careful not to speed through the text and choose the first
option by mistake!
Once you have the flower, you can complete the Nelveska Temple quest (again,
covered below in the subquests section), though this also requires you to have
finished the Gollund Colliery quest first. The Nelveska Temple nets you one
character upgrade, as well as the chance to acquire some rare items via the
Treasure Hunter ability. Completing the Nelveska Temple in turn opens the
Recruiting Cloud quest, which lets you recruit Cloud from Final Fantasy VII
into your party. If you accidentally do NOT buy the flower, however, you'll
miss out on your chance on complete these quests.
After meeting with Aerith at Sal Ghidos, head into town (yup, there's no
fight). There's yet more new equipment! Will the wonders never cease? Be
sure to stop in for an upgrade. You can get new knives, katanas, polearms,
poles, clothes, and hats. There's also the new Luminous Robe, although it
doesn't have any special bonuses, so if you're using Black Magick, you may
prefer to keep the Black Robe for its offensive bonuses.
Before you leave, you'll want to have a good selection of equipment to protect
yourself against the status conditions you'll face at Limberry. Jujitsu Gis
and Jade Armlets are especially helpful, as they protect against the KO and
Stop conditions that Celia and Lettie throw at you, and Protect Rings will
defend against Sleep and Doom. You may also want to pick up a Nu Khai Armband
or two for male characters; these protect against Charm.
There are also a couple of new errands. Since Zeltennia and Sal Ghidos are
right next to each other, you can easily clear the errands in either town (as
well as in Bervenia) just by walking back and forth between them. They may
help you out if you need to earn a little cash to buy stuff, though, in many
cases, they're just as likely to lose you money as to earn you it. If you
still need more money, you could complete the next two story battles (en route
to Limberry), then come back to Sal Ghidos to shop with the bonus gil you
received.
Pop on down to Mount Germinas, where you'll have a run-in with some bandits.
With Orlandeau in your party, this battle is a breeze. There is one unique
item here, which you can obtain either during the story battle or a random
battle. It's the Invisibility Cloak, a cloak that (as you might expect)
automatically makes you invisible. To get the cloak, first save the game;
then equip someone with Treasure Hunter ability and move him/her to the top of
the mountain. You'll receive either an Ether or the cloak; the LOWER your
Bravery, the HIGHER your chances of getting the cloak. (Rapha is good for this
because she has a pretty low Bravery.) If you get the Ether, you lose your
shot at getting the cloak, so you'll have to reset and try again. There's no
time limit on attempting to get the cloak (as long as you don't search and get
an Ether), so if you don't have a good Move/Jump range or if your Bravery is
too low, you can skip it for now and come back later.
After Mount Germinas, you'll go to Lake Poescas. This is another undead
scenario, but it's really easy. As always, Mustadio and (if you have him)
Balthier are good for petrifying the undead. You then see a scene with
Dycedarg, after which you can go to Limberry Castle.
There's a sequence of four battles at Limberry Castle; as usual, you'll want to
save in a different slot between them, so that you don't lock yourself in. The
first battle is at the gate (isn't it always?). You'll be fighting Celia and
Lettie again, so equipping your anti-Stop/KO/Charm gear is essential. The
battle is pretty easy, but it's your best chance to learn Ultima. To do so,
just make Ramza into a Squire before the battle and he'll learn the spell when
Celia or Lettie casts it on him. (Luso can also learn the spell, but it's
probably easiest to just have Ramza learn it here and then later teach it to
Luso by having Ramza cast it on him.)
After winning the gate battle, you'll see a story scene with Elmdore and
Folmarv. Keep your status protection gear equipped for the next battle. If
Ramza already learned Ultima, you can switch him back to his regular job now;
otherwise, you'll have additional chances in the next two battles.
The second battle is against Elmdore, Celia, and Lettie in the keep. If you're
looking for revenge from the Riovanes Castle Roof, now's your chance -- but
look out, Elmdore is still pretty darn tough, and nearly impossible to hit.
Check the battle strategies if you need help beating him.
After defeating Elmdore in the keep, you can return your equipment to normal as
you won't have to fight Celia and Lettie any more. Next up is the courtyard,
you'll have to square off against an old "friend." Deploying someone who can
inflict Disable status (e.g. Mustadio, Balthier, Beowulf, or a Mystic) is
particularly important for this battle.
Finally, you'll proceed down to the basement for the last battle in this
sequence and your last encounter with Elmdore -- now in Lucavi form. Equipping
Protect Rings beforehand will help guard against some of the status attacks he
uses on you. Meliadoul will also help you out here.
After you defeat Elmdore for the last time, you'll collect two more Zodiac
Stones--Elmdore's Gemini stone and Meliadoul's Sagittarius stone--and Meliadoul
will offer to join you. Although she's not quite as powerful as Orlandeau
(Orlandeau has all her sword techniques, plus more!), her sword techniques are
still pretty good ... and, unlike in the PSone version, they work on monsters!
She also has a pretty high Faith, so she can be good with magick too if you
change her to a magick-using job. She comes equipped with the Save the Queen
knight's sword; if you don't plan on using her, give this sword to someone else
as it's probably stronger than anything else you have save the Excalibur.
Limberry Castle is now a normal town, so you can go to the Tavern and Outfitter
(although there's nothing new at the shop). When you try to leave, you'll see
a long set of story scenes with Ovelia and then with Zalbaag. Now take a look
at map. You'll note Eagrose Castle has turned red. It's time to hike all the
way back there.
A new wilderness location has opened up west of Limberry: Dorvauldar Marsh.
Although nothing story-related happens here and you never *have* to visit, it
provides a handy shortcut between Limberry and Fort Besselat. Now that you've
defeated Elmdore, many towns around the map also have new errands to complete.
As you make your way back to Eagrose, stop in at a non-castle town. You can
now buy Thief's Caps, the last piece of new equipment that the shops will
carry. If you don't have any Nu Khai Armbands, you'll also want to acquire
a set of those for an upcoming battle.
If you step into Dorter on the way back to Eagrose, you'll have an extra battle
against Cletienne, another of Folmarv's henchmen. Meliadoul automatically
participates as a guest in this battle, so be sure to equip her accordingly.
Alternately, you can avoid this battle entirely if you go to Bervenia and head
west along the northern coast ... but this is such a long and circuitous route
that you're likely to have more random battles than you save by avoiding
Cletienne. (Note that the Cletienne battle will also not trigger if you never
admitted into Meliadoul into your party or if she has already been killed or
fired.)
When you finally do reach Eagrose, Ramza will open the gate (no gate battle,
yay!), and then you'll line up for a fight. For an easy victory, equip Nu
Khai Armbands and deploy Agrias, Orlandeau, and Meliadoul. You'll fight a two-
stage battle against another Lucavi, Adrammelech. When killed, he will yield
the Capricorn Zodiac Stone. (You can also pick up an extra Blood Sword and
Healing Staff in this battle if you bring someone with Treasure Hunter and low
Bravery, but it's not too important to get and the Healing Staff is quite
difficult to reach.)
After defeating Adrammelech, head to Gariland. Stock up on Holy Water and take
the new route south to Mullonde. At Mullonde, you'll be treated to a series of
battles, beginning outside the church (not that hard), and progressing inside,
where you'll face off against Folmarv, Loffrey, and Cletienne. Equip Safeguard
here since Loffrey likes to break your equipment. The three Knights Templar
will teleport away after you beat on them for a while. If any of your
equipment got broken in this battle, you'll need to replace it; strip the gear
from somebody you're not going to be using in the next battle.
You'll then go to the sanctuary, where Ramza will have to fight a possessed
former ally. If you're still missing Ultima, this is your last chance to learn
it and save it to your save file. The sanctuary battle is the last of the
sequence of the battles at Mullonde; afterwards, Ramza will meet up with a
dying Funebris, who tells him that Folmarv is going to Orbonne Monastery.
Back on the map, a handy route has opened up between Mullonde and the Clockwork
City of Goug. Another set of subquests becomes available: Midlight's Deep in
Warjilis Trade City, Disorder in the Order (in Zeltennia and Dorter), and (if
you've already completed the Nelveska Temple quest) Lionel's New Liege Lord.
And if you're still working on the earlier subquests, the new route between
Mullonde and Goug makes them a lot easier. If you're going to do these quests
or anything else on the map, take care of it now! Once you go to Orbonne
Monastery, you're locked into the game's final series of battles.
Before you go to Orbonne, make sure you're ready. Your main team of characters
should be at least level 40. Equip yourself with all your best abilities, and
change to your best jobs. Earning JP doesn't matter now. In truth, the last
sequence of battles isn't all that difficult, just long. You may also want to
buy a couple pairs of Winged Boots since they'll be helpful in one of the
upcoming battles. Definitely purchase some Thief's Caps if you haven't
already.
!!!CAUTION!!!
Once you enter Orbonne, there is NO way to return to the world map. If you
want to be able to continue playing the game on the world map, you must keep a
save from before you entered the Monastery. Once you enter the Monastery,
save in a DIFFERENT slot.
!!!CAUTION!!!
The first battle at Orbonne is against some generic enemies -- an easy battle.
Afterwards, you'll move on to the fifth for the next battle. Beforehand,
ready your Safeguard abilities to protect yourself from Crush attacks.
Equipping Winged Boots or the Jump +x and Fly abilities will also help you
navigate the pit-laden terrain.
On the fifth level, you'll face the first of a series of four battles against
the Zodiac Braves. First up is Loffrey. After you defeat him, he'll suck you
through a portal to the Necrohol of Mullonde (of no apparent relation to
Mullonde Cathedral), then destroy the way back. Return your abilities and
equipment to normal.
Your next opponent is Cletienne. After that, you'll face Barich, brought back
to life by the Zodiac Stones. This can be a pretty tough fight; deploying
long-range attackers is a good idea and you'll probably want to equip Thief's
Caps to keep Barich from Immobilizing or Disabling you.
Finally, you'll head to the Airship Graveyard, which is really just a single
airship, and a rather odd location for a final battle. Folmarv will use the
Leo Stone to transform him into a giant lion, Hashmal. You may want to equip
your Jade Armlets again for this battle since he likes to cast Stop on you.
Defeat him and you'll get the Ragnarok sword. St. Ajora will then appear.
You now have one last chance to save your game and adjust your characters.
Equip the Ragnarok sword. It's strong but not quite as useful as the
Excalibur, since it doesn't give you an automatic Haste. But if you have two
characters who can use knight's swords (Knights, Dark Knights, and many of the
special jobs), you can give the Ragnarok to the second one
Another Alma will somehow appear. Ajora then summons four Ultima Demons in
response, then transforms into Ultima. Alma will join you as a guest for the
final battle, against the Generic Angel Boss (TM). After pounding on Ultima
for a while, Ultima will (of course) reveal his/her/its (?) true form, a
skeletony-type of angel. Thankfully, the Ultima Demons disappear for this
phase of the battle.
When you defeat Ultima's second form, it will blow up (nice special effects).
The Battle Is Won! Leave the game on after the credits for an additional
scene.
Note that when the game says it's saving afterwards, it's just doing so to
unlock some of the multiplayer missions. If you saved at any point during the
final sequence of battles (i.e., any time after you entered Orbonne Monastery),
loading this save will only put you back into the last set of battles and
doesn't allow you back to the world map. So, again, if you want to do anything
outside of the Necrohol, hang on to a separate save from before you entered
Orbonne Monastery!
If you haven't beaten Midlight's Deep and all the other subquests, you're not
done yet! Keep on reading for information on those quests.
*******************************************************************************
IV. WALKTHROUGH - SUBQUESTS 00sub
*******************************************************************************
Final Fantasy Tactics boasts a number of optional subquests, all of which
become available at various points in Chapter IV. In addition, some of the
subquests require you to have completed other subquests first. Specific
requirements for each quest are listed with the walkthroughs below, but I've
also provided this cheesy ASCII chart to demonstrate how they flow together.
Agrias's Birthday --------> Recruiting Cloud
(beginning of Chapter IV) /
/
Gollund Colliery ----------> Nelveska Temple
(beginning of Chapter IV) (after Fort \
Besselat) \
------> Lionel's New Liege Lord
Recruiting Balthier (after Mullonde)
(after Free City of Bervenia battle)
Disorder in the Order
(after Mullonde)
Midlight's Deep
(after Mullonde)
Walkthroughs for the quests are below. Battle strategies for the battles
encountered within these quests can be found in the Subquest Battle Strategies
section -- press Ctrl+F and enter 00bssub to jump there.
%%%AGRIAS'S BIRTHDAY%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00agr
QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: At beginning of Chapter IV
REWARDS: Tynar Rouge
A pair of Agrias-related subquests become available in Chapter IV. The first
one allows you to obtain the Tynar Rouge, a good accessory for female
characters (if not *quite* as abusive as the Chantage). To trigger the scene
in which you acquire the Tynar Rouge, you must move onto a TOWN or CITY (NOT a
castle) on the world map on the date of 1 Cancer, which is Agrias's birthday.
In addition, you must also meet these other requirements:
- Agrias, Mustadio, Alicia, and Lavian must still be alive and on your roster.
- You must have at least 500,000 gil in your War Funds. Only 50,000 of this
will be spent as part of the quest, but you must have 500,000 available.
- You must be in Chapter IV. (This event can be completed at any point during
Chapter IV, though.)
Assuming you meet the above requirements, if you move onto a town (again, a
castle will NOT work), on 1 Cancer, you'll see a scene in which Mustadio buys
Agrias the Tynar Rouge lip rouge for her birthday. The 50,000 gil cost of the
rouge will be subtracted from your War Funds. It's worth the expense, though,
as the Tynar Rouge is a great accessory. It can be equipped by any female
character (not just Agrias) and grants a permanent Shell, Protect, and Haste,
as well as a bonus to your attack and magick strength.
1 Cancer follows after 32 Gemini. The easiest way to ensure that you land on a
city or town on that date is to simply move back and forth between Gollund Coal
City and Lesalia. Both of these count as towns, so you're guaranteed to land
on a town on 1 Cancer. If you somehow miss the date and don't end up on a town
on 1 Cancer, don't worry; the event never "expires." You can just wait until
all the months cycle through and try again the next time 1 Cancer comes up, as
long as you still meet the requirements listed above. (Fortunately, the
villains are more than happy to postpone their plans of world domination while
you spend a year shopping for makeup.)
%%%GOLLUND COLLIERY%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00col
QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: At beginning of Chapter IV
REWARDS: Beowulf, Reis [Holy Dragon], and Construct 8 join the party
In the Gollund Colliery quest, you'll recruit three new characters: Beowulf,
Reis (in dragon form), and Construct 8. It's the first in a series of three
quests, also leading into the Nelveska Temple and Cloud quests. To complete
ANY of these quests, you must have Mustadio still around, so don't dismiss him
or let him get killed!
To start the quest, once Chapter IV begins, go to the Clockwork City of Goug.
Besrudio, Mustadio's father, will show you an iron sphere he's found. (If
you've already seen this scene, you don't need to repeat it.)
Now go to the Mining Town of Gollund, in the center of the map. At the Tavern
in Gollund, listen to the rumor "The Haunted Mine." You will be asked to fight
a monster in the coal mines. Leave the bar. Nothing will happen at first, but
go north to Lesalia. Ramza will automatically go into the Tavern and learn
more about the coal mine job. He agrees to take it. On the way out, Beowulf
will stop you and ask you to take him with you. Choose the second option to
sign him up and he joins you as a Guest. (If you choose the first option and
reject his assistance, the quest will end and you'll be permanently locked out
of it!)
You'll note that the Mining Town of Gollund has turned red. First, equip
Mystic Arts as Beowulf's second ability, since he already has a bunch of Mystic
Arts spells learned. Go back into Lesalia and check at the Outfitter's;
depending on how far you are through Chapter IV, you may be able to buy Beowulf
some better equipment. Equipment that protects you against ice will be
especially helpful in the upcoming battles, so you may want to pick up some
Ice Shields or White Robes if you don't have any in your inventory. (You'll
have to go to a non-castle town to buy the robes.) Ideally, try to buy both
some Icebrands and other swords. The ice damage from the Icebrands will be
effective in some battles here, but there are also some monsters that absorb
ice.
Save your game--there's an extended series of battles coming up--and return to
Gollund, where you'll be forced into entering the Gollund Colliery. You have
to fight through three areas in the snow. Equipping your anti-ice gear will
protect you well against the ice attacks you'll face. Since the snowy weather
boosts the power of ice attacks, you'll also want to equip any Icebrands and
Glacial Guns you own for the first two battles. For the third battle, however,
switch them to other weapons; you'll face Blue Dragons that absorb ice!
After the three battles, you'll reach the Coal Shaft. The monsters here are
WEAK against ice, so strip off your anti-ice gear and re-equip any Icebrands
you have. In the Coal Shaft, the Holy Dragon Reis is being attacked by an
Archaeodaemon. You have to save her.
After this battle, you'll get the Aquarius Zodiac Stone, and Reis and Beowulf
will offer to join you. Sign them both up as you need them for later quests.
(Be sure to keep them alive, too!) Reis, particularly while she's still stuck
in dragon form, is not that great, but Beowulf IS. In particular, shoot for
learning his Vengeance and Chicken abilities. Chicken does a HUGE drop on
enemy Bravery and frequently turnes them into a helpless chicken, while
Vengeance is a potent attack with a long range.
Now that you've got the Aquarius Stone, return to Goug. You will put in the
Aquarius stone in the iron sphere, which transforms into Construct 8. A
comical scene will follow, and then another new character, Construct 8, joins
you. Construct 8 is more like a monster in that it can't change jobs, but it's
super-strong anyway. It has a long-range laser attack, an inherent Counter,
and is basically impervious to magick and most (though not all) status
conditions. Sign it up for sure!
On the way out of Goug, if you've progressed sufficiently far in the game,
you'll get another scene in which Besrudio puts together another device that
requires the Cancer Zodiac Stone. If you've finished up Fort Besselat, you can
now begin the Nelveska Temple quest, below.
%%%RECRUITING BALTHIER%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00balt
QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: After completing battle at the Free City of Bervenia
REWARDS: Balthier joins the party, Ras Algethi gun, Mirage Vest
Balthier from Final Fantasy XII makes an appearance as an optional cameo
character you can sign up for your team.
Any time after completing the battle at the Free City of Bervenia in Chapter
IV, visit the Magick City of Gariland and enter the Tavern. Read the "Rash of
Thefts" rumor. Now, go east to Dorter and visit the Taven there. Read the new
rumor here ("A Call for Guards") that will have appeared if you read the rumor
at Gariland.
It seems like nothing has happened, but return to the map and try to leave
Dorter. You'll get into kicked into a battle (though not without a lengthy
FMV intro to Balthier first). Balthier will help you out here as a guest.
You can check the Other Subquests section of the battle strategies if you need
help, but it should be really be pretty easy.
Afterwards, you can sign Balthier up for your team. He's basically a
combination of Mustadio (he has all of Mustadio's Aimed Shot abilities) and a
Thief, with one unique ability of his own: Barrage. Barrage allows him to
attack four times in a row for 1/2 damage each time, essentially allowing you
to do double damage. His "Plunder" abilities are also a little better than
regular Stealing; when it comes to stealing equipment, a Plunder is 10
percentage points more likely to succeed than a Steal. (So, if a Steal would
have, say, a 36% success rate, Plunder will have a 46% success rate, for
instance.)
Balthier also comes equipped with a Ras Algethi gun and Mirage Vest, two items
you can't find anywhere else! Both are quite strong, so if you don't plan on
using Balthier, you should at least give his gear to someone else.
%%%NELVESKA TEMPLE%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00nel
QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: After clearing Fort Besselat and
completing Gollund Colliery quest
REWARDS: Reis returns to human form, various items found with Treasure Hunter
In order to begin the Nelveska Temple quest, you must first have finished the
battles at Fort Besselat in the main storyline, as well as having completed the
Gollund Colliery quest above. (Beowulf and Reis the Holy Dragon must also
still be on your team.)
When you first reach the Trade City of Sal Ghidos during the main storyline,
you'll be asked to buy a flower for 1 gil from Aerith. Make sure you choose
the SECOND option to buy the flower. You'll need to buy this flower in order
to continue with the quest. If you fail to buy the flower when asked, it seems
that you do NOT have a second chance to get it, which means that you
unfortunately can't continue with this quest :(
Once you've got the flower, go down to Goug and you'll see a scene where
Besrudio presents another device unearthed from the tunnels; this one requires
the Cancer Zodiac Stone. (If you've already seen this scene, you don't need
to go back to Goug.)
Now go back up to Zeltennia Castle. Go to the tavern and listen to the "Cursed
Isle of Nelveska" rumor. This will open up a new path on your map from
Zeltennia to Nelveska Temple.
Although you can open up the route to Nelveska as soon as you reach Zeltennia,
in order to actually trigger the battle there, you must have seen the scene
at Goug where Besrudio presents his weathervane-like device.
The battle at Nelveska Temple contains a number of rare items that can be
found using Treasure Hunter. These items include a super-powered Javelin and
Escutcheon as well as the Sasuke's Blade ninja blade and the goofy Nagnarok
sword. The Javelin II and Escutcheon II are especially worth picking up (and
the Escutcheon II isn't available anywhere else!). You only have this one
chance to get them, as there are no random battles at Nelveska Temple. Of
course, you certainly don't NEED any of these items and they can be tricky to
get, so it's up to you as to whether you want to try for them.
If you do want to get the items, you'll need to have a LOW Bravery -- the
higher your Treasure Hunter's Bravery, the higher the odds of getting a crummy
item instead. Rapha is great for this purpose since her Bravery already starts
pretty low. For the best odds, though, you'll want to lower it even further.
The best way to do this is probably with the Orator ability Intimidate; for
every use of this ability, she'll lose 20 points of Bravery during the battle
but 5 points permanently. Be careful not to reduce her permanent Bravery TOO
low, though, or she will quit the party (so using Beowulf's Chicken may not be
a good idea). 15 to 20 is probably a safe number.
Whether you're planning on looking for the items or not, you'll probably want
to buy some Gold Needle or Remedies before you leave town for the coming
battle, or equip Jade Armlets -- the Cockatrices at the temple can turn you to
stone.
Go to Nelveska and you'll be attacked by Construct 7. This is the one battle
here, so search for the hidden items if you want, or just take down Construct
7. (See the battle strategies for tips both on the fight and on successfully
retrieving the items.) When Construct 7 explodes, you'll get its power source:
the Cancer Zodiac Stone.
When you try to leave Nelveska Island, Beowulf will use the Cancer stone to
restore the dragon Reis to her normal human form. She will then re-join your
party, keeping all her dragon abilities and adding many new ones she can learn.
Even in human form, her Dragonkin job can use very little equipment (just hair
adornments, bags, and some accessories), but she has killer stats and an
inherent Dual Wield. (The Dual Wield can only be used only with weapon types
that can be Dual Wielded, of course, but that includes her fists.)
If you now return the Cancer Stone to Besrudio, he'll summon Cloud ... but you
won't be able to go any further to recruit him onto the team unless you've
already defeated Adrammelech in the main storylie. (See Recruiting Cloud,
below.) If you've gone even further and cleared Mullonde in the main
storyline, you can also embark on the Lionel's New Liege Lord quest.
%%%RECRUITING CLOUD%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00cloud
QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: Immediately after completing Nelveska Temple quest
REWARDS: Cloud joins the party
You can get Cloud any time after you complete Ford Besselat. In order to get
him, you must first complete the Gollund Colliery quest, followed by the
Nelveska Temple quest, both described above. You'll also still need Mustadio
around.
Having completed both of these quests, hike all the way back to Goug. (If
you've finished the battles at Mullonde, you'll have a handy shortcut.)
Besrudio will power up the weathervane with the Cancer Stone and it will ...
summon Cloud. Cloud, in typical Cloud fashion, will refuse to let you
introduce yourselves and run off in pursuit of Sephiroth.
Now you have to go all the way to the Trade City of Sal Ghidos. Remember when
you met Aerith here earlier? Well, she's back, and this time she's being
accosted by some thieves. Cloud comes to save her, but has another one of his
schizophrenic breakdowns. You have to save him from the thieves. This is
quite an easy battle, although you may want to equip Safeguard beforehand so
the Thieves can't steal any of your gear. Afterwards, Clod... er, Cloud will
join you.
You're still not totally finished with this quest. In order for Cloud to be
able to use his Limit attacks, you need to find his Materia Blade. The Blade
is found using the Treasure Hunter ability on Mount Bervenia. The easiest
method is to go to Riovanes Castle and just move back and forth between
Riovanes and Mount Bervenia until you get into a random battle.
Once you're in battle, move your Treasure Hunter to the very tippy-top of the
volcano to discover the Materia Blade. You'll need a Jump at least of 4 to
reach the volcano top -- equip Germinas Boots if you need a boost. Unlike the
other rare items found with Treasure Hunter, this one doesn't depend on your
Bravery. You'll always receive the Materia Blade on this tile, regardless of
your Bravery; there's no chance of getting the wrong thing. Once you've
secured the Materia Blade, finish off the rest of the enemies to end the
battle. (If you end the battle by mistake before getting the Blade, just start
up another battle; the Blade never disappears until you find it.)
If you're having a hard time getting your Treasure Hunter up to the top during
the battle, one strategy is to kill off all but one enemy, and then use
Beowulf's Chicken ability to turn the last enemy into a chicken. This leaves
you free to spend as much time as needed navigating the volcano.
Equipping Cloud with the Materia Blade allows him to use his Limit command,
although you still have to learn all the Limit abilities individually.
Honestly, Cloud isn't really all that great a character, in my estimation --
his Limits take a long time to charge (you'll probably want to give him the
Time Mage's Swiftness ability), and he starts back at level 1.
%%%DISORDER IN THE ORDER%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00dis
QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: After Mullonde battles
REWARDS: Lots of stealable equipment
The second of two Agrias-related quests, this quest becomes available late in
Chapter IV, after you win the battles at Mullonde Cathedral. You do NOT have
to have completed the other Agrias quest (Agrias's Birthday) to access it.
First, after clearing the Cathedral, make tracks for Zeltennia Castle, in the
upper right corner of the map. As long as Agrias is still with you, when you
reach Zeltennia, you'll see a scene in which Agrias meets with Ovelia and sets
up an important later plot point. (If Alicia and Lavian are still around,
they'll also participate in this scene, but they're not required.)
Nothing else happens here, but now head to the Magick City of Gariland or
Eagrose Castle and hit up the Tavern. If you saw the above, there will be a
new rumor, "Disorder in the Order." Listen to it.
Now, if you head back to the Brigands' Den south of Mandalia Plain, you'll
get into a battle against some deserts from the Order of the Northern Sky.
Agrias functions as a Guest in this battle. Be SURE to bring a character who
can steal, as there are a lot of great rare items you can get here. (Balthier
may be particularly useful, since his Plunder skills a little bit more likely
to succeed than regular Steals.) While none of the stealable items are
available ONLY in this battle, it's a chance to grab second copies of some
items you can't buy in stores. The extra Venetian Shield and Kaiser Shield you
can get here are particularly handy, and you can also get more magick guns, a
Sasuke's Blade, and Ninja Gear and a Barette. If you bring Orlandeau along,
you can also see a few extra lines of dialogue.
The actual battle should be fairly easy. Nothing special happens when you
clear it--it's mostly just an avenue for stealing a lot of great items :)
%%%LIONEL'S NEW LIEGE LORD%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00lio
QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: After Mullonde battles AND completing Gollund Colliery
quest
REWARDS: Genji Armor, Zeus Mace, Sortile'ge, stealable Masamune and Chantage,
Hydrascale Bag, other equipment
To begin the new Beowulf subquest, you must first complete the Nelveska Temple
quest. At this point, you will have recruited Beowulf and Reis and returned
Reis to human form. Beowulf and Reis must also still be alive and on your
roster. (It's not necessary to do to the quest to recruit Cloud or get his
Materia Blade.) You also have to completed the battle against Zalbaag at
Mullonde in the main storyline.
Finally, to activate the quest, you have to have read the "Lionel's New Liege
Lord" rumor that appears in Taverns after you've completed the battle at
Bervenia Free City during Chapter IV. This rumor can be read before or after
you recruit Beowulf and Reis.
The main purpose of this quest is to acquire the Masamune and Genji Armor, as
well as a few other goodies.
This quest, of course, takes place at Lionel Castle. As soon as you visit
Lionel Castle after meeting the requirements above, you're thrown into the
quest, so you'll want to prepare first. Make sure you have a character able to
steal, as this subquest gives you a chance to steal a Masamune and a Chantage.
When you reach Lionel Castle, you'll see a story scene and Reis will be
spirited away. You're given a chance to save and adjust your roster before
being booted into battle. (Since Reis is presently kidnapped, you won't be
able to select her as part of your team for this battle.) Note that Beowulf
functions as a guest in this subquest. If he's KOed in the first battle, you
lose, so be sure to equip with some decent armor and/or a shield and deploy a
healer. (In thesecond battle, it doesn't matter if he's KOed.) The bosses
here have Safeguard, which renders them immune to Meliadoul's Unyielding Blade
attacks, so you probably won't want to deploy her unless she has some good
other abilities.
You'll fight a sequence of two battles at Lionel. The first is against
Beowulf's old pal Aliste. When you win here, you'll get the Genji Armor, the
second strongest suit of armor in the game. You'll have another chance to
save and adjust your team -- so equip that Genji Armor -- before moving on to
the second battle, against Bremondt himself. Be sure to deploy your stealing
character here, as one of the enemy samurai has the Masamune and this is the
by far the best place to get it. (See the battle strategies for more info.)
When Bremondt goes down, you'll receive a Zeus Mace, a very nice staff, for
your efforts. (There's a second Zeus Mace in Midlight's Deep, but it doesn't
hurt to have two!)
Beowulf and Reis are reunited, and in gratitude for all your help, Beowulf
hands over all his treasure, including a Gold Hairpin, a Hydrascale Bag, a
pair of Hermes Shoes, a Diamond Bracelet, and the Sortile'ge perfume. You're
now prompted to add Beowulf and Reis back into your roster, and this subquest
is now complete!
%%%MIDLIGHT'S DEEP%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00md
QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: After Mullonde battles
REWARDS: Numerous rare items, Zodiark summon, the Byblos joins the party
Midlight's Deep is a dungeon with ten floors (each a separate battle), each
packed with really powerful equipment. It's completely optional, and in
fact is more difficult than the actual end of the game.
You can only access Midlight's Deep after you beat Mullonde Holy Place. Then
go to the Port City of Warjilis. When you arrive, you'll automatically see a
scene in the tavern in which Ramza overhears a rumor about the Deep. (Fans of
the original PSone version of FF Tactics may get a kick out of some of the
dialogue here.) When you leave town, a route will automatically pop up to the
tiny island to the east, which contains Midlight's Deep, a ten-floor bonus
dungeon.
To enter Midlight's Deep, move to the island. Then, click on Midlight's Deep a
second time. Choose the floor you want to enter. (At the beginning, only the
first floor will be accessible, but you'll open up more as you progress.)
---General Instructions--------------------------------------------------------
BATTLES IN THE DEEP
Midlight's Deep battles are basically considered random battles, which means
that the exact line-up of enemies changes each time. It also means that you
don't have to deploy Ramza. The exception is the initial encounter on the last
floor, which has a fixed set of enemies AND requires Ramza to be deployed.
NAVIGATING THE DARKNESS
To make things challenging, every floor of Midlight's Deep is completely dark.
You can see your team and the enemies, but you can't see the terrain. Crystals
left by dead enemies will light up much of the area, but there's another way to
see. Select an attack with a really long range, like a gun attack, Beowulf's
Vengeance, Construct 8's Dispose, or best of all, Teleport (which lights up the
*whole* map). When you're choosing a target, most of the panels on the
battlefield will be highlighted, giving you a chance to study the terrain. You
don't even have to USE the selected attack, just select it, look at the map,
and then cancel back to the menu. Since you can do this every round, you
shouldn't have too much trouble seeing what you're doing.
FINDING THE EXITS
But not only do you have to beat the enemies on each level, you ALSO have to
find the exit to open up the next level. If you kill all the enemies without
finding the exit, you'll just be kicked back to the map screen and have to
replay the level before you can advance. To find the exit, you simply have to
move a character onto the tile that contains the exit, at which point you'll
get a message telling you that you "found a passage leading deeper." Once you
finish off the remaining enemies and return to the map, you'll be able to
select the next floor. You do NOT need the Treasure Hunter ability to find
the exits.
To make things tricky, the exit is RANDOMLY placed on one of several possible
tiles -- so you don't know where it is! But, the exit is usually on the
enemy's side of the battlefield, and often in a corner. Not always, though.
Rmemeber, the battle ends when you KO the last enemy, and if you didn't find
the exit, you'll have to replay the level. So, you need to find the exit
BEFORE you KO that last enemy. The easiest way to do this is to KO all but one
enemy, then use Beowulf's Chicken spell on the last one to turn it into a
chicken. (If the enemy has 60 or more Bravery, you'll have to use Chicken
twice before it actually turns into a chicken.) Once the last enemy is a
harmless chicken, it's easy to walk around the level and look for the exit.
Chicken lasts for quite a while, but each turn the enemy gets 1 point of
Bravery back, and when it has 10 Bravery, the Chicken spell will wear off.
But, if you always recast Chicken when it's close to wearing off, you can keep
the enemy a chicken forever :). Of course, you don't HAVE to use the Chicken
trick to find the exit -- it just makes it a lot easier.
While you do need to find the exits to advance, there's no obligation to find
the exit on your first visit. If the battle gets rough, it's fine to just
finish off the enemies and forget about finding the exit. You can look for it
on your next visit.
Also, once you've found a floor's exit once, you never need to look for it
again. So, if you return to a previous floor to hunt for items or poach
monsters, you don't need to worry about looking for the exit.
ACQUIRING THE RARE ITEMS
But wait! There's more! Each level contains a number of rare items that you
can find using the Treasure Hunter ability. Simply move a character with
Treasure Hunter onto the correct tile and a new item is yours. If a character
without Treasure Hunter steps on the tile, you'll often spring a trap instead,
but the item remains there, waiting for a character with Treasure Hunter.
(Note that even once the item is picked up, any trap on the tile remains there,
and then even a Treasure Hunter can spring it.)
As with most rare Treasure Hunter finds, you need a LOW Bravery level to pick
up the special item. The higher your Bravery, the higher your chance you'll
get a crummy Phoenix Down instead. (The chance of getting the Phoenix Down is
simply equal to the character's current Bravery -- so a lower Bravery decreases
your chance of getting it.) If you DO pick up the Phoenix Down, the "good"
item is gone forever, even if you leave the map and come back later. So, if
you want to get all the items, you may want to save pretty frequently and only
try picking up one or two items at a time. That way, it's easy to reset and
try again if you don't get the item you want.
Rapha is great for finding the items because her Bravery already starts pretty
low. For the best odds, though, you'll want to lower it even further. The
best way to do this is probably with the Orator ability Intimidate; for every
use of this ability, she'll lose 20 points of Bravery during the battle but
5 points permanently. Be careful not to reduce her permanent Bravery TOO low,
though, or she will quit the party--so using Beowulf's Chicken may not be a
good idea. 15 to 20 is probably a safe number and will give you some margin of
error in case she gets with a Bravery-lowering ability during a battle.
To make Rapha (or whomever you're using as a Treasure Hunter) more mobile, give
her Germinas Boots to increase her move and jump range. If available, you can
also switch her to an agile job like Thief, Dragoon, or Monk.
If you're having trouble with Rapha getting KOed quickly, try equipping her
with the Invisibility Cloak found on Mount Germinas (see Various Tricks). This
cloak causes her to start the battle invisible. As long as she doesn't take
any action and just moves around the battlefield looking for items and exits,
she will stay invisible and will be virtually ignored by the enemies. (She's
still vulnerable to area-effect spells.) The Septie`me perfume, poachable from
the Greater Hydras found in the Deep, and the Ninja Gear found on the sixth
floor of the dungeon (The Palings) also have the same invisibility effect.
And since the Ninja Gear is body armor instead of an accessory, it allows you
to also equip Germinas Boots at the same time.
As a caution, note that enemy characters with Treasure Hunter can also pick up
the rare items, which will prevent you from getting them! At the start of each
battle, you may want to check all the enemy humans to see if they have Treasure
Hunter. If they do, either KO or Immobilize them quickly to prevent them from
beating you to the loot!
LOCATING THE RARE ITEMS
So WHERE are all these great items? Of course, on each floor, the items are in
different locations. Since the tiles are not given any names or numbers in the
game, I've had to assign my own numbers to them. Here's the scheme I've used:
When the battle starts, tilt the analog stick on the PSP left or right. When
you do this, the screen will change perspective and you'll be looking at the
battlefield from a different angle. Keep doing this until your characters are
facing down and to the left on the screen.
Now, move the cursor to the lower left corner. This tile is (X: 0, Y: 0). If
you move the cursor to the right (using the right arrow on the D-pad), you'll
be at (X: 1, Y: 0), then (X: 2, Y: 0), (X: 3, Y: 0), and so on. If you start
at (X: 0, Y: 0) and move upwards (up arrow on the D-pad), you'll be at (X: 0,
Y: 1). So a tile like (X: 4, Y: 3) would be four tiles to the right and three
tiles up from the lower-left corner (again, this is when your team is facing
DOWN and to the LEFT at the start of the battle). I've given the locations of
all the items using this coordinate system.
For exact item locations, see each level's battle strategy.
POACHING
There are also a number of rare monsters in Midlight's Deep, and poaching them
can get you some unique items you can't find anywhere else. (See the Poaching
List for the complete list.) Fortunately, since Warjilis Trade City is a trade
city, it has a Poachers' Den. So, after poaching some monsters, it's easy to
head back to Warjilis and check on your haul.
If you're serious about poaching (and have space on your roster), the best
tactic for getting these rare items is to recruit a monster from the species
using the Orator abilities Entice or Tame. (The Dragon's Charm ability
possessed by Reis can also be used to recruit dragons and hydras, and works
100% of the time.) Once you've recruited the monster, just walk back and forth
between Warjilis and the Deep. As the days pass, the monster will lay eggs and
the eggs will hatch into new monsters. (You can use the Preview Monster Eggs
trick from the Various Tricks section to see what monsters you're getting and
delete any that aren't the exact type you want.) Poach THESE hatched monsters,
but leave the original in your roster. That way, you have a limitless supply
of monsters to poach. This is a great way to poach rare monsters that you
don't appear in the wild very frequently.
In fact, breeding monsters is the ONLY way to get a Wild Boar, which in turn
is your only source for two super-rare items (the Ribbon and the Fallingstar
Bag).
---Floor-by-Floor Walkthrough--------------------------------------------------
Whew! I think that's all the instruction you need. Now head on in! The first
floor, The Crevasse, is just kind of practice; the monsters here are very weak.
You can find two of the magickal guns here, although you may already have a
Glacial Gun if you stole one earlier. The Blaze Gun is a little stronger than
the Glacial Gun, though, and both are worth picking up. These "magickal" guns
do elemental attacks. Their damage varies; sometimes you get a -ra or a -ga
spell visual effect and increased damage. The damage estimate you see when
preparing to attack is the "low" estimate if you just get the regular spell.
Note that the Kiyomori hidden on this level is just a regular Kiyomori katana
like you could buy in a store, making it the most useless pickup in the Deep.
After you find the exit in The Crevasse, you'll open up The Stair. It's
similar in layout to The Crevasse, but is a lot more challenging. Bringing
Archer's Bane is a good idea as there are a lot of enemy Archers. After that
comes The Hollow. Here, you'll want to deploy range attackers as the enemies
start a distance and can easily be picked off. The Hollow also contains two
good pieces of equipment: the Yoichi Bow and the Zeus Mace. Be sure to pick
them up! In general, collecting all the Elixirs is not necessary as there are
quite a few of them and you can do fine without getting them all (or even any).
The fourth floor, The Catacombs, is also quite challenging. It may take you a
few tries to collect everything here, especially if you get a tough group of
monsters. But, the equipment available here is also quite good: the Kaiser
Shield as well as the Rod of Faith. The Rod of Faith is particularly valuable
and available here only. It's a rod that maximizes its wielder's Faith while
equipped, increasing their magick power (but also the magick damage they
receive). You can also whack other characters with it to give *them* Faith
status as well. This is particularly useful for Marach, if you're using him.
The Faith status maximizes the damage from *both* his Nether Mantra abilities
(which normally do more damage when his Faith is low) and regular magicks
(which do more damage when Faith is high). Since the Rod maximizes your Faith
regardless of its normal value, you can also reduce a character's Faith to make
them strong against enemy magick and then only give them the Rod when you want
them using magick. (See the related item under Various Tricks for more on
strategies using the Rod.
The Catacombs also holds the Faerie Harp. If you don't use Bards, you can skip
it. It's worth noting, though, that the Faerie Harp is the only attack or
ability that can Charm all targets regardless of gender or human/monster status
-- plus it's the strongest harp, so it's a good pickup if you DO have a Bard
around.
Level 5 is The Oubliette. Here, you can get a second Excalibur sword, which is
definitely worth picking up (especially since it's right next to where you
start!). Although you should already have one since Orlandeau comes with one,
two never hurts ... the automatic Haste effect is incredibly useful! You can
give the second to another character who uses knight's swords, like Agrias,
Beowulf, Meliadoul, or Ramza -- or any character in the Knight job. You can
also find the Iga Blade ninja blade here.
Next stop is The Palings. You can pick up the lightning magickal gun, the
Blaster, here; it's the strongest gun available in single-player. The other
items -- Ninja Gear, the Cursed Ring, and an Elixir -- aren't that great but
they're all right at the starting pointing, so they're easy to grab.
Floor seven is The Crossing. The items here aren't all that great. There's
the Koga Blade ninja blade, and a Staff of the Magi. The Staff of the Magi
isn't very good; it has a higher *attack power* than the Zeus Mace, but no
benefit to your magick strength -- and how often do your magick-users hit
people with their staves? But, you want to bring Luso or somebody else with
the Poach skill, as there's a chance of running into the stronger minotaur
monster here. Either of the items you get from poaching it cannot be found
anywhere else.
By now, you're getting near the bottom, and the difficulty level is rising.
again. The next two floors will be quite tough, but they also contain some
very strong items. The Switchback holds the Ragnarok sword (not actually as
good as Excalibur as it doesn't cast Haste), Robe of Lords (a GREAT robe), and
the best bow, the Perseus Bow. The final normal floor is The Interstice. It
holds the game's best heavy armor -- the Maximillian and Grand Helm -- as well
as the Venetian Shield, second only to the Escutcheon (II) as a shield. You
want this stuff.
There's only one level left after this, appropriately named Terminus. There's
a boss encounter the first time you enter here, and it's your one chance to
learn the game's best Summon, Zodiark. If you want to learn it, deploy your
best Summoner (with Summoner as his/her current job) and arm him/her with the
Time Mage ability Mana Shield for protection.
When you enter Terminus, you'll meet some weird old guy named Elidibus, who
will turn himself into a Lucavi. You'll be accompanied in this battle by a
purple Byblos monster (its personal name varies). After defeating Elidibus
(and hopefully learning Zodiark from him), you'll get the 13th (!) Zodiac
Stone, Serpentarius. The Byblos will offer to join your party. This is your
one opportunity to get this character, so sign it up. He's only OK, though.
Congratulations! You've beaten Midlight's Deep! You may notice that the Deep
stays a red dot on the map screen even after you've finished off Elidibus.
Don't worry; you haven't missed anything. It just stays red forever.
But, there's still a few more things to do. Go back into Terminus after you
defeat Elidibus, and bring a Treasure Hunter. On the top level (where Elidibus
was), there are four items: two Elixirs, the Chirijiraden (the best samurai
sword), and the Chaos Blade. The Chaos Blade is one of the best weapons in the
game; it has a whopping 40 attack points, automatically Regens you, and
petrifies enemies!
If you're into poaching, you can find Pigs and Swines on Terminus, as well as
all the members of the hydra family. All of these monsters yield rare items
when poached. (And if you want REALLY rare items, recruit a Pig or Swine and
wait until you breed a Wild Boar, then poach that!) You can also use Reis's
Dragon's Charm to recruit a Tiamat. They're THE best monster in the game, and
they're almost as strong as (if not stronger than) Orlandeau!
For other rare weapons, equip all your characters with Sticky Fingers and go
to The Interstice. If you can run into some Ninjas here, they'll throw a
variety of nice weapons at you, which -- assuming you have Sticky Fingers --
you'll catch and claim for your own. If you're at a high enough level, you can
even get Chaos Blades! Masamunes, Chirijiradens, Javelin IIs, and most other
rare weapons can also be obtained here. (The exceptions are the weapons that
can't be thrown, like staves.)
What else is there left to do? If you leave Midlight's Deep and head back
around the overworld, some of the wilderness locations have "special" random
battles that you can occasionally run into, like the infamous all-Monk melee on
Grogh Heights. And at Mount Germinas, there's a rare battle against some gun-
wielding Chemists and Orators, where you can steal additional copies of the
magick guns, and sometimes the Stoneshooter. You can also continue poaching
monsters if you're looking to complete your collection of items -- see the
Rare Item Locations for where you can find everything. And, if you haven't
finished the other subquests, those are still out there to complete!
Finally, you can team up a friend who owns a copy of the game to complete the
game's multiplayer team missions, or battle against each other in the Melee
mode. (Note that you need to complete the main quest first in order to unlock
all the team missions.) I don't have these covered in the FAQ yet, but I'm
hoping to find some way to work them into a future version.
*******************************************************************************
V. BATTLE STRATEGIES
*******************************************************************************
%%%CHAPTER I: THE MEAGER%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bs1
---Battle 1: Gariland----------------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Squire (male) x3, Squire (female) x1, Chemist (male) x1
--STRATEGY--
The key in this battle is advance slowly and not to let your characters get
spread out. Stay on the left side, away from the bulk of the houses.
The enemy Chemist has the ability to heal the other enemies, which can be a
pain. If you have the chance to take him out, do so; otherwise, he'll heal the
enemy soldiers you've been attacking. Actually, you can stop him from doing
this even if you attack him just once. He'll use up his turn healing himself
instead of healing any of the other enemies.
Attack from the enemy from behind or from the side whenever possible, as you're
more likely to land a hit that way. (In general, rear attacks are best as they
also cancel out enemy shields -- but no enemies have shields yet, so side and
rear attacks will be equally effective.) At the end of each character's turn,
you choose which direction they facing. Make sure you end your turns facing
the enemies, which will make it harder for them to hit you from behind! (When
possible, you can even put your back to the side of a building to protect it
completely!)
Make good use of your Chemists for healing--you start out with 5 Potions and
you can use them to heal a character who gets injured. If you don't have
teammates who need healing, the Chemists can also attack. (Note that Chemists
have an inherent Throw Item ability, so they don't have to be next to a
character to use an item on him/her. This is NOT true for other characters
using the Item ability, however.)
Don't worry about Delita; the Guest AI is pretty reckless and it's likely he'll
get himself KOed. Since he's a Guest character, though, he can't die
permanently and will be revived at the end of the battle.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 2000 gil, Mythril Knife, Phoenix Down, Potion
---Battle 2: Mandalia Plain----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], Argath [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Squire (male) x4, Thief (male) x1, Red Panther x1
--STRATEGY--
Your choice before the battle affects your victory conditions here. If you
chose just to fight the Corpse Brigade, you only have to KO all the enemies.
If you chose the second option, then there's an additional requirement: You
must also keep Argath from being KOed, as you will lose the battle if he gets
KOed. The first option is better, of course, since it makes the battle easier
and
If you DID choose to help Argath, though, you need to protect him. Start
moving a Chemist towards Argath right away. Fortunately, Argath will probably
flee away from the enemies and into one corner. Heal him just to be on the
safe side, and then you're free to concentrate on the enemies.
Attack from above if you can, and guard your back with the rocks scattered
about the battlefield or with other ally units. Remember that if you act
without moving, or move without acting, your next turn will come sooner than if
you both act AND move. So if there's no real need for a character to move or
to take action, don't do it just for the heck of it. Your next turn will come
sooner if you don't.
You'll encounter your first monster here in the form of a Red Panther. It's
the toughest unit in the enemy forces, but it's not too bad. Be warned that,
like all monsters, it will counterattack you whenever you attack it. Don't
attack the Red Panther using a character who's low on HP, or the counterattack
is liable to KO you! (You CAN avoid the counterattack by using the Squire
ability Stone to attack from a distance, but this ability is really too weak to
be worth using.) The Red Panther can also poison you, which causes you to
lose a little HP after each turn you take. You can cure this with an Antidote
if you want, but it's probably not necessary--the poison wears off after a few
turns, anyway.
This may be your first chance to pick up crystals or chests. When the counter
over a KOed enemy unit goes down past 0, the unit vanishes and is replaced with
a crystal or treasure chest. Pick these up by moving onto the same tile.
Picking up a chest will get you an item. Picking up a crystal will either heal
the unit, or in some cases give you the option of learning many of the defeated
enemy's abilities. (Note that although you point the cursor at an individual
ability, you actually learn ALL of the abilities offered, regardless of what
you pick!) Crystals from monsters will only heal you since monsters don't have
any abilities you can learn, and crystals from humans won't always offer you an
ability either. (Unless the units is in desperate need of healing, you should
generally choose to learn the ability, as this permanently adds abilities to
the character!) Crystals from humans are great to pick up as they can teach
you new abilities, so grab them when you see them. Monster crystals are only
necessary to pick up if you need healing -- or to prevent the enemies from
getting to them first, as they can heal themselves with crystals too! Chests
typically just offer items you can buy in stores anyway and so are not as
important to collect, but early on they can still be useful as money is
tighter.
If one of your OWN units gets KOed, you must act to revive the character before
the countdown runs down and the character is lost permanently. Right now,
you've got two ways to revive a character. If one of your Chemists learned the
Phoenix Down and you have Phoenix Downs in stock, you can use the Phoenix Down
to revive the character. Or, you can hurry and clear the battle before the
countdown runs out -- when you win a battle, any characters who have been KOed
but not completely erased will be brought back to life.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Potion x2
---Battle 3: The Siedge Weald--------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], Argath [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Red Panther x1, Goblin x2, Black Goblin x2, Bomb x2
--STRATEGY--
This battle is nothing but monsters; watch out for their counterattacks! For
the most part, though, they're not too tough. Take out on the enemies on the
higher ground first before you start crossing the water. Otherwise, you'll
expose yourself to attack from above.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 4: Dorter Slums------------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], Argath [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x1, Archer (male) x3, Black Mage (male) x 2
--STRATEGY--
The enemy has Archers and Black Mages, who both have ranged attacks and can
hit you from a distance. This means that you'll need to be more aggressive; if
you hang back at a distance, the enemy can keep hitting you from afar!
Note that when one of your characters gets hit with a Black Magick spell, the
characters in adjacent tiles also take damage. There are two ways to avoid
this. While the spell is still charging, you can move the other characters out
of the way, or you can kill the Black Mage charging the spell and stop the
attack entirely! Since the spells do quite a bit of damage, it's great to
take out the Black Mages as soon as you have the chance. They don't have much
HP so you can finish them off easily. (Note that spells can also have a
"friendly fire" effect -- if another enemy is in range of the spell when it
goes off, they get hurt too! You can possibly use this to your advantage by
positioning targeted characters next to enemy units.) To check when the spell
is going to be fired, press the Circle button when it's your turn, then use the
Triangle button to bring up the menu and choose Turn List.
If you have Black Mages of your own, you can also use these area damage effects
to extend the effective range of your magicks. If the range of your magick is
one tile too short to hit an enemy, you can target the tile directly in front
of the enemy and the magick will still hit the enemy thanks to the area effect.
This is a good tactic for hitting more distant enemies, like you see in this
battle. Just make sure the enemy won't be able to move out of the way before
the magick activates!
There are two enemy Archers on the tall building beside where you start. At
the beginning of the battle, Delita and Argath will begin climbing up the
building to attack them. Let Delita and Argath handle the two Archers, and
send at most one other character up the building. The rest of your team
should advance down the street. Take out the Black Mages first since they can
do so much damage.
It's likely that one or more of your characters will get KOed during the
battle. Remember that if the counter over their head goes below 0, you lose
the character permanently. To avoid this, when a character's counter gets low
(0 or 1), use a Phoenix Down on him or her. Even if another attack takes the
character out right away, the counter will be reset and you've bought yourself
a few more turns to finish the battle.
Since you start on the street and the enemy has the high ground, Archers are
not particularly useful here. On the other hand, Move +1 is a great ability to
have as it helps you quickly close the distance between you and the enemy's
ranged attackers.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 500 gil, Iron Sword, Hempen Robe, Ether
---Battle 5: The Sand Rat's Sietch---------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, Delita [guest], 1 other
2nd Squad - Argath [guest], 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x 3, Archer (male) x1, Monk (male) x2
--STRATEGY--
You'll deploy your characters in two squads for this battle. Be sure to deploy
somebody with the Items command (either a Chemist, or another character who's
learned the ability) in the second group.
There are two entrances to the fort. When the battle begins, send most of
your characters towards the entrance that's closer to Argath. This is where
the bulk of the fighting will take place. Argath will probably make a suicide
mission into the building, but keep healing him anyway -- if you were able to
give him a Black Magick spell (as recommended in the walkthrough), he'll be
very helpful. Don't crowd the doorway or you'll get in trouble. Let
the enemies come outside to you.
Meanwhile, Delita will head towards the other entrance. You might want to
send one other character with him. Hopefully, Delita's squad have the chance
to sneak up on the enemy Archer from the rear and take him out so he can't keep
shooting at the main squad.
Remember that if a character doesn't move on a particular turn, his or her next
turn will come quicker. If you don't need to move to land an attack, stay put
and you'll get more turns. This is especially helpful for your Chemist; by
having him/her remain stationary and throw items to the characters who need
healing, you'll get more turns and more chances to heal.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 500 gil, Hi-Potion, Blind Knife
---Battle 6: Brigands' Den-----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], Argath [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Milleuda, Thief (male) x2, White Mage (female) x2
BOSS: Milleuda [Virgo] - lv 7 Knight - Bravery 68, Faith 58
Equipment : Iron Shield, Bronze Shield, Iron Helm, Chainmail, Power Gauntlet
Abilities : Arts of War, random action ability, Parry, random Squire support
ability, Move +1
--STRATEGY--
If you happen to have any male Pisces characters or Taurus and Capricorns of
either gender, deploying them here can be useful. Milleuda, the boss here, is
always a female Virgo, and the three Zodiac signs listed above will do extra
damage to her. (You can only prepare your Zodiac signs in this way when
fighting bosses; non-boss enemies have randomized Zodiac signs.)
I recommend standing up on cliffs on the left side of the fort when possible;
you have a height advantage there. Since you should have Hi-Potions now, use
them for all your healing needs--the 30 HP from a regular Potion just doesn't
cut it now.
There are two White Mages here. Check their status; they may have Black
Magicks or Items as a secondary ability. A Black Magick-wielding mage is the
most dangerous, so if either or both have Black Magick, try to take any of
these out first. (You can use the same tricks you used in Dorter to avoid
their magick.) However, if an Item-using Mage comes out of the fort and starts
using Hi-Potions, you may need to take her out first or she'll just heal all
the enemies. If either mage starts casting Cure, note that you can stop it
more or less same way you can stop a Black Magick spell -- either take out the
enemy they're trying to heal, or KO the Mage herself.
After you've taken out the White Mages, concentrate on Milleuda. Her attacks
are quite strong, If you have the Rend Weapon or Rend Armor abilities (both
from the Knight job), you may want to try them on her. Breaking her weapon
will greatly reduce her attack power, and breaking her armor will reduce her
HP total. If you already have a Thief, you could try stealing her equipment
too, as she's got a nice set of gear, but you'll be able to buy all her stuff
eventually.
The Thieves here may swipe some of your armor, or at least your headgear.
Although this might be annoying, it's not really too bad; you can just re-buy
the items after the battle. What's much more deadly, though, is the Steal
Heart attack they may use on your female characters, which will turn them to
the enemy side. If you have a choice, try to deploy male characters for this
battle as they can't be affected by a Steal Hart from a male Thief.
Milleuda is the game's first boss character, which means that as soon as you
KO her, the battle ends, even if there are other enemies left standing. If
you're in danger, take her out quickly to end the fight. But if you've got
Milleuda cornered or otherwise have the upper hand, you may want to finish
off the other enemies for more Exp & JP, then let them die completely so they
turn into a chest or crystal.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 700 gil, Iron Sword, Bronze Shield
---Battle 7: Lenalian Plateau--------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Milleuda, Knight (female) x2, Black Mage (male) x2,
Time Mage (female) x1
BOSS: Milleuda [Virgo] - lv 8 Knight - Bravery 68, Faith 58
Equipment : Mythril Sword, Bronze Shield, Barbut, Chainmail, Shoulder Cape
Abilities : Arts of War, random action ability, Counter,
random Squire support ability, Jump +1
--STRATEGY--
Again, Taurus, Capricorn, and male Pisces characters will do extra damage
against Milleuda since she's a female Virgo.
Play the first few rounds defensively to prevent any early casualties, and use
the high ground to your advantage. Send one or two characters after the Black
Mages, and possibly the Time Mage as well. If you have an Archer, send
him/her up onto the tall ridge and shoot down on the enemies.
After knocking out the Black Mages, concentrate on Milleuda. This time, she
has the Counter ability, which means that whenever you hit her with a close-
range attack, she has a chance of striking back. So, be sure not to use any
close-range attacks against her unless your HP is high. A good strategy is to
attack her with long-distance attacks like bows and Black Magick, which won't
allow her to counterattack. Milleuda might also use her Rend abilities to
break your gear. Again, as soon as Milleuda goes down, the battle ends, even
if other enemies are still standing.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 1000 gil, Silken Robe, Battle Boots
---Battle 8: Windflat Mill-----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Wiegraf, Boco, Knight (female), Monk (female) x2
BOSS: Wiegraf [Virgo] - lv 9 White Knight - Bravery 71, Faith 64
Equipment : Mythril Sword, Round Shield, Barbut, Chainmail, Shoulder Cape
Abilities : Holy Sword, random action ability, Counter,
random Squire support ability, Jump +1
ENEMY: Boco [Aries] - lv 7 Chocobo - Bravery 68, Faith 48
--STRATEGY--
Like his sister, Wiegraf is a Virgo. He's male, though, so this time Taurus,
Capricorn, and FEMALE Pisces characters are the ones to deploy (if you happen
to have them -- if not, don't sweat it).
Wiegraf is the only real threat here; most of his companions are pretty weak.
Start moving along the bottom of the cliff and quickly take out the Chocobo
(Boco) and the Monk. Wiegraf and the other enemies will soon move down to
fight you. Finish off any enemies that are low on HP, then go after Wiegraf.
Wiegraf uses a couple different special sword techniques that allow him to
attack from a distance and (unlike magick) don't require any charge time.
Most of the time, he'll use Northswain's Strike, which strikes a single
character (usually for about 35 HP or so), but if your characters are close
together, he may also use Judgment Blade to attack a "plus-shaped" group of
tiles. These attacks are pretty strong, but Wiegraf doesn't have a great
defense, so if you hit him with a few strong attacks (Mythril Swords, black
magick), he'll go down quickly. Just stay healed!
Because you're fighting in such close quarters, watch out for the "friendly
fire" effects of your own spells! In general, if one of your allies is
standing right next to an enemy, a useful trick is to target the tile right
BEHIND the enemy to avoid hitting your ally when the spell goes off. For
instance, if your characters are positioned like below, target the space marked
with a *:
*EA (A = ally, E = enemy)
This way, you'll still hit the enemy, but the spell is positioned so as not to
harm your ally.
As soon as Wiegraf's HP drops to critical status, he'll teleport away and the
battle will end.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Hi-Potion
---Battle 9: Ziekden Fortress--------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, Delita [guest], 1 other
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Argath, Knight (male) x3, Black Mage (female) x3
BOSS: Argath [Virgo] - lv 10 Knight - Bravery 32, Faith 67
Equipment : Knightslayer, Round Shield, Barbut, Chainmail, Power Gauntlet
Abilities : Arts of War, random action ability, Auto-Potion, Equip Crossbows,
Move +1
--STRATEGY--
You'll deploy in two squads again for this battle. Deploy your best damage-
dealer along with Ramza in the first squad. The character in the second squad
are going to be largely useless as they start far away from the action. If you
want to pick and choose Zodiac signs, Argath is again a Virgo and susceptible
to Taurus, Capricorn, and female Pisces attacks.
Luckily, you can almost beat the whole fight just using Ramza. Just go after
Argath and completely ignore the other guys. He's only got a crossbow, so he
can't do much damage to you, and he's useless at close ranges. Just chase
him down and hit him with your strongest attacks, like Knight and Monk attacks
and Black Magick. Because it's snowing, the Blizzard families of spells will
be particularly effective -- and even more so if the caster has an Ice Rod
equipped. You'll want to block Argath from climbing up the stairs to the roof
of the fort, as he has a good sniping point if he gets up there and it's slow
climbing up after him. Just position your characters between him and the
stairs and he shouldn't be able to climb up there.
Argath does have the Auto-Potion ability, which gives him a random chance to
heal himself with a Potion when you hit him, so you may want to avoid using
very weak attacks against him--the gain from the Auto-Potion may heal him more
than you hurt him for! (The ability isn't always activated, though. And Auto-
Potion also can't protect him whenever you land the killing blow. Again, as
you soon as you knock down Argath, the fight--and the chapter--ends.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
%%%CHAPTER II: THE MANIPULATIVE & THE SUBSERVIENT%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bs2
---Battle 10: Dorter-----------------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Gaffgarion [guest], Agrias [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Black Mage (male) x2, Archer (female) x2, Thief (male) x2
--STRATEGY--
There's no boss here, so you'll have to wipe out every enemy on the map to win.
If you've got good jobs, though, this battle should be no problem. Just move
up the path and take out the enemies as you go. The Black Mages and Archers
do the most damage, so when you've got a choice, go after them before the
Thieves.
Agrias has a nasty habit of casting spells indiscriminatly on your own people,
thanks to the goofy Guest AI. You can either de-equip her spells from the menu
beforehand, or pay attention to which she enemy she is targeting and stay
clear.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 1000 gil, Flame Rod, Mage Masher, Phoenix Down
---Battle 11: Araguay Woods----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Gaffgarion [guest], Agrias [guest], Boco [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Goblin x5, Black Goblin x1
--STRATEGY--
If you choose the second option before the battle, you must keep Boco from
being KOed. Fortunately, this isn't hard. Boco will usually retreat into a
corner, where will be chased by the lone Black Goblin. Boco can take care of
himself just fine, so don't bother going after the Black Goblin unless you've
mopped up all the other enemies.
The Goblins aren't very strong, especially with Agrias's and Gaffgarion's help,
so I recommend just rushing them. Stay out of the ditches.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Hi-Potion
---Battle 12: Zeirchele Falls--------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Agrias [guest], Delita [guest], Ovelia [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Gaffgarion [Fell Knight; Virgo], Knight (male) x5
--STRATEGY--
First, take out Gafgarion. If you turned him into a crummy job before the
battle and stripped off his armor (heh heh), you should be able to KO him in
one hit.
The mission here is to protect Ovelia, which means you can't let her get KOed.
She isn't in too much danger, though, since she can cast Aegis, which puts a
whole lot of good defensive buffs on her. She only has enough MP to cast this
once, though, and it wears off after a few turns. Just to be on the safe side,
keep a healer reasonably close to her.
Start off by taking out the Knights on your side of the falls. One of the
Knights from the far side will probably try to cross over, so position an
Archer (assuming you have one) on the corner of the cliff and shoot down at the
guy. Agrias tends to loiter in the water and may finish him off; if not, send
a character or two down after him.
A great trick here is to KO one of the enemy Knights while he's standing on the
bridge. Until he decomposes into a chest/crystal, his body will completely
block the other Knights from crossing the bridge. Since the Knights have NO
ranged attacks, you can use this as a chance to shoot at them from afar.
If any of the Knights drops to critical HP, he may try to flee up the cliffs on
the side of the falls. You'll have to chase after him, so it may be useful to
bring a character with a good Move range to this battle. (Battle Shoes and
Move+1 or +2 will increase your Move range.)
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 13: Zaland-----------------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Agrias [guest], Mustadio [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x2, Black Mage (male) x2, Archer (female) x2
--STRATEGY--
This is a toughie. If you chose the second option before the battle, you'll
have to keep Mustadio alive; otherwise, you can let him get KOed without
losing the battle. (Of course, choosing the second option also gives you a
greater boost to your Bravery.)
When deploying your character, deploy them in the "front" row (i.e., the row
where Ramza is already standing). This starts them closer to the gate and
allows them to get into the city faster.
The enemy is holed up inside Zaland and launches arrows and powerful Black
Magick at you through (and over) the wall. Any melee characters you have will
need to rush for the gates. In the mean time, your Archers and mages can fire
back with their own ranged attacks. Equip the Archer's Bane reaction ability
on any character who has it, as it will help protect you against the enemy
arrows.
Mustadio will initially do one of our things. Most likely, he'll run up on the
top of the gate and attack with his gun from them. This is the "good" outcome
since it keeps relatively him out of harm's way. But sometimes he'll stay on
the ground inside the city, which is bad news, as all the enemies will pick on
him and it's hard to reach for him healing. In this case, your best option is
to cast Shell on him to reduce the magick damage he takes. Note that you
can't throw items through the wall, but you CAN cast White Magick through it,
so you're probably better off with a White Mage for healing here.
If you've been using Ramza mostly for close-range attacks, he may not be much
help here. On his first turn, have him use Tailwind on one of your Archers or
Black Mages to boost their speed and get them more turns. Then start him
running towards the gate so he can get into the city and use melee attacks.
Make the Mages your first target, since their magick attacks are so strong.
Use Black Magick, bows, and the Black Chocobo (if you brought one) to take them
out as quickly as possible. Until the Mages go down, keep your characters
spread out so enemy magicks can't hit more than one of your characters at a
time. After the Mages go down, go after the Archers, then the Knights.
Mustadio's initial abilities seem to be randomly determined, but if he happens
to start with Beastmaster, land the Black Chocobo next to him. Mustadio's
Beastmaster skill will allow the Black Chocobo to cast Choco Meteor, a really
strong attack. (You can tell what abilities Mustadio has equipped by clicking
on his tile.)
Mustadio also uses his Aimed Shot abilities to put status conditions on the
enemies. Immobilize (from Leg Shot) will keep an enemy from moving for a few
turns, and Disable (from Arm Shot) will keep an enemy from taking action. If
a bad guy gets hit with Disable, don't bother targeting them any further,
since they can't do anything to hurt you for a few turns. A Knight that's been
Immobilized is also a low-priority target since he can't move to attack you as
long as you stay out of the tiles directly next to him. (The Black Mages and
Archers can still shoot even if they're Immobilized, though!)
As for the Knights, they'll probably try to climb over the wall on the side of
the map opposite the gate into the city. Agrias will attack them, but she
can't take them out her own, so help her out with your ranged attacks.
The Knights may also use Phoenix Downs to revive any Mages and Archers you KO.
Characters revived with Phoenix Down comes back with only a little HP, though,
so you should be able to knock them back out again with just a single attack.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 2000 gil, Mythril Sword, Hi-Potion
---Battle 14: Balias Tor-------------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Agrias [guest], Mustadio [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x2, Archer (female) x2, Summoner (female) x2
--STRATEGY--
This battle can be harder than it looks. The enemy squad has Summoners for
the first time (one positioned on each side of the hill), and their summon
spells can do big damage to your team.
On the first turn, Mustadio will probably chase after one of the Summoners.
Send a fast and/or magic-using character around the opposite side of the hill
to take out the other Summoner. The Summoners don't have much HP, so you
should be able to finish them off in a couple turns. Meanwhile, have the rest
of your squad attack the center of the hill. If you can attack the enemies
quickly, the Summoners may squander their turns casting Moogle for healing
instead of using damaging summons on you.
You're not *required* to keep Mustadio alive in this battle -- if he gets KOed,
you won't lose the battle -- but it's a good idea to keep him standing, as his
gun is quite helpful. As in Zaland, don't waste your turns attacking enemies
that Mustadio has Immobilized or Disabled.
A cool trick here is to use the Squire ability Rush to knock the Knights and
Archers off the hill. They'll take damage if they fall too far, and you'll put
them out of range of attacking you.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 1000 gil, Holy Water
---Battle 15: Tchigolith Fenlands----------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Mustadio [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Skeleton x2, Bonesnatch x1, Ghoul x2,
Floating Eye or Malboro or Pig x1
--STRATEGY--
The last member of the enemy forces is randomly determined; it's usually a
Floating Eye, but sometimes you'll get a Malboro or Pig instead.
Randomness aside, this is a fairly normal battle with a few quirks. First, if
you end your turn in the swamp, you get poisoned. (Simply passing through the
swamp as part of a move won't poison you as long as you end the move on dry
land.) This isn't that bad, but if you have a choice, stand on land. And be
sure not to end your turn in any water where the Depth is displayed as 2 -- if
you stop here, you won't be able to take any actions, as you're up to your head
in water. (The Ninja ability Waterwalking would prevent this, in the unlikely
event you have it already.)
Second, almost all the enemies (everyone except the Malboro, Pig, or Floating
Eye) are undead -- that means you can use heal spells and items to damage them.
It's quite effective. If you've had a chance to learn Mustadio's Seal Evil
ability, he may also use that to turn the undead monsters to turn them to
stone. Other than those two exceptions, there's nothing here you haven't seen
before.
The Pig shows up pretty infrequently, but if you DO see it, it's definitely
worth trying to recruit it using the Orator's Entice or Tame abilities. You
can use the Pig to breed pig-family monsters, all of which yield great rare
items when poached. Or, if you can't recruit it but DO have Poach, you could
at least poach it, though you won't actually be able to collect your poached
item until Chapter III. Note the Pig can only appear during the initial story
battle, not later random battles.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 16: Goug Lowtown-----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Mustadio [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Archer (female) x2, Thief (male) x2, Summoner (male) x2
--STRATEGY--
The enemy Archers in this battle have a huge range and it's hard to stay
out of range completely. So, don't deploy any character who has really low HP
as you probably won't be able to protect him/her/it completely. Equipping the
Archer's Bane reaction ability will help you a lot, if you have it available.
Mustadio will be almost invariably killed at the start of the battle -- he has
no equipment and starts right next to the enemies. Don't worry about him.
He's still a Guest so he can't die permanently yet.
Move your guys up onto the roof. Use ranged attacks to take out the Summoners.
Note that both Summoners are one side of the enemy roof and both Archers on
the other. If you stick towards the side of the map with the Summoners, it may
keep the Archers from shooting at you for a turn or two.
Kill any unit that moves onto your roof; Thieves first, Archers second. Early
in the battle, don't chase enemies over to the other roof, or you'll get
surrounded. Just fire ranged attacks at them. (Later, once there are only a
couple enemies left, it's safe to jump across.) Your highest priority is to
keep your guys healed, not to hit the enemy. Useful abilities here are Chakra,
Counter, Firaga/Blizzaga/Thundaga, and Archer's Bane. Bows and guns are useful
for their ranged attacks.
When the Summoners start charging a spell, use the Turn List to check what it
is. If it's just Moogle, you're fine, as that only heals them a little. But
if they start casting anything else, it's an attack spell. Try to quickly
take out the Summoner before he can finish the spell, or spread your characters
out to minimize the hurt. Summon magick does a lot of damage!
If the battle drags on for a while, the Summoners may run out of MP. In this
case, you can pretty much ignore them completely as they can't really harm you
at all.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 100 gil, Thunder Rod
---Battle 17: Balias Swale-----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, Agrias [guest], 2 others
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES:
1st Squad - Knight (male) x2, Black Mage (male) x1, Archer (female) x1
2nd Squad - Black Mage (male) x1, Archer (female) x 2
--STRATEGY--
Kill the Black Mages first (using range attacks if you have them), then the
Archers. This fight is really easy; just make sure Agrias stays alive.
Because it's so easy, it's a good time to let the enemies' counters run out and
pick up the loot they leave behind. (Paralyze Agrias or use Mustadio's Arm or
Leg Shot on her to keep her from finishing off the last enemy.)
The archer in the second squad has a Poison Bow crossbow you could steal,
although it's not too special and you'll be able to buy it soon enough anyway.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Echo Herbs
---Battle 18: Golgollada Gallows-----------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Gaffgarion, Knight (male) x3, Archer (female) x2,
Time Mage (female) x2
ENEMY: Gaffgarion [Virgo] - lv 17 Fell Knight - Bravery 61, Faith 67
Equipment : Blood Sword, Mythril Shield, Close Helmet, other equipment random
Abilities : Fell Sword, other abilities random
--STRATEGY--
Deploy at least one strong fighter in the second squad (Agrias is good). For
the rest of your team, anyone with a ranged attack is really useful (bows,
guns, or Black Magick), and Monks and Geomancers can be good too.
Note that although Gaffgarion seems like a boss character, KOing him will NOT
end this battle. You need to take out all the enemies!
You're surrounded by enemies. What you need to do to gain the advantage is
start climbing up the side of the gate, near where the first squad starts.
Move immediately for the scaffolding, though as move, you can continue to use
your attacks to disable the enemy forces.
Because there are so many enemies here and they all start close to you, you
need to limit the number of enemies who can functionally attack you at once.
Abilities that are good for this are Mustadio's Arm Shot, Agrias's Judgment
Blade (which sometimes causes Stop), and the Geomancer's Tanglevine (which
also causes Stop and almost always works). Leg Shot is also useful against the
Knights, but not against the other characters, since they can all attack from a
distance.
Once you start getting up on the scaffolding and gate, you can start attacking.
Go after those pesky Archers first. You can use bows, guns, Black Magick, and
Agrias's Holy Sword to attack from a distance. These attacks all have an
infinite vertical range, so you can use them all the way from atop of the gate
or on the scaffolding. Once you have the height advantage, it's a lot harder
for the enemy Knights and Archers to hit you, and you can fight them a few at a
time.
You'll be taking a lot of hits, so a good way to heal yourself is to not have
your healer move once he or she is in position on the scaffolding -- this lets
him/her get more turns. Throw Items has a really good vertical range, so even
if you're positioned up on top of the gate, you can throw items down to
characters still climbing up.
Gaffgarion is the most dangerous enemy here; not only does his Shadowblade do
good damage to you, it drains HP back to him. If you have a really powerful
magick spell (like Firaja or Holy or something), you can try using that to take
him out in one shot. Or, if you use Steal Weapon or Rend Weapon to disable
his Blood Sword, you can disable all his sword techniques. Stealing it is
particularly advantageous since the Blood Sword is a rare weapon and has the
nice side effect of draining HP back to you from the enemy. If you want to
steal the Blood Sword, you'll have better luck if you equip Brawler as a
support ability, target Gaffgarion from behind, and/or put him to sleep. (A
Taurus, Capricorn, or female Pisces will also be at an advantage for stealing.)
If you don't steal/rend the Blood Sword, you'll have to knock Gaffgarion down
bit by bit. Take out the Archers first and then start hammering on him with
your whole team, since you need to damage him faster than he can heal himself.
He has Counter; attacking from a distance (if you can) is one way to get around
this, but you can also just hit him with Arm Shot. If he's Disabled, he can't
use his Counter. You needn't take away *all* his HP; as soon as he gets to
critical status, he'll teleport out of the battle.
The Time Mages are your lowest priority here. Even though they don't have much
HP, taking them out is just a waste of turns as they can't do all that much to
harm you. About all they do is cast Slow, and if you brought Diamond
Bracelets from Warjilis, you're immune to that. So attack the Time Mages last.
Using Ramza's Tailwind to increase the speed of your most crucial characters.
If your archers or gunners have a spare turn, you can also have them try using
Focus to build up their attack power.
If you just can't win, try fighting some battles in Balias Swale to get some
better abilities like Arise, Equip Heavy Armor, Auto-Potion, Chakra (which I
would strongly advise you to acquire by now), etc.
If you deploy Agrias in this battle, there will be some extra dialogue between
her and Ramza when she finds out he's a Beoulve.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 19: Lionel Castle Gate-----------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza
2nd Squad - 4 others
ENEMY FORCES:
1st Squad - Gaffgarion
2nd Squad - Knight (female) x3, Archer (male) x2, Summoner (male) x1
BOSS: Gaffgarion [Virgo] - lv 18 Fell Knight - Bravery 61, Faith 67
Equipment : Ancient Sword, Golden Shield, Close Helmet, other equipment
random
Abilities : Fell Sword, no second action ability, other abilities random
--STRATEGY--
When deploying your second squad, any characters that you want in the front row
(e.g. melee fighters) should be placed in the back of the three rows (i.e., the
top-right) on the deployment screen. You'll be attacked from behind, so these
characters will actually end up closest to the enemy. Meanwhile, ranged
attackers and magick users should go towards the bottom-left of the deployment
screen so they'll end up behind your fighters.
Ramza starts trapped inside the gate with Gaffgarion, while the rest of your
characters have another set of enemies to fight outside. There are a couple
different strategies you can use to deal with Gaffgarion:
1. If Ramza has the Time Mage ability Teleport, you can use that to move him
outside of the gate and strand Gaffgarion inside. Take out all the enemies
outside, then have Ramza teleport back inside and open the gate. You'll
have to be careful not to stand *too* close to the gate when fighting
outside because Gaffgarion can use his sword techniques through the wall.
This strategy has the advantage of allowing Ramza to help fighting outside.
2. Or, move Ramza down to the ground and have him use Chakra (Monk) on every
turn to heal the damage Gaff is doing. (If Ramza doesn't have Chakra, Hi-
Potions should work too, as long as you have enough of them.) Stay close to
Gaffgarion so he won't try to go anywhere else Don't attack Gaffgarion or
open the gate; just sit there and use Chakra. Keep stalling Gaffgarion
until your other characters defeat the enemies outside. This strategy won't
let Ramza fight outside, but it guarantees Gaffgarion won't attack anyone
outside.
3. Finally, if one of your other characters has strong Black Magicks (e.g. a
-ja or a -ga spell coupled with Arcane Strength), deploy him/her outside the
gate. Use Ramza to lure Gaffgarion near the gate, and then have the Black
Mage use magick on Gaffgarion (since Black Magicks can go through walls) to
KO him. It doesn't matter if the spell KOs Ramza as long as you KO Gaff
because KOing Gaffgarion will cause Ramza to recover with 1 HP. Once you've
KOed Gaffgarion, you can have Ramza open the gate and join the fight
outside. A nice benefit of this strategy is that it turns Gaffgarion into a
crystal that you can use for healing or ability learning (sadly, you can't
learn his special sword techniques from the crystal), but it only works if
you have strong Black Magicks.
Meanwhile, your other four characters have to take on the gang outside the
gate. The Summoner is the most dangerous enemy here, so try to take him out
immediately or use Mustadio's Arm Shot to Disable him. If he does start
casting a spell, spread your characters out so he can't blast your whole team.
In general, Arm Shot is a great ability for this fight, as it reduces the
number of enemies that can attack you at once. (You can also use the Mystic's
Hesitation spell for the same effect.) Moreover, putting Disable on a
character causes him/her to flee into a corner, which means that it will take
another turn or two to get back into the battle even once Disable wears off.
Note that Disabling a character who's charging up an attack will cancel the
attack. This is a good way to stop a Summon or Archer's Aim attack if you've
got no other options.
For dealing damage, guns are quite helpful as they can allow you to attack
without having to Move. Remember that if you don't move during a turn, your
next turn will come more quickly, which helps a lot when you're surrounded by
lots of enemies! Agrias's sword techniques are also great for damage-dealing,
and her Northswain's Strike ability (if you have it) has a chance of taking out
an enemy outright. Also, when enemies are bunched together, use Black Magick,
Summon spells or Agrias's Judgment Blade to hit more than one enemy at a time.
Once you've mopped up most of the enemies outside the gate, move Ramza up to
the switch on the left side of the gate and he will open the door.
Now, have your whole gang rush inside and attack Gaffgarion. Try to rend his
sword, or even better, steal it. Again, using Arm Shot to Disable him is quite
useful, as it not only prevents from attacking you, but turns off his
counterattack and prevents him from blocking with his shield. He shouldn't be
too much trouble -- the hard part is the fight outside the gate. But, be
careful not to let him pick up any crystallized enemies; he can use the
crystals to restore all his HP just like you can! Either pick up the crystals
as soon as they appear, or position your characters to block his route to the
crystals. You do have to take away ALL his HP this time instead of just
reducing him to crtical, but once you do, he's finally gone for good.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 700 gil, Mythril Helm
---Battle 20: Zeirchele Falls--------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Delita, Ovelia [guest]
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x1, Archer (male) x1, Black Mage (female) x1
--STRATEGY--
Delita is your only controllable character here. Ovelia is a guest. As
before, she'll probably just cast Aegis and run. But now that she has more MP,
she can also cast Aegis on Delita on her second turn instead of only casting
it on herself.
Move Delita across the bridge and start attacking the enemy forces. He has all
of the Holy Sword techniques, so use them -- with Hallowed Bolt and Judgment
Blade, you can probably hit more than enemy at once. Since there are only
three enemies and none of them are that strong, you should be able to defeat
them without much trouble. Really, this battle is quite easy; the main purpose
of it is just to give you a chance to play as Delita :)
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 21: Lionel Castle Oratory--------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Cuchulainn [The Impure; Scorpio]
--STRATEGY--
This battle can be tricky because Cuchulainn casts a variety of status attacks
from a distance while running from you--plus, he gets the first turn! You'll
find him easier to beat if you can trap him so he can't move.
To get the jump on Cuchulainn, deploy your 4 teammates as follows:
__
\XX\
\ \
\ \ X = character other than Ramza
\XX\
---
Ramza can be placed on any other tile because he'll automatically move
forward during the pre-battle story events.
If you place your characters in this formation, Cuchulainn will have to come
down the stairs on his first turn to start casting his magick. Now you can
rush him and attack. If you can surround him, he won't be able to flee out of
range. If you can't get within striking distance on a particular character's
turn, at least position him/her on the stairs to keep him from climbing back
up. You could also use Leg Shot to Immobilize him, but since you can surround
him pretty well this tactic anyway, it's just kind of a wasted turn. (He's
immune to Disable, so don't bother trying Arm Shot.)
As noted above, Cuchulainn's attacks consist primarily of status-attack magick.
(Occasionally, he'll use a physical attack instead.) His Nightmare spell will
inflict Sleep or Doom on a group of characters and has a 100% hit rate, and his
Bio magicks do damage and inflict various other status ailments. Use the Esuna
magick or the Monk's Purification ability to wake up the sleeping characters if
you have either available; otherwise, try using weak physical attacks (e.g.
Stone) to wake them up. Doom will cause your character to KO when the
countdown finishes. There's pretty no way to remove it, so just revive the
characters after they're KOed. (Striking a character with the White Staff
*may* remove the Doom status, but it doesn't always work and isn't worth
forfeiting a stronger weapon for.) Other status ailments can be cured with
Purification, Esuna, or the appropriate items if you happen to have them.
Try to keep your support characters spread out so they can't all be hit with
Cuchulainn's magick at once. Since both the Sleep and Doom effects of
Nightmare can be prevented with Protect Rings, you might be tempted to equip
those. However, if you equip Protect Rings, Cuchulainn will just cast Bio
spells more. Since the Bio spells are usually more dangerous than Nightmare,
you're better off without Protect Rings!
Good attacks to use against Cuchulainn include physical attacks and Agrias's
sword techniques. Guns and bows are also good, particularly if you trap him
down on your level. (If he escapes to the top of the map, guns will be less
useful because there are usually too many obstacles to get a clear line of
fire.) The Monk's Aurablast may also be helpful in hitting him before you have
a chance to trap him. Magick may be somewhat less useful here since it will
probably hit your allies too and you may be halted with a status effect before
you can get the spell off anyway. However, if you happen to have the Lich
summon spell already or the Time Mage's Graviga, these will do a lot of damage
-- they both do damage equal to half the target's max HP, regardless of
how high that max may be! (Even Gravity, which does damage equal to 1/4 of
max HP, can be useful.) In general, a good mix of close range fighters and
gun/bow users is probably best, and be sure to bring one or two characters who
can use Phoenix Downs! And since Cuchulainn is a Scorpio, any Cancer or Pisces
characters you might have (including Agrias) will do particular damage to him.
Cuchulainn has between 450 and 500 HP.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
%%%CHAPTER III: THE VALIANT%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bs3
---Battle 22: Gollund----------------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Orran [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Chemist (male) x2, Thief (female) x3, Orator (male) x1
--STRATEGY--
The battlefield here is covered in snow, which restricts your movement. And
top of that, the buildings are steep. So, you'll want to deploy characters
with a good Jump or Move range, or equip accessories to boost it. Because you
start on the bottom and the enemy is on rooftops above you, guns and bows are
not too effective here (you can't hit the enemy from below). Instead, try
bringing the Dragoon's Jump attack or Black Magick. Finally, the enemy has
three Thieves that like to steal your equipment, so you may want to protect
your investments by equipping the Safeguard ability, which prevents steals.
Orran possess the Celestial Stasis spell, which will Disable, Stop, or
Immobilize at least half the enemy forces every time he casts it. However,
he's still vulnerable until he gets this spell off, and the enemy Chemists can
hit him from a distance with their guns. So, keep an eye on his HP.
From where you start the battle, move a healer character and another character
to the right and up the low steps. These characters will be in a good position
to heal Orran (with White Magick or Throw Items) if he needs it. You can also
cast Protect him on if he's relatively healthy to boost his defense. The rest
of your squad can go around the other side of the building to start fighting
the enemies there. The enemies will probably be no match for your forces; the
key is just to keep Orran from getting killed, since if he's KOed, you lose the
battled.
This battle is also a great opportunity to do some stealing! Both Chemists are
carrying Mythril Guns, which are 2 attack points stronger than the Romandan
Pistols you're toting. These are the best prize to steal. Additionally, you
can grab an Orichalcum Dirk (a good dagger) and Germinas Boots (boots that
boost both your move *and* jump) from the Orator. The Thieves may also carry
Jujitsu Gis and Main Gauche, although Main Gauches aren't as strong as the
Orichalcum Dirk. Especially later in the battle, when Orran may have paralyzed
lots of enemies, try to steal some of their gear if their can!
Orran's Counter Tackle will knock enemies off the roofs for extra damage, and
you can try this yourself with Rush. The Orator tends to stay on the highest
roof and may be tough to reach, but you should be able to jump up there using
the "steps" on the right side of the roof. At that point, you can attack him
while on the roof or Rush him off the roof so your entire crew can attack him.
Or, just use Black Magick to attack from below.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 1500 gil, Battle Folio
---Battle 23: Lesalia Castle Postern-------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, Alma [guest], 2 others
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Zalmour, Knight (male) x3, Monk (female) x2
BOSS: Zalmour [Sagittarius] - lv 24 Celebrant - Bravery 54, Faith 78
Equipment : Musk Pole, Wizard's Hat, White Robe, Elven Cloak
Abilities : Priest Magicks, random action ability, Archer's Bane, Halve MP,
Lifefont
--STRATEGY--
If you didn't spot the rest of your team right away, they're behind the gate.
Since none of the enemies here have much in the way of range attacks (just some
weak Geomancy spells), you needn't rush down to attack them. Instead, keep
your characters up on top of the castle and let the enemies come up to you.
The majority of them will come up the stairs, so position the bulk of your team
there. Because the enemies are often in clusters, magick (and geomancy) works
well on them. The railing blocks direct gun shots down onto the ground, but
if you move up on top of the railing, you should be able to shoot from there.
Standing on the railing also gives you a height advantage and makes it harder
for the enemies to hit you.
Alma will probably cast Aegis on Ramza once, which will make him super-powered
for a few turns. (Shell and Protect will reduce the damage he takes, Regen
heals him, and Haste gets him more turns!) Take advantage of that! After
that, she'll just thwack your characters with her Healing Staff to restore
their HP.
The annoying part of this battle is Zalmour, who can cast Cura and Arise to
heal his troops. When you have the chance, start attacking him. (You may
also want to try stealing his White Robe if you get a chance.) He'll go down
quickly, and, as soon as you KO him, you win the battle.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Ether
---Battle 24: Monastery Vaults - Second Level----------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Chemist (male) x1, Time Mage (male) x2, Dragoon (male) x3
--STRATEGY--
This is your first encounter with enemy Dragoons. Their standard attack has
a two-tile range attack and is quite strong, and they can also use the Jump
attack. If one of them jumps at a character, try to move that character away
before the Dragoon lands (assuming you have a chance, that is). If you cast
Haste on your characters, you'll get more turns and hence a better chance of
being able to duck out of the way.
Since the Dragoons are so strong physically, you'll probably want to bring some
tough close-range fighters to fight back with. The Dragoons have a high evade
rate, so equipping the Concentration ability (Archer) on any characters that
have it is a good idea, as it ensures that your attacks never miss. Also, if
your fighters have Fire Shields or Ice Shields equipped, remember that casting
a fire or blizzard spell on the group will both damage the enemy Dragoons and
heal any characters with the appropriate shield -- it's good for close-quarters
fighting!
Take out the enemy Chemist so he can't heal the enemies, but save the Time
Mages for last. Pretty much all they'll do is cast Haste. If you have the
chance, though, position one of your characters next to the character getting
the Haste, as this allows you to
BATTLE TROPHIES: Battle Folio
---Battle 25: Monastery Vaults - Third Level-----------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Isilud, Knight (male) x2, Archer (male) x2, Summoner (male) x1
BOSS: Isilud [Gemini] - lv 26 Nightblade - Bravery 73, Faith 62
Equipment : Platinum Sword, Golden Shield, Platinum Helm, Platinum Armor,
Power Gauntlet
Abilities*: Arts of War, Jump, Counter, Safeguard, Ignore Elevation
* Isilud's Nightblade job also has Concentration as an innate ability.
--STRATEGY--
Your first order of business in this maze-like level is to send one or two
characters down the hall to kill the Summoner -- used ranged attacks to take
him out quickly before he can hit you with any Summoners. After the Summoner,
go after the archer that will have come up behind him.
At this time Isilud and his gang will be nearing you from behind. You'll want
to get up on top of the bookshelves to fight him on the same level. If you
have a Jump statistic of at least 5 (you can increase with the Spiked Boots or
Germinas Boots), you can jump directly on top of the shelves; otherwise, you'll
have to use the stairs in the corner. The stairs can get a little crowded, so
being able to jump up is helpful.
Watch out; Isilud has the Dragoon's Jump attack and an incredibly long jump
range. Haste is useful to avoid it. His plain sword attack is strong too, and
he can also counterattack. He also has Safeguard, so you can't steal or break
his sword or other equipment. Just ignore the other guys and attack Isilud.
The Mythril Gun and Agrias's Holy Sword techniques are both quite effective
here, and you can also use your own Jump attacks if you've got a Dragoon.
When Isilud drops to critical HP, he'll teleport away and you win.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Guardian Bracelet
---Battle 26: Monastery Vaults - First Level-----------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Wiegraf, Knight (female) x2, Archer (female) x2,
Black Mage (female) x1
BOSS: Wiegraf [Virgo] - lv 27 White Knight - Bravery 71, Faith 64
Equipment : Diamond Sword, Crystal Helm, random armor, Elven Cloak
Abilities : Holy Sword, random 2nd action ability, Counter, Doublehand,
Move +1
--STRATEGY--
Spread your characters out in your initial deployment since Wiegraf is almost
guaranteed to hit your group with a Judgment Blade before you have a chance to
move.
The tall wall divides this level into two halves -- the half where you start
and the half where the bad guys start, with a small doorway in the middle. But
Wiegraf will come running through to your side right away. Just go after
Wiegraf; most of his followers are irrelevant, as they probably won't even
reach you before Wiegraf goes down. The Archers can shoot through the doorway
from the other side, though, so Archer's Bane may be helpful.
As before, Wiegraf will use Judgment Blade a lot. Judgment Blade also randomly
casts Stop on you sometimes, but you protect yourself from that by equipping
Jade Armlets. (The armlets won't stop you from taking HP damage from Judgment
Blade, though.) Focus your attacks on Wiegraf. If you can't kill him in two
or so rounds, the other enemies will show up and you're in trouble. Wiegraf
must be knocked down to 0 HP before you win.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 2500 gil
---Battle 27: Zeklaus Desert---------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Luso [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Behemoth x3, Behemoth King x2, Dark Behemoth x1
--STRATEGY--
It's Behemoth city! When the formation screen appears, deploy all your
characters towards the upper-left corner of the available purple tiles. This
will start your characters as close to Luso as possible.
Luso can hold his own pretty well -- he comes with an Icebrand sword, which is
better than anything sold in stores at this point. Still, if he gets
surrounded by Behemoths, he'll get killed and you'll lose the battle, so move a
healer into position ASAP. (Casting the Protect spell on him or your other
characters is also a good idea, as the Behemoths only use physical attacks.)
If you move some other fighters down into the canyon with the Behemoths, you'll
keep them from ganging up on any one particular character. Remember that all
the Behemoths, being monsters, can counterattack, so Luso can take damage
pretty quickly fighting against them. (Fortunately, he's smart enough to
flee if his HP drops to critical, but even if it's not yet critical, a series
of behemoth attacks could take him out before he has a chance to move!)
Try to take out a few of the purple "regular" Behemoths quickly, before the
Behemoth Kings and Dark Behemoth have a chance to make it over to you. Those
are lot stronger and will take several attacks to kill. Agrias's Holy Sword
techniques are good for taking out the monsters and can't be counterattacked.
If you have an Orator or someone else with Speechcraft and Beast Tongue, it's
definitely worth trying to recruit some of the monsters here. If you can turn
one Traitor and keep it alive through the battle, it'll join your squad. None
of these monsters are ones you could otherwise recruit at this point in the
game, and the Behemoth King and Dark Behemoth are particularly rare. If you
get any of them, you can use them to breed more behemoths and poach them for
rare items! (Or, Luso automatically poaches any enemy he kills, so he if kills
any of the behemoths here, you should also get something good.)
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 28: Grogh Heights----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Squire (male) x2, Chemist (male) x2, Archer (male) x1,
Thief (female) x1
--STRATEGY--
This is a fairly straightforward battle. The main challenges are the Thief,
who of course can steal your gear, and the Chemists, who both have guns and a
humongous range from their vantage point atop the heights. You'll want to
target the Chemists first. Fire back with your own guns, or have Mustadio use
his Arm Shot from a distance to Disable them.
The small passes between the cliffs can be a bit of a choke point as you try to
climb up. If you boost your Jump height with accessories and agile jobs, that
will help you scale the heights quickly. On the other hand, if the enemies
do get bunched up in a row in a pass, firing one of Agrias's Divine Ruination
skills (if you have it) will decimate them.
Because this is a fairly easy battle, it's a good chance to build up your
weaker characters if you want. I suppose you could also try letting the
enemies decay into crystals or chests, but these guys don't really have much
worth taking. (Hey, they're deserters, what do you expect?)
BATTLE TROPHIES: Mythril Gun
---Battle 29: Yardrow----------------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Rapha [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Marach, Summoner (female) x2, Ninja (male) x3
ENEMY: Marach [Gemini] - lv 23 Netherseer - Bravery 69, Faith 31
Equipment : Gokuu Pole, Headband, random armor, random accessory
Abilities : Nether Mantra, random 2nd action ability, random Squire abilities
--STRATEGY--
This is another protect-the-guest battle, so deploy somebody with healing
abilities or you're toast. In fact, bringing two might not be a bad idea!
Move a character into the gateway to block it prevent the enemies from going
after Rapha. At the start of the battle, one of the Ninjas will probably give
himself an unfair height advantage by climbing up on the roof and throwing
weapons at you. Use guns or magick to take him out quickly. You could also
equip the Thief ability Sticky Fingers, which will let you catch whatever the
ninja throws at you, but it's probably not worth giving up your regular
Reaction Ability for.
The Ninjas here can hit really hard since they get two attacks. Make them your
first target, and stay out of hand-to-hand range when possible. Even at a
distance, the Ninjas can still Throw weapons at you, but this attack isn't
nearly as strong. As at Grogh Heights, the gate into the city is a bit of a
choke point, which means it's a great opportunity to fire some Divine
Ruinations and hit several enemies at once.
If you've got anybody with an attack that can go through the wall (i.e., magick
or some monster skills), you can try to kill the Summoners that way. The
enemies start pretty bunched up inside, so this can be a good way of attacking
more than one enemy at a time. Otherwise you'll have to go through the Ninjas
at the gate. As usual, watch what areas the Summoners are targeting so you can
try to keep your team split up and out of the way.
Watch out for Rapha's skills -- they target a 3x3 square of the map and hit
random tiles, making them as likely to hit you as the bad guys. (Marach's
skills do the same, which fortunately means he's pretty unlikely to
actually hit you ... and even if they do, they do very little damage.)
Although Marach teleports away when you defeat him, you must defeat ALL the
enemies to win here. Since Marach is really the least threatening guy here,
save him for last.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 2000 gil, Yagyu Darkrood, Holy Water
---Battle 30: Zeltennia Castle-------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Delita, Ovelia [guest]
ENEMY FORCES: Ninja (male) x1, Ninja (female) x1
--STRATEGY--
It's just Delita and Ovelia against two Ninjas. This should be a cinch;
although the Ninjas can hit hard, Delita and Ovelia have enough HP to survive
a few attacks, and one Holy Sword technique should be enough to take out each
ninja.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 31: The Yuguewood----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Rapha [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Black Mage (male, undead) x2, Time Mage (female, undead) x2,
Ghoul x1, Ghast x1, Revenant x1
--STRATEGY--
Every enemy here is undead, including the humans. After you KO them, when
their counter runs out, they may REVIVE instead of turning into a crystal!
This means that, after you KO the first enemy, you have to hustle to finish off
the rest before the first ones start reviving again.
Fortunately, there's an easier way. Just use Mustadio's Seal Evil skill, which
turns any undead enemy into stone and prevents them from resurrecting :) (plus
it almost always hits!) You can also handle the three ghost monsters by
Poaching them; a Poached monster disappears from the map and hence can't be
revived.
Since the enemies are undead, Cure spells and other healing abilities (e.g.
Raise and items) will do quite a bit of damage to them while simultaneously
healing any nearby allies. You can even strike them with the Healing Staff!
Summon spells also work well, as the enemies are usually packed together. The
two Black Mages are your toughest opponents, so take them out first. The Time
Mages are a bit of a pain too, since they can cast Slow or Immobilize on you.
You can prevent the former by equipping Diamond Bracelets and the later by
equipping Guardian Bracelets. For your close-range fighters, defense against
Immobilize is the most important, but for your gunners and magick users, being
Immobilized may not be such a problem. They have enough range that they can
still attack even if they're rooted in one spot, so you might be better off
giving them Diamond Bracelets instead.
Rapha is just an "ordinary" guest here, so it doesn't matter if she gets KOed.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Phoenix Down x2
---Battle 32: Riovanes Castle Gate---------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, Rapha [guest], 1 other
2nd Squad - 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Marach, Knight (male) x3, Archer (female) x3
ENEMY: Marach [Gemini] - lv 24 Netherseer - Bravery 69, Faith 31
Equipment : Gokuu Pole, Headband, random armor, random accessory
Abilities : Nether Mantra, random 2nd action ability, random Squire abilities
--STRATEGY--
Deploy another fast character with Ramza, but make sure both are well-armored.
You'll want the two of them to break through to the enemy back line quickly and
take out the Archers. The second squad starts further from the battle, but
they can bring up the rear and keep fighting the Knights.
You'll face a constain rain of arrows from the enemy Archers atop the gates, so
equipping Archer's Bane on as many characters as possible will be a big help.
The Golem summon is also quite helpful if you have it; cast it at the beginning
of the battle and it will temporarily absorb some of the physical damage you
receive. The Mystic ability Defense Boost would also be helpful here, as would
the Protect spell or the Kiyomori Iaido (which casts Protect). Equipping
shields and capes will also boost your evade rate.
Rafa is here as a guest and Marach as an enemy. If EITHER of them is reduced
to critical HP, they will BOTH teleport away. You want to be rid of them;
Marach's pole attack is reasonably strong, and he tends to block your route up
to the Archers. So, a simple strategy is to de-equip all of Rafa's armor
before the battle and then take her out with one attack. This will get Marach
out of the way and let you get to the Archers more easily.
Take out the enemy Knight on the bridge to keep him from blocking your path,
then start hurrying up the steps. You want to get to the enemy Archers as
quickly as possible. (If you have the Dragoon ability Ignore Elevation or the
Time Mage ability Teleport, this is easy-peasy, of course; you can just jump
right up from the drawbridge.) Spells that you can fire at them from a few
tiles away will be helpful. If you have Arithmeticks, that will be helpful as
well. Finally, you could also try riding a Black Chocobo up to the top of the
gate; this strategy would be best combined with the Golem spell to prevent the
Chocobo from being shot to death by the Archers.
Keep your close-range fighters in the rear so they can fend off the enemy
Knights as they approach. Since the enemy Knights have a fairly high evade
rate, Concentration may also be useful; alternately, you can just attack them
with Agrias's Holy Sword techniques, as they never miss. If you keep killing
off one of the Knights, the other ones may keep bringing him back with Phoenix
Down, thus wasting their turns. As long as you stay on level ground, the
Monk's Revive ability will be useful in bringing back your dead guys. Once the
Archers are dead, you can have all your characters mop up the remaining
Knights.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Elven Cloak, Hi-Potion, X-Potion
---Battle 33: Riovanes Castle Keep---------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
PHASE ONE: Ramza
PHASE TWO:
1st Squad - Ramza, 1 other
2nd Squad - 3 others
ENEMY FORCES:
PHASE ONE: Wiegraf
PHASE TWO: Belias [Gigas; Virgo], Archaeodaemon x3
BOSS: Wiegraf [Virgo] - lv 28 White Knight - Bravery 71, Faith 64
Equipment : Diamond Sword, Diamond Shield, Diamond Helm, Diamond Armor,
Diamond Bracelet
Abilities : Holy Sword, Martial Arts, Counter, Safeguard, Move +1
--STRATEGY--
Wiegraf has a fearsome reputation, in part because you're now stuck in Riovanes
Castle if you don't have another save to go back to. Your ease of beating him
will really depend on abilities Ramza has -- he can be pretty easy with the
right abilities, or very tough if you're stuck inside without an ideal set of
abilities.
For his first form, you have just Ramza. The best tactic is to give him the
Auto-Potion ability and throw away all your Potions and Hi-Potions, so that
Ramza can use a X-Potion to heal himself whenever Wiegraf attacks him. (Auto-
Potion doesn't always activate, so if Ramza runs low on HP, you can also use an
X-Potion on yourself to heal.) Run from Wiegraf and keep using the Tailwind
ability to boost your speed. If you can, sucker Wiegraf into going into the
water and you'll be safe for a turn. Eventually (after you keep using
Tailwind), Ramza will get fast enough that he will get two turns in a row
frequently. Use these extra turns to get further away from Wiegraf (out of the
range of his Hallowed Bolt) and keep using Tailwind. You will reach a point
where you will not have to use all your moves to get out of Wiegraf's range.
Now instead of moving each turn, you can use Tailwind and then "Wait" to get
your next turn faster, allowing you to use Tailwind even more. Keep going
until Ramza's speed maxes out at 50. (You can check it by going to Status in
his menu.) Then start using Focus to build up your attack power. (If you
don't have Focus, give Ramza a gun instead.) After you've built up your
attack, just run up to Wiegraf and you can knock him out quickly.
If you don't have Auto-Potion, a fairly good substitute is the combination of
Mana Shield (Time Mage) and Chakra (Monk). Mana Shield will protect you by
diverting damage to Ramza's MP. Run from Wiegraf while using Chakra each turn;
since Chakra restores your MP, you'll keep up your Mana Shield. Even when Mana
Shield doesn't trigger, you should have enough HP to survive at least one hit,
and Chakra will keep restoring your HP afterwards. Whenever you get far enough
from Wiegraf that he can't attack you, use Tailwind. This tactic takes a
little longer than Auto-Potion because it requires you to navigate out of
Wiegraf's range, but it otherwise works the same.
If you don't have Auto-Potion or Mana Shield/Chakra available, you could try a
similar tactic but with some other ability to restore your HP, like Critical:
Recover HP, Regenerator, or Lifefont. Since these abilities don't restore
quite as much HP as Auto-Potion, it might be more difficult, but you could give
it a shot. If you have Auto-Potion but not Tailwind, you could also use Rend
Speed and Rend Power to weaken Wiegraf, though this won't help you in the next
stage of the battle.
If you can't use the heal & Tailwind strategy at all, you'll just have to
finish off Wiegraf quickly, before he can kill you. The Dragoon's Jump ability
may be useful for this, as it puts Ramza out of harm's way. If you need to use
physical attacks, equip Concentration or attack Wiegraf from behind so he can't
dodge. If you have a magick-oriented Ramza, you could try use strong Black
Magicks to finish Wiegraf in a single shot. Equipping the Hermes Shoes as an
accessory to boost Ramza's speed may also help you get the jump on him.
Finally, the Mystic's Defense Boost ability will reduce the damage Wiegraf can
do to you, while Mana Shield will give you an additional buffer of damage
before he kills you.
After Wiegraf drops to critical HP, he will disappear, only to return shortly
as Belias. Yup, it's not over yet. Your other characters will now show up,
but Wiegraf summons three Archaeodaemons. On his first turn, Belias will
start charging up a super-powerful Cyclops summon (200+ HP damage), and if
you survive that, he'll hit you with more summons. The trick here is that all
the speed and attack power bonuses from the first phase of the battle persist,
so if you used Tailwind/Focus, Ramza can run up to Belias and repeatedly attack
him with high-powered hits. You should be able to kill Belias before he gets
to cast Cyclops.
If Ramza isn't able to kill Belias on his own, or you couldn't use the Tailwind
and Focus strategy, you'll have to take down Belias with the rest of your team.
have your other allies start attacking Belias. You want to him as quickly as
possible, so range attacks (bows/guns) are good as they may not require you to
move. The Dragoon's Jump ability is also good since it takes you off the
screen where Belias can't kill you. Agrias should use her strongest sword
technique. Again, the Lich summon spell or the Time Magick Graviga do a lot of
damage to Belias, if you can get them off, and a strong Black Magick spell
could be useful too.
Ideally, you can take out Belias before he even casts Cyclops. If you can't
manage that, though, you may still be able to keep yourself alive long enough
to finish him off. Using the Jump attack may get some of your characters off
the screen when Cyclops fires and keep them alive. You can also try Silencing
Belias, either with the Mystic's Quiescence or Agrias's Hallowed Bolt. While
putting Silence on Belias will abort his initial Cyclops summon, he will still
be able to use his Petrify ability to turn you to stone, so this tactic works
best if you can pair it with Jade Armlets to protect yourself from Stone.
Finally, you could try using the Mystic's Disbelief magick to put the Atheist
status on your strongest fighter, which will make him/her immune to magick and
allow him to survive the initially Cyclops casting. Belias and his demons can
still kill you with physical attacks and petrification, so using Silence or
Atheist is just a stop-gap measure to keep a few characters alive long enough
to finish killing him.
Belias has about 1100 HP and as soon as you defeat him, the Archaeodaemons also
disappear.
These are, of course, the most extreme strategies for fighting Wiegraf/Belias.
If Ramza is pretty strong, you can take out Belias with fewer moves and
certainly don't need to spend as much time boosting yourself during the
first round. A sufficiently strong Ramza (say, as a Ninja with Brawler
and a Bracer equipped) attacking Wiegraf and Belias from behind could even
do enough damage to punch out both of them without needing any boosts at all.
The Jump attack can also be effective if Ramza has a high speed. But if you're
having trouble, the Auto-Potion/Tailwind strategy almost assures you of
victory.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 34: Riovanes Castle Roof---------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Rapha [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Elmdore, Celia, Lettie
BOSS: Elmdore [Gemini] - lv 33 Ark Knight - Bravery 70, Faith 70
Equipment : Muramasa, Black Cowl, Black Robe, Nu Khai Armband
Abilities : Sword Spirit, First Strike, Doublehand, Ignore Elevation
BOSS: Celia [Virgo] - lv 29 Assassin - Bravery 65, Faith 70
Equipment : Kiyomori x2, Black Cowl, Gaia Gear, Cachusha
Abilities : Subdual Arts, random action ability, random Squire abilities,
Move+1
BOSS: Lettie [Sagittarius] - lv 28 Assassin - Bravery 65, Faith 70
Equipment : Spellbinder x2, Black Cowl, Power Garb, Barette
Abilities : Subdual Arts, random action ability, random Squire abilities,
Move+1
--STRATEGY--
This battle is always really short: either you win fast or you lose fast! All
you have to do to win is reduce any one of the enemies to critical HP to win.
Problem is, Rapha loves to make suicide ruins at the bad guys, and if she gets
KOed, you lose.
Ramza always starts in a fixed location, regardless of where you place him
on the deployment screen. Deploy your other characters towards the top of the
deployment screen -- this will start them closer to the battle.
If Ramza is fast enough (e.g. Ninja + Green Beret + Hermes Shoes), he can
move first and immediately rush to attack either Celia or Lettie, and you
should be fine. (Elmdore is not a good target; he can use First Strike to
turn your attack into one of his own.) If Ramza isn't this quick, it's
entirely possible that Rapha will be killed before you ever get to move. When
you do finally get a chance to move, HEAL RAPHA. Putting Disarm on Rapha (via
Mustadio's Arm Shot) as soon as you can will guarantee that she will flee the
battle and try to stay out of harm's way. You can also try casting a Cure
spell on an empty square within Rapha's move range. Rapha will move to the
square to receive the spell and thus you can lure her away from the Assassins.
Send as many characters up to the roof as you can; if nothing else, they can
serve as decoys to draw attacks away from Rapha.
Celia and Lettie use ridiculous Subdual Arts abilities on you that have a
100% chance of either casting Stop on you or dealing an Instant KO. You can
guard against the former by equipping Jade Armlets and the latter with
Jujitsu Gis or Chameleon Robes. Alma's Barette, if equipped on a female
character, will also protect against both Stop *and* KO.
Concentrate all your attacks on a single character, since as soon as any one of
them drops to critical HP, you win. If any of your own characters get KOed,
don't bother trying to revive them; you're better off continuing to attack and
ending the battle quickly. Luck plays a big role here, especially if you're
not fast enough to get the first move.
If you deploy Luso in his Game Hunter job, he can learn Ultima should Celia or
Lettie cast it on him. (Ramza can't learn it until Chapter IV, but if you have
Luso learn it here, he can cast it on Ramza once you reach Chapter IV to teach
it to Ramza.) If you're fully equipped with Jujitsu Gis and Jade Armlets
(preventing Celia and Lettie from using their Stop or KO attacks on you), they
will almost always cast Ultima on their turns. Move Luso in range of whomever
they target to make sure he gets hit with the spell. It's not easy to learn
here since Rapha is so vulnerable, so you're probably better off skipping it--
you'll have another, easier opportunity to learn it in Chapter IV.
It's also possible to steal the Cachusha accessory from Celia and a Barette
from Lettie. Neither of these items is sold in stores, but, again, you do
also have other, easier methods for acquiring them, so it's probably not worth
bothering with them here.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
%%%CHAPTER IV: IN THE NAME OF LOVE%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bs4
---Battle 35: Dugeura Pass-----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x1, Archer (male) x1, Black Mage (male) x2,
Dragoon (male) x2
--STRATEGY--
There's not a whole lot to say about this fight, because there's nothing here
you haven't seen before. Send one or two characters up to the top of the pass
while your other guys fight the main group of enemies. The Black Mages are
probably the most dangerous enemies here since their spells can do a lot of
damage. Hit them with Disable, Silence, or just move quickly across the
battlefield to take them out.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 3000 gil, Diamond Armor
---Battle 36: Bervenia---------------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Meliadoul, Archer (female) x2, Summoner (female) x2,
Ninja (female) x1
BOSS: Meliadoul [Capricorn] - lv 35 Divine Knight - Bravery 67, Faith 68
Equipment: Defender, Platinum Shield, Platinum Helm, Carabineer Mail, Chantage
Abilities: Unyielding Blade, random action ability, random Squire abilities
--STRATEGY--
An enemy Ninja will immediately move down to attack the second squad. Deploy a
reasonably strong fighter in the front line of the second squad so you can take
her out quickly. (Again, you could also use Sticky Fingers to guard against
the Ninja's initial Throw attack, but it's not really worth a Reaction Ability
slot as there's only a single Ninja and you can take her out quickly.) Placing
your slower characters in the first squad is a good idea as they start closer
to the bulk of the battle.
In general, Dragoons are quite helpful on this level, since there are steep
building walls--Jump and Ignore Elevation (if you have it) will let you attack
enemies at a higher level. Teleport will serve the same function as well.
Since there are enemy Archers at the very top raining arrows down on you,
Archer's Bane or shields/capes may be helpful. Deploy fast and/or shooting
characters in the second squad, and fighters in the first squad.
While it's tempting to rush the enemies here, you don't want to scale the city
TOO quickly, or you may get surrounded and cut off from your healing.
Additionally, if you don't go up too fast, you can probably lure Meliadoul
down into the town area. This is really beneficial for two reasons: it leaves
you clear to jump up and KO the Summoners and Archers, and isolating Meliadoul
will make it easier to attack (and steal from) her.
It's probably a good idea to attack the Summoners first, since their spells can
do a lot of damage. Be careful about taking out the Summoner on the left side
of the map, though. The crate there is needed for less agile characters to
climb up the city ramparts, and if you KO her while she's standing on the box,
it can obstruct the route up, making it slow going for some characters.
Meliadoul uses Crush skills that will shatter your equipment and do quite a
bit of damage. Equipping the Chemist ability Safeguard will protect against
this (especially important if you've got rare gear you don't want to lose), as
well as rendering you immune to the HP-damaging part of the skills as well!
So, equip this ability on as many character as possible.
Meliadoul also has the Defender knight's sword and Chantage, an accessory that
gives her a permanent Regen and Reraise. While you don't have to worry about
the Reraise, as KOing Meliadoul will end the battle, this is a GREAT accessory
to steal. The Defender is nice too. To steal from her, first try increasing
your success by raising your Speed (e.g. with Tailwind) or lowering Meliadoul's
(with Rend Speed). The support abilities Concentration or Brawler will also
improve your chance of stealing, as will targeting her from the side or behind
or using Arm Shot to Disable her (although both of these are redundant with
Concentration). Putting Meliadoul to Sleep with Mimic Darlavon (Orator) or
Repose (Mystic) will also improve your chances to steal, but be warned -- if
you steal her weapon when she's asleep, she may still use her Crush skills when
she wakes up due to an apparent bug in the game. Finally, since Meliadoul is a
Capricorn, you'll have better luck stealing with a Taurus, Virgo, or male
Cancer, and poorer chances stealing withan Aries, Libra, or female Cancer.
It may take a lot of stealing attempts before you succeed, so if you're serious
about stealing, wipe out the other enemies first. (The Chantage is worth the
effort!) If you're planning on stealing both the Defender and Chantage, swipe
the Defender first as this reduces her attack power and prevents her from using
her Crush skills (unless you steal it while she's asleep).
If you don't care to steal, or once you've gotten the goods, you can just
rush Meliadoul. Spread your characters out to avoid taking too much damage
from the summon spells.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Jade Armlet, Remedy x2
---Battle 37: Finnath Creek----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Random chocobos and pigs
--STRATEGY--
When deploying characters, don't put anybody on the solitary square in the
second squad; it's in the middle of the water.
On this level, you'll face a random assortment of chocobos and possibly some
Pigs. You may want to bring an Orator because if a Pig shows up, it's
definitely worth recruiting. Although it's no good in a battle, you can use it
to breed the various pig-class monsters, all of which can be poached for great
items.
This battle can be annoying because the regular yellow Chocobos will keep using
Choco Cure to heal themselves. One strategy is to just use attacks that will
defeat the Chocobos outright by turning them to stone or instantly KOing them
-- then it doesn't matter how much HP they have! If you have Beowulf, his
Break attacks works great; you could use the Black Mage's Death or the Mystic's
Induration. Agrias's Northswain's Strike occasionally does an instant KO too,
but fairly infrequently.
If you don't have any petrification or instant-KO attacks, the best strategy is
to concentrate on one Chocobo at a time. Since the Red Chocobos will bombard
you with Choco Meteor for fairly big damage, you'll probably want to kill them
first. (Red Chocobos also make good targets for poaching; you may receive a
Barette from them.)
As annoying as the Choco Cures can be, this level still shouldn't be too
difficult. The Ninja ability Waterwalking, the Feather Boots, and the Time
Mage ability Levitate will all make it easier to navigate the watery terrain
here.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 38: Outlying Church--------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Zalmour, Knight (male) x3, Mystic (male) x2
BOSS: Zalmour [Sagittarius] - lv 35 Celebrant - Bravery 54, Faith 78
Equipment : Wizard's Rod, Celebrant's Miter, White Robe, Elven Cloak
Abilities : Priest Magicks, random action ability, random Squire abilities
--STRATEGY--
Delita teams up with Ramza as a guest in this battle, and his Holy Sword
techniques are even stronger than Agrias's.
Even without Delita, though, this would be a pretty easy fight. Zalmour is up
on top of the bell tower, but the platform where he's standing is almost
directly overhead from where you start. This means you can target him with
offensive magick and sword techniques without needing to move, and his Knights
can't even stop you. If you have Ignore Elevation, Teleport, Fly, or a Black
Chocobo, you can also jump up to Zalmour's platform and attack him directly.
As soon as you KO Zalmour, the battle ends, so you can probably finish this one
off really quickly. (If you position your characters towards the right side of
the character deployment screen, you'll start even closer to Zalmour.) Zalmour
doesn't have anything worth stealing, either, so just thrash him and move on.
Zalmour's habit is to stand atop the church and uses Curaga to heal his
followers. Again, you can stop his Curagas by putting Silence on him from the
ground where you start; use the Mystic's Quiescene or Beowulf's Silence (if you
already have him on your team). Another trick is to stand next to the enemies
that Zalmour is going to cast Curaga on for free healing.
If you don't have any abilities that will let you attack Zalmour from the
ground, you'll have to move around to the side of the church and climb up that
way. Even taking this route, though, this is an easy battle. Delita can take
out the enemy Knights quickly with his sword techniques. Just be sure not to
stand between Delita and the enemies or YOU'LL get hit too when he uses Divine
Ruination! A Jump attack with high vertical range can be useful for attacking
enemies on higher levels, but it's far from critical--Delita can pretty much
kill all the enemies on his own!
BATTLE TROPHIES: Angel Ring
---Battle 39: Beddha Sandwaste-------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Barich, Knight (male) x2, Archer (male) x2, Black Mage (male) x2
BOSS: Barich [Sagittarius] - lv 35 Machinist - Bravery 64, Faith 62
Equipment : Glacial Gun, Lambent Hat, Luminous Robe, Nu Khai Armband
Abilities : Aimed Shot, random action ability, random Squire abilities
--STRATEGY--
You start this battle with all your characters poisoned, even if you equip
accessories guarding against poison! Bringing somebody with the Esuna spell
may be helpful to de-poison yourself quickly. You can also use the Lifefont
ability, Chantage accessory, or Dragonheart ability to offset the HP losses
from the poison.
Barich has all of Mustadio's abilities, which means he can easily Immobilize
or Disable you. Esuna or the Monk ability Purification will also clear these
up, though Remedies will NOT. (Purification is especially effective since it
activates immediately and has a good hit rate.) Barich also has a Glacial Gun,
which shoots ice spells at you. Equipping White Robes here is a good idea, as
it will reduce the damage from the Glacial Gun and the Black Mage in the back.
Ice Shields would render you completely immune to the Glacial Gun ... but if
you're immune, Barich will just use Arm Shot and Leg Shot instead, which is
WORSE, so that's probably a bad strategy.
Since the battle ends when Barich is KOed, the best tactic is probably just to
rush him. Barich often tends to retreat into the back of the battlefield,
though, so throw an Immobilize of your own on him (e.g. with Leg Shot) as soon
as you can to keep him in place. (Slow or Stop will also work.) Then pound on
him; you have to reduce him all the way to 0 HP before the battle ends.
There's a Black Mage in the back casting powerful -ja spells at you. Equipping
Aegis Shields and White Robes may be a good idea to protect against his spells.
Or, use Magick Counter to give him back what you're getting.
You may also want to try stealing from Barich. This is your first chance to
snag a Glacial Gun, which can't be bought in stores, though you'll find them
later. Barich's Lambent Hat and Luminous Robe are also nice, but you'll be
able to buy them shortly in stores. Stealing the Glacial Gun takes away his
range attack, but he can still Immobilize and Disable you at close range with
his punches. As with Meliadoul, pumping up your Speed or equipping Martial
Arts and Concentration will improve your stealing success rate, as will
Disabling Barich and/or putting him to Sleep.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 5000 gil
---Battle 40: Fort Besselat - South Wall---------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x3, Archer (male) x2, Thief (male) x1,
Ninja (male) x1
--STRATEGY--
Leave behind the magic-users behind unless they have Equip Heavy Armor or some
good defensive abilities; they'll get killed easily.
Split up your characters and attack the side walls on each side. Get up on top
as soon as you can; it's very advantageous position. This works especially
well if you've got archers or gunners -- station them atop the walls, don't
move (so their CT gauge fills faster), and just shoot at the enemies. Watch
out for the Thief, who might -- take
Don't worry about the Knights initially. You should be able to get up on top
of the walls before the Knights can reach you, and once you're up there, you've
got a definite height advantage in taking them out.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Circlet
---Battle 40: Fort Besselat - North Wall---------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Monk (male) x1, Archer (male) x2, Summoner (male) x1,
Dragoon (male) x2
--STRATEGY--
There are high walls on this level, which can make it tricky to navigate if you
don't have characters with a high Jump statistic. Characters who can't jump
directly over the first wall will have to cross one-by-one using the "box" in
front of it. This can be time-consuming, especially when you're suffering the
summons and arrows of the enemy forces. (Archer's Bane is, of course, helpful
in defending against the latter.)
In particular, there's a Summoner tucked away behind the first wall who will
bombard you with some nasty summons (like Leviathan). Get a character over
the initial wall ASAP to take him out. Even if you can just weaken him to
critical HP, he'll probably start casting Faerie to heal himself instead of
attacking you. You can also try Arithmeticks as a way of attacking enemies on
the far side of the wall.
A lone Monk starts out on the ground near you. If you can get your party over
the wall quickly, you can postpone having to deal with him. Otherwise, you'll
have to take out him quickly so he's not attacking your back. (Or, just throw
an Immobilize on him so he can't catch up with you.)
Once the Summoner is taken out, you can split up your characters. Have the
ones who can easily scale heights climb up the tower to take out the Archers,
while the others finish up the Dragoons on the ground.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Carabineer Mail
---Battle 41: Fort Besselat Sluice---------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x4, Black Mage (male) x2, Archer (male) x2
--STRATEGY--
Split up your characters and go up the paths. Because the enemies have such a
height advantage, guns are not so good here; it's hard to get a clear shot.
Jump attacks, on the other hand, are quite useful. A fun trick to do is stand
on the steps or below the dam wall and use Jump attacks on the stationary
Knights. As long as none of your other characters gets close to them, the
Knights won't move and will just sit there while you Jump on them. The Black
Mages have some strong spells, so you may want to target them first, though.
Since two of the Knights are pretty stationary, this is a good chance to let
the other KOed enemies decay into crystals/chests for loot (and additional
kills, if you're trying to unlock the Dark Knight job). You could even bring
a weaker character or two and attack and heal each other to build up EXP or
JP, if you want (though it's hardly necessary).
Unlike the PSone version, you don't need to do anything with any switches to
clear this level. Just take out all the enemies and the battle ends.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 42: Mount Germinas---------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Archer (male) x3, Thief (male) x2, Ninja (male) x1
--STRATEGY--
This is the first time you get to use your new buddy Orlandeau. For a good
taste of his power, deploy him in squad 1. Move him up the mountain as far
as he can and then use Shadowblade on the Ninja leader. Bang, he's dead. You
almost have to feel sorry for the poor bandits... almost. Heh, heh. With
Shadowblade you can KO a fully healthy bad guy each turn just with Orlandeau
and also refill Orlandeau's own HP by 270 or so.
There are a pair of thieves in this battle, so either take them out quickly
or equip Safeguard to keep them from nabbing your stuff. You don't want to
lose any rare items to them!
The Archer that starts in the back corner is carrying an Artemis Bow, a strong
bow, which you might want to steal. But if you don't, there's plenty more (in
fact, an infinite supply from random battles) that you can get later. If you
DO want to steal the bow, a good strategy for it is to kill off all the other
enemies and then surround the Archers with your characters, blocking him from
moving. Since bows can't be used against adjacent tiles, he can't attack you,
and you can just stand there and attempt steals 'til you get the bow.
This map also contains the Invisibility Cloak, although it's not necessary to
claim it now. To get the cloak, put the Treasure Hunter ability and move to
the very top of the peak. The top of the peak forms sort of an "L" shape; the
tile holding the Cloak is the one between the two "legs" of the L:
___
/ \
/ X \
--/ \--
When you land on this tile, you'll receive either an Ether or the Cloak; your
chance of getting the Cloak goes up the lower your Bravery. (You only get to
pick up the item once, so if you get the Ether, you can no longer get the
Cloak; you'll have to reset the game and try again.) You can also pick up the
cloak in any random battles at this location, though, so it's by no means
necessary to acquire it during the story battle.
BATTLE TROPHIES: 7700 gil, Winged Boots, Germinas Boots
---Battle 43: Lake Poescas-----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Archer (male, undead) x2, Mystic (male, undead) x1,
Summoner (female, undead) x1, Revenant x2
--STRATEGY--
This is a really easy battle. Use Mustadio and/or Balthier's Seal Evil ability
and you can gun down each of the Revenants in one shot. (You can also use cure
spells against them, as always.) Magick and Dragoons will also be helpful for
attacking the enemies atop the wooden platform. They're undead, too, so you
can use Seal Evil on them as well.
Once you get on top of the platform, watch out for the enemy's Counter Tackles.
They can knock your characters off the platform, which will put you back out of
range AND do a fair amount of damage. Just stay away from the edge and you
should be fine. (You can check which enemy units do and don't have Counter
Tackle by viewing their status screen.
The only thing tricky about this level is that the undead humans will keep
coming back to life if you don't finish off the rest of the enemy party in
time--but, again, Seal Evil will prevent this.
Both the archers have Artemis Bows if you're in the mood for a little stealing.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Phoenix Down x2
---Battle 44: Limberry Castle Gate---------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Celia, Lettie, Reaver x4
BOSS: Celia [Virgo] - lv 38 Assassin - Bravery 65, Faith 70
Equipment : Kiku-ichimonji x2, Lambent Hat, Black Garb, random accessory
Abilities : Subdual Arts, random or no action ability, random Squire
abilities,Move +1
BOSS: Lettie [Sagittarius] - lv 37 Assassin - Bravery 65, 70
Equipment : Spellbinder x2, Gold Hairpin, Black Garb, random accessory
Abilities : Subdual Arts, random or no action ability, random Squire
abilities, Move +1
--STRATEGY--
This battle looks hard at first, but it's not. All you have to do is weaken
Celia or Lettie to critical HP and the battle will immediately end.
The Reavers will only use Bio spells, which don't do all that much damage, so
your main threat is Celia and Lettie. Their Subdual Arts skills can hit with
you a 100% KO or Stop, and they also have a 100% Charm against male characters.
The Charm is the worst of these since it turns your characters actively against
the rest of your team, so give your male characters Nu Khai Armbands to
immunize them, or just deploy all female characters. Pairing a Jujitsu Gi with
a Jade Armlet will protect you against both KO and Stop; if you have Barettes
or Ribbons, you can use those too. If you have Construct 8 on your roster,
it's completely immune to status changes and is quite useful here.
Because this battle is fairly easy, it's your best chance to learn Ultima. You
can learn this spell if Ramza is a Squire or Luso is a Game Hunter and Celia or
Lettie casts the spell on him. If Ramza is protected against KO and Stop
(from equipping a Jujitsu Gi and a Jade Armlet), Celia is almost guaranteed to
cast the spell on him on her first round.
Once you get Ultima, just have your main group gang up on Lettie to quickly end
the battle. A few sword techniques and/or Construct 8's Dispose should do the
trick. You can completely ignore the Reavers. Since this battle is so easy to
end quickly, your best defense is a good offense. Even if one or two allies
gets KOed, don't bother reviving them. (Since Ramza starts stranded from your
main team, it's pretty likely that he will be KOed.) Just finish off Lettie
and you'll be done in no time at all.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Echo Herbs
---Battle 45: Limberry Castle Keep---------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Elmdore, Celia, Lettie
BOSS: Elmdore [Gemini] - lv 41 Ark Knight - Bravery 70, Faith 70
Equipment : Masamune, Genji Shield, Genji Helm, Genji Armor, Genji Glove
Abilities*: Sword Spirit, Vampire, Shirahadori, Brawler, Master Teleportation
* Elmdore's Ark Knight job also includes Safeguard as an innate ability.
ENEMY: Celia [Virgo] - lv 39 Assassin - Bravery 65, Faith 70
Abilities : Subdual Arts, Throw, random Squire abilities, Move +1
Equipment : Kiku-ichimonji x2, Lambent Hat, Black Garb, random accessory
ENEMY: Lettie [Sagittarius] - lv 38 Assassin - Bravery 65, Faith 70
Abilities : Subdual Arts, Throw, random Squire abilities, Move +1
Equipment : Spellbinder x2, Lambent Hat, Black Garb, random accessory
--STRATEGY--
It's just your team versus Elmdore, Celia, and Lettie. Celia and Lettie have
the same abilities as before. As long as you're equipped with Jujitsu Gis and
Jade Armlets (or other equipment that protects you against KO/Stop), they'll
mostly just do Ultima, which isn't too bad. If you "kill" either of them, they
will turn into Ultima Demons, which are stronger, so leave them be.
Elmdore is even tougher than his underlings; he has an 100% working teleport to
any square and does big damage to a wide area with his Muramasa Iaido. Worse,
he has Shirahadori, which gives him a high evade rate against a wide range of
physical attacks, even guns.
First, spread out your characters to try to minimize how much his Iaido can
hurt your team. (While Construct 8 is immune to Faith-based magick, Iaido
doesn't use Faith, so Muramasa *will* hurt your robot pal.) Then, attack
Elmdore with things he *can't* dodge. Sword techniques are great, as is
Construct 8's Dispose, if you have him. You can also use Magick and
Arithmeticks, or, in a pinch, a Dual Wielded attack, since he can only block
one of the hits. Other physical attacks are nearly useless.
Also, whenever Celia or Lettie starts casting Ultima, have the targeted
character stand next to Elmdore. (Check the Turn List in case you didn't catch
who the target is.) This will cause the Ultima to spill over and hit Elmdore
for a fair amount of damage (100-200 HP), a nice way of getting in some extra
damage against him.
You need only reduce Elmdore to critical HP to end the battle.
If you didn't learn Ultima during the prior battle, you can also learn it here.
Note: In the North American PSone release, you could steal all of Elmdore's
powerful Genji equipment. This is no longer possible (you can't steal from
him at all), so don't even try!
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 46: Limberry Castle Inner Court--------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Argath, Ultima Demon x5
BOSS: Argath [Virgo] - lv 40 Deathknight - Bravery 78, Faith 25
Equipment : Runeblade, Crystal Shield, Crystal Helm, Mirror Mail,
Diamond Bracelet
Abilities : Fell Sword, Arts of War, Critical: Recover HP, Safeguard,
Ignore Elevation
--STRATEGY--
Argath himself can't do much damage, but his Ultima Demons can cast some really
powerful magic. Especially Argath takes a while to wear down, you'll need to
take out the Demons first. Fortunately, they're pretty slow and don't have
much HP, so chances are good you can take out one or two before they can even
move. The large gap in the middle of the stage can make it hard to reach the
Ultima Demons in the rear, so either bring characters with Teleport/Ignore
Elevation or just use a variety of long-range attacks (guns, Arithmeticks,
Summons, Jump, Dispose, etc.) If you're still missing the Ultima spell, you
can also learn it by having the Ultima Demons cast it on you, though they don't
use it as frequently as Celia and Lettie.
Once you've finished off all the demons, you can attack Argath. He comes
equipped with Mirror Mail, which reflects most magick. (The -ja Black Magick
spells, Ultima, Meteor, and summons all still work, though.) He also has
Safeguard, so Orlandeau's Crush skills won't work against him, but other sword
skills will. Fortunately, Argath's own attacks are quite weak, but his
constant use of Shadowblade keeps healing him. As long as your whole team is
attacking him, though, you'll be able to deal way more damage than he can
recover.
The really aggravating part is Argath's Critical: Recover HP reaction ability,
which has a chance of completely restoring his HP when you reduce his HP to
critical. (And since he has a fairly high Bravery stat, it's likely to
trigger!)
Fortunately, there's also an easy way to stop this. Just having Mustadio or
Balthier keep using Arm Shot on him until you put Disable on him. (Beowulf's
Disable also works ... the Mystic Art Hesitation does *not*, since the Mirror
Mail will reflect it.) Being Disabled will prevent him from using his reaction
ability (as well as from restoring his HP with Shadowblade), and you can easily
pound him into oblivion before Disable wears off.
If for some reason this isn't an option (e.g. none of Mustadio, Balthier, and
Beowulf is in your party), your best bet is to reduce his HP fairly low (to
about 100 or so) but not yet put him in Critical status. Then, use one very
strong attack against him (e.g., an Orlandeau sword technique) to KO him
without ever putting him in critical status.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 47: Limberry Castle Undercroft---------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Meliadoul [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Zalera [Death Seraph; Gemini], Knight (undead, male) x2,
Skeleton x1, Bonesnatch x1, Skeletal Fiend x1
--STRATEGY--
Deploy Mustadio and/or Balthier and use Seal Evil to quickly petrify the two
undead Knights. The various skeletons are not really worth bothering with;
Meliadoul can take them out. Just go after Zalera.
Zalera's main attack is Nightmare, which inflicts Sleep and Doom on a small
group of people. Equipping Protect Rings will guard against both of these.
Zalera also likes to use Bind (causes Stop on a small group) and Flareja, a
strong attack spell. One strategy here is to leave one character vulnerable to
Sleep to sucker Zalera into casting Nightmare. If you then wake the character
up (use Purification or a weak attack), Zalera will probably just keep casting
Nightmare over and over. Construct 8 is also quite useful here since it is
inherently immune to Stop, Sleep, and magick.
Attack Zalera with Lich, Divine Ruination, Graviga, Shadowblade, and Beowulf's
Drain. He has about 1100 HP.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 48 (optional): Dorter------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Meliadoul [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Cletienne, Black Mage (female) x1, Time Mage (female) x1,
Summoner (female) x2
BOSS: Cletienne [Gemini] - lv 40 Sorceror - Bravery 51, Faith 81
Equipment : Dragon Rod, Gold Hairpin, Gaia Gear, Elven Cloak
Abilities : Magicks, Magick Counter, Arcane Defense, Ignore Elevation
--STRATEGY--
This is the same battlefield as you saw at the beginning of Chapter II. The
enemies here are all magick-users, so there's no value in reaction abilities or
armor that defend against physical attacks (e.g. Counter or Shirahadori).
Instead, equip Aegis Shields, which have a high magick block rate, and
abilities like Magick Counter. And, if you have Construct 8, it's basically
invulnerable in this battle since it's immune to magic.
You'll probably want to take out the Summoners first; they're close by and
you'll want to stop them from hitting you with Summons. The Time Mages, on the
other hand, can be ignored.
Cletienne has an array of strong offensive and defensive spells, plus he can
use Magick Counter to throw your spells back at him. If you want to avoid
this, Guns and Jump may be your best bets for attacking him up on the roof.
(Magical guns, however, count as magick attacks that he can Magick Counter.)
You could also use Orlandeau's Duskblade or another MP-draining ability to
steal Cletienne's MP so he can't even use magicks. But since he has little HP,
it's probably just as easy to attack him head-on. As soon as he's KOed, you
win the battle.
Cletienne has a Dragon Rod, a rare-ish rod, that you can steal. You needn't
get it here, though, as you can also steal one a few battles later or poach it.
Plus, the Dragon Rod is pretty crummy anyway.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 49: Eagrose Castle Keep----------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1ST PHASE: Ramza, Zalbaag [guest], 4 others
2ND PHASE: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES:
1ST PHASE: Dycedarg, Knight (male) x5
2ND PHASE: Adrammelech [The Wroth; Scorpio]
BOSS: Dycedarg [Scorpio] - lv 43 Rune Knight - Bravery 66, Faith 77
Equipment : Defender, Aegis Shield, Circlet, Carabineer Mail, Power Gauntlet
Abilities : Swordplay, Magicks, Sticky Fingers, Defend, Move +1
--STRATEGY--
Equipping Nu Khai Armbands before this battle is a good idea.
Use Agrias's, Orlandeau's, and Meliadoul's sword techniques to hit Dycedarg
from down below. (Construct 8's Dispose is also useful, but you may not want
to deploy it here since there's no way to protect it against Confuse.) In
particular, hitting Dycedarg with Crush Weapon will break his Defender sword
and prevent him from using any of his sword techniques against you. (You could
also try stealing the Defender if you want, but it's a little tricky -- using
Ignore Elevation or Teleport to jump up to the top of the arch may be your best
bet.)
It's quite likely that you can finish off Dycedarg before he has a chance to
move much of anywhere, but it's possible he'll start descending the stairs. If
he does, run under the arch and keep attacking him. He likes to use Hallowed
Bolt and Divine Ruination (if you haven't yet broken his sword); to avoid
these, don't put characters next to each other or on the same line of fire.
Zalbaag is likely to get KOed either way, but it doesn't matter as you don't
need to keep him alive. The enemy Knights can be safely ignored.
When Dycedarg is KOed, he'll return as Adrammelech. Everyone else will
disappear from the board (including Zalbaag), and the battle restarts. If
Adrammelech is still up on the arch, you can keep attacking him with sword
techniques, but after a character attacks, start moving your characters under
the archway so that you can keep hitting Adrammelech once he starts coming down
the steps.
Adrammelech uses the Befuddle spell to confuse you, but if you equipped Nu Khai
Armbands, you'll be immune to this. Note that Confuse is one of the few status
conditions that Construct 8 is NOT immune to. In fact, there's no way to
protect it from confusion, so you probably won't want to use it here.
Adrammelech is pretty slow, so you can probably get in quite a few licks--and
maybe even kill him--before he even has a chance to cast a spell. Like all
Lucavi, Adrammelech will take a lot of damage from Lich or Graviga since they
take away half his maximum HP. He has 1500 HP.
If you want, there are two rare items you can pick up here using Treasure
Hunter. A Blood Sword is located in the rectangular area where you start, but
in the corner furthest from your starting point. This one's pretty easy to get
to. There's also a Healing Staff that's much harder to reach; it's one of the
two "nubs" next to the bridge on the upper level, with a height of 10. Of the
two nubs, it's the one further from where you start. This one is pretty tricky
to reach since you have to climb up all the stairs to get to it. As with other
rare Treasure Hunter items, having a low Bravery will improve your odds of
getting these items. You can pick the items up during either stage of the
battle. However, they're probably not worth bothering with -- you may already
have both items, and unlimited copies are available from poaching. The Blood
Sword can be worth grabbing if it's convenient; the Healing Staff is just way
out of the way.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 50: Mullonde Cathedral-----------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: White Mage (male) x1, Summoner (male) x1, Orator (male) x2,
Geomancer (male) x2
--STRATEGY--
If you have anyone with Ignore Elevation or Teleport, deploy him or her in the
first squad and you can immediately spring up and attack the Summoner and White
Mage, who are the most annoying opponents. The rest of the squad will have to
climb up the steps.
The characters in the second squad will be battling against two Orators, so
giving them Earplug could be useful. Again, Teleport or Ignore Elevation will
help them get atop the church quickly, although the steps are reasonably close
by.
The Summoner has another Dragon Rod you can steal, if you didn't get one from
Cletienne and/or want a second one. But, again, it's not good for very much.
Honestly, this battle is pretty easy. It's noteworthy mostly because it's the
only story battle where the enemy has Geomancers :)
BATTLE TROPHIES: X-Potion
---Battle 51: Mullonde Cathedral Nave------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Folmarv, Loffrey, Cletienne
BOSS: Folmarv [Leo] - lv 46 Divine Knight - Bravery 65, Faith 70
Equipment : Runeblade, Crystal Shield/Helm/Armor, Elven Cloak
Abilities : Unyielding Blade, Counter, Defense Boost, Move +1
BOSS: Loffrey [Capricorn] - lv 45 Divine Knight - Bravery 60, Faith 68
Equipment : Icebrand, Platinum Shield/Helm/Armor, Diamond Bracelet
Abilities : Unyielding Blade, Nature's Wrath, Defense Boost, Jump +1
BOSS: Cletienne [Gemini] - lv 44 Sorceror - Bravery 51, Faith 81
Equipment : Dragon Rod, Gold Hairpin, Gaia Gear, Elven Cloak
Abilities : Magicks, Magick Counter, Arcane Defense, Ignore Elevation
--STRATEGY--
Despite what the victory conditions screen says, all you have to do here is
KO any of one of the three Knights Templar and then they all will retreat.
Cletinne is the weakest, so just attack him. Loffrey and Folmarv have an
annoying habit of breaking your equipment, so Safeguard is probably a good idea
-- it both saves your equipment AND prevents you from taking damage from
the Crush attacks. Since you only need to KO one guy here, you can probably
finish this up quite quickly.
If you deploy Meliadoul, there will be some extra dialogue between her and
Folmarv on her first turn.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 52: Mullonde Cathedral Sanctuary-------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Zalbaag, Archaeodaemon x2, Ultima Demon x1
BOSS: Zalbaag [Cancer] - lv 47 Ark Knight - Bravery 33, Faith 77
Equipment : Runeblade, Crystal Shield, Crystal Helm, Crystal Armor,
Germinas Boots
Abilities : Blade of Ruin, Vampire, Adrenaline Rush, Defense Boost, Lifefont
--STRATEGY--
The demons here are actually quite a bit more powerful than Zalbaag and use a
variety of strong magick attacks. So, unlike most boss battles, you're
probably better off killing at least two of the demons first, and *then* going
after Zalbaag. The Ultima Demon here is your last chance to learn Ultima; if
you haven't gotten it yet, deploy Ramza or Luso in their base job and you can
learn the spell should the Ultima Demon cast it on them.
Zalbaag frequently flees into a corner, plus he uses Lifefont to recover his
HP with each move. Hitting him with an Immobilize (e.g. from Leg Shot) will
stop both of these. In fact, if you can Immobilize him right away, you may be
able to just focus your attacks on him and finish him off before the demons
hit you with too magic. Physical attacks are not that effective against him
since he has Defense Boost, but he'll go down eventually ... and if you take
out the demons first, he can do very little to hurt you.
Zalbaag can (and probably will) turn your characters to vampires, but you can
cure this with Holy Water. Construct 8 is useful in this battle as it is
immune to vampirization (though the raw damage from the Vampire ability can
still hurt it) and has a very long range.
Ironically, if Zalbaag tries to vampirize a character who's already a vampire,
the Vampire attack will backfire and cause *Zalbaag* to turn into a vampire!
This will prevent him from recovering HP with Lifefont. But, the odds on this
are a bit too low to really bank on.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Elixir
---Battle 53: Monastery Vaults - Fourth Level----------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x3, Archer (male) x1, Monk (male) x2
--STRATEGY--
Your first priority is to kill off the guys down on the floor on the other side
of the room, especially the Monks. Most range attacks will work from atop the
central "ridge" of books, and reasonably agile melee fighters can climb over
the ridge to reach the enemies. Characters who can't easily climb over the
ridge should just stand atop it -- there will be enemies coming that way soon
as well.
The Knights' behavior will depend on how quickly you advance. If you quickly
moved most of your team across the ridge, they'll probably descend under the
archway to fight you there. But if you still have some characters on the
higher levels, they may try to cross the narrow walkway up top. In this case,
they'll vulnerable to a Divine Ruination or Shockwave that can hit several of
them in a line. Unyielding Blade techniques (Meliadoul and Orlandeau) are also
useful against all the enemies here. Overall, this isn't a particularly hard
battle.
You can steal Yoichi's Bow, which is even stronger than the Artemis Bow, from
the Archer ... of course, since you're past the point of no return, there's no
need to bother with this unless someone in your current team can use it.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 54: Monastery Vaults - Fifth Level-----------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Loffrey, Black Mage (male) x2, Time Mage (male) x1,
Summoner (male) x2
BOSS: Loffrey [Capricorn] - lv 54 Divine Knight - Bravery 60, Faith 68
Equipment : Save the Queen, Crystal Shield, Crystal Helm, Crystal Armor,
Germinas Boots
Abilities : Unyielding Blade, Magicks, Parry, Defense Boost, Ignore Elevation
--STRATEGY--
Now it gets interesting. The enemy forces are magick-heavy here, so adjust
your defenses accordingly -- Aegis Shields are good, as is Magick Counter and
cloaks that give a good boost to your magick evade rate. Counter, Shirahadori,
and First Strike are totally pointless. Construct 8, being immune to magick,
is good to deploy if you have it--it won't be able to navigate the holes well,
but Dispose has such a long range that it doesn't need to travel very far!
The floor is laded with holes (the black spots) that impede your movement. If
you have Fly or Winged Boots, however, you can simply hover right across them.
You can also jump across the holes with a good jump rating. If you can't jump
across, there's a looping path around the outsides of the map that lets you
walk all the way, but it's slow and you'll keep getting hit by magick on the
way. Avoid this route if you can.
Deploying lots of characters with range attacks is useful as you can just blast
away regardless of the gaps in the floor. Loffrey's Save the Queen sword gives
him a permanent Protect spell that makes him slow to kill. So, try to KO the
other guys (especially the Summoners) first before you take on Loffrey.
Loffrey uses Unyielding Blade techniques to crush your gear, but equipping
Safeguard will both preventing him from breaking your equipment and spare you
from the HP damage. Speaking of Crushing, using Crush Weapon on Loffrey is a
great tactic; destroying his sword will remove his Protect as well as prevent
him from using his sword techniques. (You can also use Rend Weapon or steal
it.)
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 55: The Necrohol of Mullonde-----------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Cletienne, Time Mage (male) x2, Ninja (male) x2,
Samurai (male) x2
BOSS: Cletienne [Gemini] - lv 54 Sorceror - Bravery 51, Faith 81
Equipment : Zeus Mace, Lambent Hat, Black Garb, Featherweave Cloak
Abilities : Magicks, Magick Boost, Arcane Defense, Fly
--STRATEGY--
The 2nd squad starts some distance away, so fill it with fast characters or
characters with long-range attacks.
Cletienne has really strong spells and a range of the whole battlefield. Since
he starts close to you, just forget the other enemies and rush him. If you can
pounce on him on quickly, you can probably to wrap this fight up very quickly.
Cletienne's Magick Boost reaction ability allows him to gain magick power when
you hit him. So, don't try to wear him down with weak attacks. Instead, try
only attack him with your strongest attacks so that you can take him out in as
a few hits as possible. Or, you can simply use MP-draining abilities--
Orlandeau's Duskblade works especially well--on Cletienne to take away all his
MP, so that he can't even use his magick.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 56: Lost Halidom-----------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Barich, Chemist (male) x1, Dark Behemoth x1, Hydra x1,
Greater Hydra x1, Tiamat x1
BOSS: Barich [Sagittarius] - lv 55 Machinist - Bravery 64, Faith 62
Equipment: Blaster, Thief's Cap, Luminous Robe, Featherweave Cloak
Abilities: Aimed Shot, Counter, Brawler, Lifefont
--STRATEGY--
This can be a tough fight. Barich and his crew start on a separate piece of
land from you. Barich and his Chemist can shoot at you from afar, but if you
jump over to his portion of the battlefield, his monsters will tear you to
shreds.
Barich, as before, will use Aimed Shot abilities to try to Immobilize and
Disable you, but this time, if you're equipped with Thief's Caps, you're immune
to this. Shirahadori is also great for defense, as it allows you to block the
shots from the enemy guns (only in video games...), even though shields/cloaks
are of no use. Auto-Potion is also helpful for dealing with the enemy gun
attacks.
The second squad starts pretty far away from Barich. A good tactic may be to
fill the first squad with characters with medium-range attacks (e.g. sword
techniques). They should be able to move forward and target Barich across the
gap without having to jump over the chasm. Meanwhile, deploy characters with
long-range attacks such as guns, Arithmeticks, or a long-range Jump in the
second squad. On their first turns, have them move up towards the first squad
and start targeting Barich with their range attacks. If you completed the
Gollund Colliery quest, Beowulf and Construct 8 will both be of great use here
for their long-range attacks (Vengeance and Dispose, respectively). Barich may
try to hide behind his monsters (and/or the Chemist), in which case you'll have
to take them out first in order to shoot him. Unfortunately, Barich's own
Thief's Cap prevents you from Immobilizing HIM.
Barich's Hydras will usually spend a turn or two advancing along Barich's
portion of the battlefield without attacking you. After that, they'll fly over
and land on your side! At this point, you may want to jump over Barich's side
and start attacking him directly--if you've done enough to damage to him
already, you can probably take him out with a few attacks. (He does use
Lifefont to regenerate his HP, though.)
If you completed the Nelveska Temple and restored Reis to human form, you could
also try putting Reis in the second squad. Have her run up to the little
"bridge" connecting the two halves of the battlefield and use Dragon's Charm
to charm the enemy Tiamat. Not only will this prevent the Tiamat from
attacking you, it will turn it against Barich! However, it usually takes a
turn or two for the Tiamat to come within range, so this may not be the most
efficient strategy -- and you have to watch out for the Dark Behemoth in the
mean time! If you DO use this strategy, you may wish to change Reis to a job
other than Dragonkin and equip Rubber Boots so that the Tiamat's Tri-Thunder
attack won't kill her before she can charm it.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Battle 57: Airship Graveyard------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Hashmal [Bringer of Order; Leo]
--STRATEGY--
Hashmal's two main attacks are Bind, which puts Stop on a group of characters,
and Quake, a fairly powerful area attack spell. Of course, equipping Jade
Armlets will protect you against the former. Since completely protecting
yourself against Stop will cause him to JUST cast Quake, one strategy is to
leave one character unprotected against Stop as a decoy. Hashmal will probably
try to Stop him/her, buying your other characters time to attack. Using this
strategy, you can probably defeat him before casts more than one Quake (perhaps
before he casts ANY).
And, if you completed the Gollund Colliery quest, you have an ace up your
sleeve: Construct 8, who is immune to both magick and Stop!
Although Hashmal's spells are strong, with 5 of you versus 1 of him, you
shouldn't have too much trouble taking him down. Just rush him. As always,
Lich and Graviga are effective against him. He only has 1500 HP.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Ragnarok
---Battle 58: Airship Graveyard------------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Alma [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES:
1ST PHASE: Ultima [High Seraph; Virgo], Ultima Demon x4
2ND PHASE: Ultima [Arch Seraph; Virgo]
--STRATEGY--
Be sure to deploy your best characters for this, the final battle. Since both
versions of the final boss have a lot of HP, attacks that do damage
proportional to the enemy's max HP are quite effective. This includes Lich,
Graviga, and Beowulf's Drain Spellblade. Ultima likes to cast a lot of status
ailments on you, so equipping female characters (and Cloud) with any hair
adornments (Cachushas, Barettes, or preferably Ribbons) is also a great idea.
Alma will fight as a guest in this battle. She starts off with only 1 HP, so
toss her an X-Potion or cure spell to keep her alive. She will first cast
Aegis on herself, then start casting on the rest of the team. Aegis includes
a number of useful buffs, so this is actually pretty helpful. Note that if
Ramza or Luso casts the Ultima spell on Alma, she can learn it. This is not
advised, however; you want her casting Aegis, which is quite a bit more useful!
(You can toss Alma an Ether or Hi-Ether if she starts running out of MP.)
Note that the terrain here has changed a bit since the battle with Hashmal.
The mast pieces have disappeared and it's a bit more open.
The Ultima Demons can do more damage than Ultima, so try to defeat them first.
They don't have all that much HP, so you might even be able to take them out
with group attacks. If you're using Orlandeau, Shadowblade is also handy since
it restores his HP at the same time as doing damage.
Ultima has several different attacks. There's a physical attack, which is
fairly strong but otherwise nothing special, the Grand Cross spell, which
inflicts random status conditions, and an souped-up Ultima spell that is
still rather weak and slow to charge. Note that this Ultima spell has a
"friendly fire" effect and can damage Ultima's own units (and Ultima herself).
You can use this to your advantage; if you see her charging the spell up, move
the targetted unit close to some enemies and they'll take damage too. (You
can recognize Ultima because it's the only spell she charges up that shows
estimated HP damage in the preview -- Grand Cross is a status attack only.)
Ultima can also teleport around the battlefield, often putting her out of your
reach (which is another reason not to try killing her before the Demons). She
does NOT have a counterattack, so you're free to any physical or magick attacks
you want -- although you should probably have a better way of attacking her
than physical attacks!
If the battle drags on, the Ultima Demons you took out early on may start
turning into crystals. Grab these as soon as they appear. Ultima will try to
claim them, and, if she does, her HP will be completely restored!
It only takes about 1200 points of damage to defeat Ultima's first form. Of
course, like all good final bosses, Ultima has a second form that appears
after the first is defeated. This one has over 3000 HP (!), but it's probably
easier, since there won't be any Ultima Demons around to harass you. Attack
her with the aforementioned Drain attack (Beowulf), Lich, Graviga, and sword
techniques. (Again, she has no counterattack, so physical attacks are also
safe.) Fortunately, Ultima is pretty slow, and you have quite a bit of
time to heal up and attack between her moves, especially if Alma has been
casting Haste on you via Aegis. And, if Alma has been casting Aegis on your
party, Ultima may well waste her turns using Dispelja to remove the effects of
Aegis, and not even inflict any damage on you.
Again, Ultima teleports around the battlefield on each of her turns. If she
moves out of range, just wait in the center of the ship and on her next turn
she should move in range again.
Once you defeat Ultima's second form, you win the game. Congratulations!
%%%SUBQUEST BATTLE STRATEGIES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bssub
---Gollund Colliery Battle 1: Gollund Colliery Floor---------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
2nd Squad - Beowulf [guest], 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Chemist (male) x5
--STRATEGY--
For some reason, you are being attacked by a large band of Chemists. (Note
that there's one hidden under the staircase right next to where you start!)
Since the Chemists exclusively fight with guns, there's no need for any type of
magick defense. And since guns always have a 100% hit rate, boosting your
evade rate is pointless; leave behind the cloaks and shields and go for dual-
wielded or two-handed weapons and other accessories. Finally, close-range
reaction abilities like Counter are pointless; choose reaction abilities like
Auto-Potion or Adrenaline Rush that are useful at any range.
The key to this battle is to close the distance between you and the Summoners
as quickly as possible. Fast characters or those with a high Move rate will
be good for this. You can also use Arithmeticks, Summons, Jump, or your
own guns to hit from a distance. If you use Arithmeticks, note that Blizzard
family magicks will be particularly effective because it's snowing.
Since the Chemists all have Items, they can keep healing themselves and
reviving their KOed comrades, which gets a little annoying. If you have
Orlandeau and/or Meliadoul, using their Crush abilities to break the Chemists'
armor will reduce their maximum HP and limit the amount they can heal
themselves. (Rend and Steal abilities work for this, too, but they often miss
and don't do any direct damage!) You can also use Summons to strike a whole
area and wipe all the critical-HP Chemists who have just been revived.
Reviving any of your *own* KOed can also be difficult--because the Chemists
have guns, they'll immediately shoot and KO any character with critical HP.
You'll need Arise to effectively revive characters. Of course, if a KOed
character's death counter is getting low, you may need to toss a Phoenix Down
or Raise on them anyway--even if they just KOed again, you've at least reset
their counter and saved them from permanent death.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Mythril Bow, Mythril Shield
---Gollund Colliery Battle 2: Gollund Colliery Slope---------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Beowulf [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Chemist (male) x1, Thief (male) x2, Behemoths x1,
Behemoth King x1
--STRATEGY--
This battle has a similar setting as the previous, but there's only Chemist
and, instead, two Thieves and two behemoths. (The Behemoth King is hiding in
the cubby-hole behind the Thief near your start position.) With a more
conventional assortment of enemies, this should actually be a more
straightforward battle.
The Chemist here has a Glacial Gun that you may want to steal -- though if he
happens to start with the Maintenance ability, you're out of luck. He can do
quite a bit of damage from it and you can't reach him to attack right away, but
equipping Ice Shields will protect you from the damage. The Thief on the top
level has a tendency to just sit in the corner until you come very close,
making him a sitting duck for magick or Jump attacks.
Since the Behemoth King is a somewhat rare monster, you may also want to Entice
or Tame it onto your team. Alternately, Poach it and you'll score either an
Artemis Bow or a Cherche perfume.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Mythril Knife, Mythril Spear
---Gollund Colliery Battle 3: Gollund Colliery Ridge---------------------------
YOUR FORCES:
1st Squad - Ramza, Beowulf [guest], 2 others
2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Chemist (male) x2, Blue Dragon x2, Pig x1
--STRATEGY--
This time, you're fighting two Chemists, two Blue Dragons, and a dancing pig
(huh?). The Pig is safe to leave 'til last; it can't do any harm. The Blue
Dragons, however, can and WILL harm you. Equipping Ice Shields will defend
against their Ice Breath attack, but even their physical attacks are strong.
The Blue Dragons are weak against fire, so use fire attacks for extra damage.
Do NOT use ice attacks (including Geomancy, the Icebrand, and the Glacial Gun),
as they will absorb the ice and gain HP! Special sword techniques are your
best offense (as usual).
If you Entice the Pig to your team, you can breed and Poach pigs for great
items, so this is a great opportunity to recruit one! If you already have a
Pig on the team, you can just axe this one.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Mythril Sword, Mythril Armor
---Gollund Colliery Battle 4: Gollund Coal Shaft-------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Beowulf [guest], Reis [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Syneugh [Archaeodaemon], Plague Horror x3, Ochu x2
--STRATEGY--
You need to keep Reis, the Holy Dragon, alive in this battle. Be sure to bring
someone who can heal her.
In order to get into Reis's area, you need to climb up onto the upper level and
pass through the narrow doorway. If you use jobs or accessories that get your
Jump score up to 4, you can jump directly up onto the ledge, which helps you
close the distance quickly. Otherwise, you'll have to take the long route up
by using the stairs behind where your party starts.
The Plague Horrors will turn you to stone or cast Doom on you if given the
chance, so kill them first -- both the Plague Horrors and Ochus are weak
against ice, so use ice attacks! If the enemies get lined up in the narrow
passage, use Shockwave (Monk) or Divine Ruination (Agrias/Orlandeau) to hit the
whole line of them. Reis will probably also rip into them with her Ice Breath.
After taking out the Plague Horrors, go after Syneugh. (Reis should be
able to handle the two Ochus.) Make sure to keep Reis healed. Syneugh uses
Gigaflare a lot, which hits a wide area but isn't nearly as powerful as it
looks (although it does do a number on the frame rate ^_^). It also hits his
own teammates if they happen to be standing in your vicinity! Syneugh doesn't
have very much HP; if you have Orlandeau, he might able to kill Syneugh in
one shot. This battle isn't really as tough as it may look -- just make
sure Reis stays healed!
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Balthier Subquest Battle: Dorter Slums--------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Balthier [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Archer (male) x3, White Mage (female) x1, Monk (male) x1,
Thief (male) x1
--STRATEGY--
The bulk of your team will start away from Ramza and Balthier, so it may be
helpful to bring characters with a high Move range or guns, so that they can
join the fray quickly. You'll need to make sure Ramza doesn't get separated
and surrounded. Balthier won't fight on the frontlines, but he has a super-
strong gun and will assist from the rooftops. Unless Ramza gets surrounded,
this should be an easy battle.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Nelveska Temple Battle: Nelveska Temple-------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Construct 7, Cockatrice x3, Hydra x2
BOSS: Construct 7 [random Zodiac] - lv 66 Automaton - Bravery 50, Faith 00
Abilities : Tasks, Counter, Defense Boost
--STRATEGY--
The enemies here will hit you hard and fast. When deploying characters, put
Orlandeau on either the far left or far right. If you have another character
with an automatic Haste (e.g. from the Tynar Rouge), place her behind
Orlandeau. Together, they can probably KO one of the Hydras on the pillars
before it has a chance to move.
The Hydras will attack you first. Watch out for their Tri-Attack, which hits
both the unit in front of them as well any to either side. Try to kill off one
of them before the Cockatrices reach you. The Cockatrices have relatively
little HP, so you may be able to take them out with group attacks (e.g.
Hallowed Bolt). Since all the enemies are fairly close by, you often don't
need to move attack to them. Remember that not moving gives you your next turn
faster, so don't move unless you need here. Since you're getting assaulted
from all sides here, Orlandeau's Shadowblade attack is quite useful here -- it
both deals damage AND restores a lot of his HP, keeping him healthy.
Construct 7 will probably come out of its nook in the temple to attack you.
It attacks are brutal and can do 300+ damage to you. Try to thin out the
other monsters a little bit first so you won't be swarmed while you're wearing
Construct 7 down. Once you've taken out at least half the other monsters, rush
Construct 7. It has NO Faith, so magick attacks are useless, and it's also
immune to all elements except Lightning, so even non-magickal attacks that do
elemental damage (like the Monk's Shockwave) don't work. Regular physical
attacks and sword techniques will work. In addition, Construct 7 IS weak to
non-magickal lightning attacks, so Reis's Thunder Breath attack will do quite a
bit of damage; it should take off more than half the Construct's HP! When you
KO Construct 7 the first time, it will come back with 1 HP, so KO it again and
the battle will end.
However, there are ALSO a bunch of hidden items that you can find during this
battle. If you want to get them, you have to get them during this battle, as
you can't come back here after defeating Construct 7.
On top of the two pillars where the Hydras start, you'll find the best polearm
(right pillar) and shield (left pillar). They're called the Javelin and
Escutcheon, but they're really totally different items. The lower your
Bravery, the better your odds of discovering them; otherwise, you'll end up
with a regular Javelin and Escutcheon, the WORST polearm and shield. To get up
on top of the pillars, move Construct 8 or Reis next to the pillar as a
stepping-stone. You'll need at least a jump of 4 to get up using the stepping-
stone method. (Ignore Elevation and Teleport are not usable because you need
their ability slot for Treasure Hunter!)
There are also two other hidden items: the Sasuke's Blade ninja blade, and the
Nagnarok sword, a sword that turns enemies into Toads. The Nagnarok has only 1
attack power but a high evade rate when used with Parry. Both these items also
require low Bravery, or you'll get Elixirs instead.
Sasuke's Blade is hidden in the grassy area behind the temple. When you're
facing the temple, on the right side, you'll see a staircase-like cliff that
you can use to climb up on top of the temple. Once you're on top of the
temple, continue moving away from your starting point into the green and brown
grassy area at the back end of the map. The specific tile is near the very far
back. Face the temple and move the cursor the upper-left corner of the map.
Now, move the cursor one tile to the right and one tile down. You should be on
a tile with a height of 4. This is the tile with Sasuke's Blade.
The Nagnarok sword is much closer to where you start. When the battle starts,
you'll see that Construct 7 is in the "doorway" of the temple just in front of
where you start. It's a black area with pillars on either side. You'll have
to lure Construct 7 out of the way. Once Construct 7 moves out of the way,
move into that "doorway," as if you were walking inside the temple. This is a
narrow passageway -- move the character as far back in the passage as the game
will let you in. The tile deepest inside the temple has the Nagnarok.
This can be a tough battle in its own right, and trying to claim all these
items will make it even harder. Bringing as any many women with Chantage as
possible will help keep you alive, of course -- and even Angel Rings (which
only give you Reraise once per battle) are useful. If your Treasure Hunter is
relatively weak, try equipping him/her with the Invisibility Cloak found on
Mount Germinas. As long as the character doesn't take any actual action and
just moves around picking up items, s/he should be left alone completely.
KOing one or both Hydras at the very start of the battle will leave their
bodies atop the pillars, preventing you from climbing up there until they
crystallize ... but go ahead and KO them anyway. You're being attacked by so
many enemies at the start that it's easier to take them out and then just wait
for them to crystallize once things have settled down.
The biggest concern when item-hunting is Construct 7 and its strong attacks.
Unfortunately, it's immune to most of the status conditions you might want to
inflict; instead, use Rend Speed over and over to whittle down its speed and
minimize the number of turns it gets. Once you've taken away all its speed,
you can then use Rend Power on it to make it even weaker. (Note that if you
combine Arts of War with Dual Wield, you get two Rends per turn.) If you're
doing the Rends at close range, you will have to endure Construct 7's
counterattacks, which is why Chantage will be helpful. Beware of accidentally
killing Construct 7 with any counterattacks you might have; you don't want the
battle to end prematurely! (And, keep in mind that all of Construct 7's
special attacks decrease its own HP a little bit.) You'll probably need to
stand by and keep healing Construct 7 while you continue item-hunting. The
other enemies can (and should!) be safely killed, of course.
Because the Javelin II and Esutcheon II have the same names as the crummy
Javelin and the Escutcheon, it's hard to tell during the battle which one
you've picked up. The Javelin II is gray instead of silver and has a fatter
point, and the Escutcheon II has gold trim (instead of silver) and an extra
vertical bar on its face. These details can be tough to spot in the few
seconds the item is displayed, though. An easier method is to put Reequip on
your Treasure Hunter, which will allow you to examine the items list during
battle. As long as you have "Display Unequippable Items" set to "On" (under
Options), you can see your entire list of equipment. Press Select to check the
stats. If the Javelin or Escutcheon has great stats, it's the one you want; if
it has terrible stats, it's the "regular" version. (You can reset if you don't
get what you're looking for.) You needn't even use up a turn to use Reequip
in this way; just cancel out of the equipment menu without changing anything
and you can take another action.
If you're not shooting for ALL the items, the Escutcheon II is generally the
best to pick up since it can be equipped by many jobs and cannot be found
anywhere else in the game. (The Javelin II and Sasuke's Blade can eventually
be caught with Sticky Fingers, and a Sasuke's Blade can be stolen in another
subquest.) The Javelin II is probably second-best, since it's the strongest
polearm, whereas Sasuke's Blade is inferior to the Koga and Iga blades found in
Midlight's Deep. The Nagnarok is the lowest priority, since it is of rather
dubious value to begin with and can always be poached from Swines.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Cloud Subquest Battle: Sal Ghidos-------------------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Cloud [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Squire (male) x1, Monk (male) x1, Thief (male) x3
--STRATEGY--
At this point in the game, a bunch of generic enemies with underpowered jobs
shouldn't pose much threat -- if you can't win this battle, you probably
shouldn't be playing the game ;). The main concern here is the three Thieves,
who may try to steal your stuff. If you've got any rare gear, you'll probably
want to equip Safeguard to make sure you don't lose it -- or just take the
Thieves out ASAP. You also need to make sure Cloud stays healthy, since you
lose the battle if he's KOed. He's usually not in any danger, though, since he
often flees into the far side of the map and avoids the melee completely.
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Disorder in the Order Battle: Brigands' Den---------------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Agrias [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Squire (male) x2, Knight (male) x2, Monk (female) x1,
Ninja (male) x1
--STRATEGY--
Agrias fights as a Guest in this battle, but it's not necessary to keep her
from getting KOed. (You won't lose if she does.) In fact, if you want to
steal from all the enemies here, it's probably a GOOD idea to KO her yourself,
to keep her from finishing off the enemies before you do. Since she's a Guest,
you can leave her KOed as long as you want and she won't ever disappear.
This battle is mainly a stealing extravaganza! Every enemy here has at least
one rare item you can't find in stores (although all these items are also
available in at least one other place in the game as well). The Squires have
Blaze and Glacial Guns respectively, the Ninja has a Sasuke's Blade, the Monk
has Ninja Gear and a Barette, and the Knights have a Venetian Shield and a
Kaiser Shields. If you get nothing else, the shields are probably your best
bet. Since there's a LOT to steal here, equipping Concentration or Martial
Arts to boost your success rate be helpful. Don't forget that raising your
Speed also helps you steal items, so use Ramza and Luso's Tailwind (or the
Bard's Rousing Melody) to crank up your Speed stat. Balthier's Plunder skills
are also advantageous here--they're more likely to successfully steal than a
regular Steal.
A couple of the enemies start up on top of the fort, which makes them hard to
reach unless you have a good Jump, Teleport, or Ignore Elevation. However, if
you march up to the top of the ramp in front of the fort, you can still hit
them with a lot of special attacks (e.g. sword techniques), and guns and
(especially) Construct 8's Dispose are always good for attacking from a
distance.
Note that all the enemies in this battle act as "special" characters who will
never crystallize or turn into chests. This can be kinda handy if you want
to steal from them. You can knock out all but one enemy, then revive just the
enemy you want to steal from, pilfer what you want, KO the enemy again, and
repeat. You never have to worry about anyone disappearing completely. Just
don't finish off the last enemy until you're done stealing!
BATTLE TROPHIES: None
---Lionel's New Liege Lord Battle 1: Lionel Castle Gate------------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Beowulf [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Aliste, Archer (male) x2, Time Mage (female) x1, Ninja (male) x2
BOSS: Aliste [Scorpio] - lv 48 Templar - Bravery 80, Faith 35
Equipment : Genji Shield, Save the Queen, Genji Helm, Genji Armor, Ribbon
Abilities : Spellblade, Iaido, Shirahadori, Safeguard, Master Teleportation
--STRATEGY--
Beowulf fights on your team as a Guest in this battle, which means you only
get to choose 3 other charactes to deploy. And while it's not spelled out in
the victory conditions, you have to keep Beowulf alive -- if he gets KOed, you
immediately get a Game Over. Be sure to equip him with some good armor or a
shield beforehand. It's probably a wise idea to deploy a decent healer as
well so that you can keep his health up. Since your principal enemy here has
Safeguard, Meliadoul's sword techniques are useless, so you probably won't
want to deploy her.
Aliste starts up on the roof, but since he has Elmdore's Master Teleportation
ability, he'll probably warp down to fight you before you can climb up after
him. He's a Templar just like Beowulf, so he has all of Beowulf's Spellblade
skills. (He has a nice set of Genji gear, but, also like Elmdore, he has
Safeguard, which means you unfortunately can't steal it from him.) Since
he can inflict a lot of status changes on you, be sure to have Remedy or Esuna
ready. Alternately, try wiping out Aliste's MP using the Knight's Rend MP,
Orlandeau's Duskblade, or the Dark Knight's Infernal Strike.
You might want to send one or two of your less powerful characters to take out
the Ninjas coming through the castle gate. The other enemies can probably
be ignored. The Archers won't do too much damage, and they're hard to attack
since the castle wall blocks your ability to shoot at them. If you want to
take them out, use Construct 8's Dispose, which can go through walls.
Focus your attacks on Aliste. He uses Shirahadori to guard your physical
attacks. You can try to weaken this by using Orator skills to lower his
Bravery (since a lower Bravery means reaction abilities trigger less often),
and Beowulf may help you in this regard. Otherwise, just throw some spells and
sword techniques (or Construct 8's Dispose) at him until he goes down. The
first time you KO him, he'll revive with 1 HP, but just punch him out a second
time and you win the battle for real.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Genji Armor
---Lionel's New Liege Lord Battle 2: Lionel Castle Oratory---------------------
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Beowulf [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES:
PHASE ONE: Bremondt, Mystic (female) x2, Samurai (female) x2,
Ninja (male) x2
PHASE TWO: Bremondt [Dark Dragon; Gemini]
BOSS: Bremondt [Gemini] - lv 51 Celebrant - Bravery 10, Faith 80
Equipment : Zeus Mace, Celebrant's Miter, Lordly Robe, Ribbon
Abilities : Priest Magicks, Fundaments, Counter Tackle, Safeguard, Lifefont
--STRATEGY--
Bremondt has a pretty powerful set of underlings here. Most importantly, the
Samurai to Bremondt's right (the left side of the screen when the battle
begins) has a stealable Masamune. This is by far the easiest place to get this
weapon, so be sure to steal it! (The only other way to get a Masamune is to
catch it using Sticky Fingers when enemy Ninjas throw it.)
Some of Bremondt's other troops are pretty tough, too. The Mystic on his
left (again, the right side of the screen initially) is equipped with Chantage,
which means that there's no point in attacking her, as she'll just revive on
her next turn. The only way to take her out is to break the Chantage or steal
it. Since Chantage is extremely useful, stealing it isn't a bad idea, although
you CAN get them elsewhere. Watch out, both Mystics also have a pretty strong
attack since they're equipped with bags.
Other rare items available here are a Cachusha and Barette--stolen from the
Mystics on Bremondt's right and left, respectively--and the Sortile'ge perfume,
also stolen from the Mystic on his right. You'll be receiving a Sortile'ge
and Hydrascale Bag for completing this quest anyway, though, so these are
pretty skippable.
Bremondt himself is equipped with a Lordly Robe and (despite being male) a
Ribbon, which gives him a fair amount of HP. (Unfortunately, he has Safeguard,
so you can't steal this stuff from him.) As long as at least one of his
underlings is KOed, though, he usually wastes his turns casting Arise. (This
can actually helpful be if you accidentally KO the Samurai with the Masamune
before you're able to steal it.) Just make sure at least one of the generic
enemies stays knocked out while you go after Bremondt. Since the Ribbon
doesn't protect Bremondt from the Atheist status, you can also try using
the Mystic's Disbelief (or Beowulf's Doubt) to prevent him from casting
magicks. Alternately, attack his MP with Rend MP / Duskblade / Infernal
Strike.
When Bremondt is first KOed, he will transform into the Dark Dragon, and all
the other enemy troops will be wiped from the board. It's now time for the
second phase of this battle.
The Dark Dragon has some really strong physical attacks, and might occasionally
use breath attacks as well. It can Counter you when you attack, so you're
probably better off using sword techniques or other abilities that aren't
standard melee attacks. As with most bosses that have high HP, Lich and
Graviga are effective (as is Beowulf's Drain, though here you have no control
over whether he uses it!) The Dark Dragon has about 3,000 HP; when you defeat
it, you'll clear this battle and the subquest.
BATTLE TROPHIES: Zeus Mace
%%%MIDLIGHT'S DEEP%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bsmd
For a general description of how to advance in Midlight's Deep and find items,
see the Midlight's Deep section of the walkthrough.
---Level 1: The Crevasse---
In this level, you start out at the top of a large cliff with a staircase-like
path winding down it. The enemies are all at the bottom, which gives you a big
height advantage. It's easy to rain ranged attacks down on them. (If you do
want to use melee attacks, Ignore Elevation, Teleport, or other jump boosts are
helpful for navigating the cliff and descending quickly.) The enemies here are
all weak jobs and monsters, so they shouldn't be that difficult. (Sometimes
you'll get nothing but goblins!) This a good warm-up for the tougher
Midlight's Deep battles, though.
Remember to find the exit before you KO the last enemy. Otherwise, you won't
be able to advance to the next level!
ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 2, Y: 2 | height: 7) Glacial Gun
(X: 9, Y: 0 | height: 22) Blaze Gun
(X: 4, Y: 9 | height: 17) Kiyomori
(X: 6, Y: 0 | height: 20) Elixir
---Level 2: The Stair---
Despite the name, this floor isn't quite a stair. Instead, it's a bumpy
landscape full of variations in height. (So, again, Ignore Elevation/Teleport
and jump boosts are helpful.) This level is a head-on confrontation between
you and your opponents, who start quite close to you. You do still have a bit
of a height advantage, though.
The enemy's forces are usually comprised of Archers, ahrimans, and skeletons.
Since there are often multiple Archers, the Archer's Bane ability is quite
helpful. Having your own strong range attacks also lets you KO the Archers
quickly. Take out the Archers first, then go after the skeletons (their Anima
attacks can be pretty strong!), and finally the ahrimans. Since you're being
attacked by the full party at once, putting Disable or Chicken on some enemies
or using Rend/Crush Weapon on humans will stop their attacks and give you some
breathing room.
You may fight ghosts or goblins instead, which is usually an easier battle.
Both groups of enemies are definitely toughter than those in The Crevasse,
however.
ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 2, Y: 7 | height: 6) Blood Sword
(X: 6, Y:10 | height: 9) Elixir
(X: 8, Y: 1 | height: 1) Save the Queen
(X: 4, Y: 0 | height: 0) Elixir
---Level 3: The Hollow---
The Hollow has a big chasm running through the center of it, dividing the map
into three separate regions. Your party starts on a separate "island" from the
enemy squad and you can only cross with a jump.
If you bring a lot of characters with long-range attacks (guns, Arithmeticks,
Construct 8's Dispose), this should be fairly easy. From your starting point,
guns and Dispose can hit almost all of the enemies. Since they have to
navigate around the pits, you can just stand there and blast away. Just Wait
instead of moving and you can get your next turn even faster. Still, the
enemies will catch up with you eventually, so you'll want to bring along a good
close-range fighter or two (like Orlandeau) as well.
Probably the most dangerous enemy here are the Mindflayers. Their Mind Blast
ability can Berserk or Confuse you, and has enough range that it can reach
across the chasm. Try to take them out first. (Remember that Confused
characters can be cured by whacking them with a physical attack. This doesn't
cure Berserk, though.)
You'll likely see some Black Mages as well, who can of course hit you with
magick from a distance. Stealing away their MP is one good way of dealing with
them. A gun paired with Rend MP can do this from a long distance, and
Orlandeau's Duskblade has a decent range too.
ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 4, Y: 3 | height: 1.5) Elixir
(X: 8, Y: 6 | height: 0.5) Zeus Mace
(X: 7, Y:15 | height: 1.5) Elixir
(X: 2, Y: 9 | height: 4.5) Yoichi Bow
---Level 4: The Catacombs---
The Catacombs are actually just a big staircase that winds back and forth,
similar to The Crevasse (the first floor). However, the staircase is longer
and each tier is separated by a chasm, so you can't jump straight down.
Depending on the enemies you face, this level can either be easy or pretty
challenging. There are three main types of enemies you'll face here: Malboros,
Aevises, and Mystics. The Malboros are the easiest. They're slow, don't have
ranged attacks, and tend to bunch up in groups. You can take your time
advancing against them and attack them with wide-range attacks (e.g. Hallowed
Bolt).
The other enemies are tougher. The Aevises will quickly fly up the stairs to
attack you and can fly over your front line to attack the magick-/item-users in
the back. The Mystics can also be a pain since they will put lots of status
conditions on you and often start near your team. If you have any Hair
Adornments to equip on your female characters, they will protect against lots
of potential status ailments. Attack the Mystics first since they have less HP
and you can probably KO them the fastest. Attack the Aevises second and save
any Malboros for last.
The exit is almost always towards the end of path, as are most of the items.
This can make them difficult to reach if the enemy squad confronts you head-on.
You'll probably have the best luck finding everything when you're fighting the
Malboros and have plenty of room and time for navigation.
ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X:12, Y: 2 | height: 7) Elixir
(X: 4, Y: 8 | height: 4) Rod of Faith
(X: 5, Y:10 | height: 4) Kaiser Shield
(X: 5, Y: 9 | height: 6) Faerie Harp
---Level 5: The Oubliette---
The Oubliette is basically a "king of the hill" scenario. You're up on top of
a hill which is surrounded by loads of enemies. There's only one path up (or
down) the hill, which loops counterclockwise around the cliff. Note that the
Excalibur is hidden right on the top of the hill, where you start. Be sure to
pick this one up ... the permanent Haste is very useful! If you have Reequip,
you can even arm yourself it with it right away.
Of course, it's possible to launch attacks down at the enemies from atop the
the cliff, but it's trickier than it looks. The angle is so steep that guns
probably won't work. Your best best is probably just to wind your way down the
trail. For the most part, you'll be on the opposite side of the hill as the
enemies and they can't hit you anyways. Do be careful when you're descending
the initial ramp, though. If you stand close to the edge of the cliff, any
enemy Archers or Summoners CAN hit you from below.
Because the trail is pretty narrow, it can get hard to see where your
characters are, or how far your moving/targeting range extends. Don't forget
that you can rotate the "camera" by tapping the analog stick (in the lower-left
of the PSP) left or right. This will often help you get a better view.
Pressing the R button on top of the PSP will also tilt the camera angle.
After you've made a couple turns around the hill and end up facing the irection
you did when you started the level, you'll come to a pass that's only two tiles
wide. This is the best place to fight. You can just send Divine Ruinations
or Shockwaves down this corridor and rip the enemies. (If you have both Agrias
and Orlandeau you can cover the entire pass with Divine Ruinations.)
Another tactic is the to block the full width of the pass with Invisible
characters. (Ninja Gear, Septie`me perfume, and the Invisibility Cloak can all
make characters Invisible.) The enemies can't walk past your Invisible
characters, and because you're Invisible, they won't be able to attack you
either. Then, you can just have the rest of your team launch magicks or sword
techniques at the enemies from behind your "invisible wall."
Any White Mages you encounter are actually the most dangerous enemies here, as
they will keep healing and Raising the other enemies. Kill them first. If the
enemy team is nothing but various sorts of dryads, it's much easier.
With all the carnage going on, finding the exit can be tough. Try using Ignore
Elevation and jumping down to the far end of the path right away. This works
best if the character is Invisible or otherwise has a good defense, as s/he is
otherwise likely to get surrounded and KOed.
ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 4, Y: 8 | height: 18) Excalibur
(X: 0, Y:11 | height: 11) Elixir
(X: 6, Y:11 | height: 7) Iga Blade
(X: 6, Y: 0 | height: 1) Elixir
---Level 6: The Palings---
The Palings seems really small at first, but scroll around to see the whole
picture. It's a mostly flat level with three big rock ridges. Select a long
range attack to get a feel for where they are. Since you can't move over or
through the ridges (even with Ignore Elevation), you'll have to wind your way
around them. A much better strategy, though, is to just cast magick *through*
them, while the enemies are still trying to navigate around them. Sword
techniques and summon spells work great for this purpose. You can even use
Jump to attack over the walls. Using Invisible characters to block the passage
works here, too (see The Oubliette, above).
As in The Oubliette, it can often get pretty hard to see where you're going, so
rotate the camera to keep track of where the enemies are and where you can
move.
Sometimes, you'll encounter a slew of Vampire Cats here. They like to use
Blaster to turn you to stone, so you may want to equip Jade Armlets for
protection just in case, or at least bring a supply of Gold Needle or Remdies.
Note that all the hidden items are right in the starting corner -- there's no
reason not to pick them up! (If you start on top of one the item tiles, you
have to first move to another tile and then move to the item tile before you
can get the item to appear.)
ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 0, Y: 9 | height: 5) Elixir
(X: 0, Y: 8 | height: 5) Blaster
(X: 1, Y, 8 | height: 5) Cursed Ring
(X: 1, Y: 9 | height: 5) Ninja Gear
---Level 7: The Crossing---
The Crossing is a mostly flat level with a big rock ridge running through the
middle. There's a small gap running through the ridge (the Crossing, I
suppose) that separates it into two smaller cliffs.
You start off next to one of the ends of the ridge. Most of the time, the
enemies will all be clustered around the other cliff. Advance forwards and
start fighting them, using height to your advantage where you can. Again,
because you're often fighting a large group at once, abilities that quickly
put an enemy out of commission (e.g. Chicken or Arm Shot) are helpful.
Sometimes, the enemies will be more spread out across the level. Advance
foward just the same and cross the level on the level ground. Trying to climb
over the ridge is just liable to get your characters separated and surrounded.
There's actually not much need to climb up onto the top of the ridge except to
find the items stashed up there. Most of the items (including the two rare
weapons) are atop the cliff that you start beside. To get up there, from the
starting point, move forward a little bit, then move sideways into the gap
through the ridge. From here, you can jump on top of the ridge, but you'll
need a Jump of 5. If you need a boost, use Construct 8 or another large
monster as a stepping stool. (Remember, of course, that Treasure Hunter cannot
be combined with Teleport or Ignore Elevation.)
ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 4, Y: 4 | height: 12) Elixir
(X: 4, Y:10 | height: 13) Staff of the Magi
(X: 4, Y:12 | height: 12) Koga Blade
(X: 4, Y:14 | height: 10) Elixir
---Level 8: The Switchback---
This level has two tiers. You start on the high one and have to cross it,
descend a stair, and fight back across the lower tier (hence the name "The
Switchback.") As in other levels like The Oubliette, the decline is so steep
that it's pretty hard to shoot downwards, so you're better off heading for
the stairs.
Often times, you'll encounter a swarm of Archers (and nothing but!) here, so
readying Archer's Bane beforehand is a good strategy. This fight isn't too
tough since the Archers can't do all THAT much damage (and often take time
charging up Aim).
On other occasions, you'll fight very powerful monsters -- behemoth, dragons,
and hydras (oh my!). When you see these guys, you may want to forestall
hunting for items or the exit and just focus on surviving.
ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 4, Y: 6 | height: 3) Perseus Bow
(X: 6, Y: 7 | height: 3) Lordly Robe
(X: 9, Y: 8 | height: 3) Ragnarok
(X:10, Y:10 | height: 3) Elixir
---Level 9: The Interstice---
The Interstice has a tricky layout. You start on one of two pillars. (There's
also a tiny mini-pillar in between the two pillars.) Parallel to the pillars
is a flat plateau area where the enemies often start. The terrain in between
and on the other side of the pillars is flat.
The enemies often start on top of the plateau. From their position here, they
will launch spells and arrows up at you. If you stand on the side of the
pillar closest to them, you can hit them back with some ranged attacks. To
really attack them (and to use any close-range abilities), though, you'll need
to take down the long route down to their plateau. Jump across the mini-pillar
to the other pillar. From here, there's a staircase down to the plateau.
You should probably hurry for the staircase as quickly as you can. While you
CAN attack from the top of the pillars, it's too crowded to move around, making
it difficult to target the enemies you want. Start moving across the pillars
as fast as you can. You *could* also use Teleport or Ignore Elevation to jump
down to the plateau, but this is pretty tricky because: (a) there's a hole in
the corner of the map closest to where you start; the only route you can take
is directly down off the front of the pillar where you start and (b) the
character is liable to get surrounded and killed quickly. Only try this if you
have a pretty sturdy character with a lot of HP or a good reaction ability
(e.g. Shirahadori).
You'll also need to take the plateau route if you want to claim all the items
-- the Maximillian armor is located on the far end of the plateau, and the
Venetian Shield is down on the flat floor. (The Grand Helm is up on the
pillars.) All of these are definitely worth grabbing.
The specific enemies you face here, of course, vary. Often times, you'll face
an assortment of Black Mages, Archers, Knights, and Chocobos. Don't forget
that you can stop the Black Mages pretty quickly by stealing their MP --
Orlandeau's Duskblade works well for that. Another set of enemies involves
Ninja and Samurai. They're fairly easy. If you're just looking to clear the
battle, kill the Ninjas first, since they can throw from a distance. But, if
the Ninjas are at a high level (90+) they will throw rare weapons at you that
you can catch the Thief reaction ability Sticky Fingers. Kill off the Samurai
first and then just sit around and let them throw weapons at you.
Finally, sometimes, instead of the Ninja and Samurai convention, you get
dragons and Cockatrices. This is tough. Try to stay in a tight group on the
pillars and use your best attacks. Attack the Cockatrices first, then go for
the dragons closest to you.
Note that with all enemy groups, some of the enemies can sometimes be very hard
to see, if they slip in between the pillars or between the pillar and plateau.
Try to track where they're moving so you don't forget about them if you can't
see them on the screen.
Finding the exit in this level can be tricky. It's often on the flat "flooor"
below the pillars and plateau. Your best best is to put Teleport or Ignore
Elevation on an invisible character and immediately to quickly from the
starting pillar down to the flat ground. If you don't have the items/abilities
for that, you'll have to take the very long route: hop across the pillars,
descend to the plateau, cross the plateau, and THEN reach the set of stairs
down the floor.
ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 3, Y: 4 | height: 8) Grand Helm
(X: 3, Y: 5 | height: 2) Venetian Shield
(X: 9, Y: 0 | height: 4) Maximillian
(X: 3, Y:10 | height: 2) Elixir
---Level 10: Terminus---
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, the Byblos [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Elidibus [Serpentarius], Reaver x6
Note that the battle with Elidibus is considered a story battle; you'll have to
deploy Ramza the first time you visit here. If you want to learn the Zodiark
summon spell (and this is your only opportunity to do so), you'll need to
deploy someone who is a Summoner (which can be Ramza or someone else).
There's no exit to find here, just a confrontation with Elidibus and a whole
pile of Reavers. Elidibus is at the top of a spiral staircase; you'll have to
fight your way up past the Reavers to reach him.
The enemy Reavers are gray. The purple monster behind you, the Byblos, is NOT
an enemy; its a Guest fighting on your side. Don't kill it; it's your friend!
(The personal name of the Byblos is random, but it can be identified by its
"Byblos" monster type and purple color.) The Byblos is pretty slow-moving, but
it can heal you from afar. Keep it alive and it will join you afterwards.
Begin fighting your way up the stairs. The Reavers aren't hard to kill; sword
techniques or Dual Wielded physical attacks work wonders. Since their Bio
spells take time to charge, you can often KO them before they can even cast the
spell. The Bio spells don't do all that much HP damage. However, they can
inflict a variety of status ailments, so bring an ability like Esuna or
Purification to remove these -- Purification is especially helpful since it
doesn't need to charge.
You can probably Elidibus quickly. Elidibus's main attack is the extremely
powerful Zodiark summon (700+ damage). It's obvious when he's going to cast it
from the humongous damage estimates -- plus it takes a long time to charge.
Get out of the way if you can! Split your team up so he can't take out too
many at one time.
Once you've gotten past the Reavers, healing is pretty much pointless because
Zodiark will basically kill you no matter how much HP you have. (And, if
you're using Beowulf, keeping his HP low will allow Vengeance to do more
damage!) Do, however, revive KOed characters. Angel Rings and Chantage will
be quite useful in this battle as they let you recover from the inevitable KO.
(Angel Rings work only once; Chantage works multiple times.) Another tactic is
to use the Mystic ability Disbelief or Beowulf's Doubt to give your characters
the Atheist status, which temporarily reduces your Faith to 0 and makes you
immune to magick. Atheist status also renders your own magick useless, though,
so you WON'T want to put it on any magick-users in your team. (Atheist status
also prevents you from learning the Zodiark spell; see below.) A final tactic
to survive Zodiark is to pair Construct 8 with one or more characters with
Chantage. Construct 8 has a permanent Atheist status, so Zodiark won't
KO it, and as long it's alive, the Chantage characters will revive themselves.
(Unfortunately, since Construct 8 is slow and takes a long time to get across
the battlefield, it may not be all that much help with the actual fighting.)
While Zodiark is Elidibus's main attack, you'll also need to watch out for his
Poisonous Frog, which turns characters into toads (and poisons them), rendering
them usueless. For female characters, equipping any Cachushas or Ribbons you
have may be a good idea as they will protect you from both Poison and Toad
status. Alternately, you can just use Esuna or Purification to remove the
status -- Purification is especially helpful since it doesn't need to charge.
When you reach Elidibus, attack him with your strongest abilities -- preferably
ones that hit from a distance so that he can't counterattack you. Sword
techniques, as always, are great. He's particularly vulnerable while charging
Zodiark, so be sure to attack him at these times. Attack Boost will also help
you do more damage quickly. The key to this battle is mostly just surviving
Zodiark; if you can keep one or two heavy hitters alive, you can fell him
fairly quickly.
You can learn Zodiark if Elidibus casts it on a Summoner and the Summoner
survives the spell. (Coming back to life with Reraise doesn't count; the
Summoner must NOT be KOed by the spell.) When this happens, there's a random
probability (high but not 100%) that you'll learn the spell. The easiest way
to learn the spell is to equip the Time Mage ability Mana Shield and make sure
your Bravery is reasonably high. As long as you have at least 1 MP, this
ability (when activated) causes all attacks to damage only your MP instead of
HP. So, being hit with Zodiark will empty out your MP, but leave the character
standing. If you don't learn the spell on your first attempt, use an Ether or
Chakra to get back at least 1 MP and try again. If you don't have Mana Shield,
an alternate method is to put Equip Heavy Armor on the Summoner to get his or
her HP as high as possible, then start hitting Elidibus with Rend Magick as
many times as you can (preferably using a gun, bow, or polearm to attack from a
distance, so that he can't counterattack). This will lower his magick power
and decrease the amount of damage Zodiark can do, potentially allowing your
Summoner to withstand the spell without Mana Shield. (Mana Shield is only 400
JP, though, so it's not too tough to learn.) Using the Atheist status to
temporarily reduce your Faith to 0 will NOT work; your Summoner must take at
least 1 HP damage from Zodiark in order to learn it. (Of course, it's fine to
cast Atheist on all your other characters if you want.)
Elidibus has 2600-2700 HP. If you are trying to learn Zodiark, keep track of
how much damage you're doing and don't hurt him too much until you learn the
spell. You don't want to kill him on accident. (Remember, this battle is your
only chance to learn Zodiark.)
The four hidden items are all located on the platform where Elidibus starts.
You'll have a much easier time finding them if you come back AFTER you beat
him, instead of trying to get them during the battle with Elidibus.
ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X:10, Y: 7 | height: 15) Chaos Blade
(X:12, Y: 5 | height: 15) Chirijiraden
(X:12, Y: 7 | height: 15) Elixir
(X:10, Y: 5 | height: 15) Elixir
*******************************************************************************
VI. MULTIPLAYER MODES
*******************************************************************************
%%%RENDEZVOUS MODE - GENERAL INFORMATION%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00ren0
The Rendezvous Mode is a two-player co-operative mode. It consists of 15
missions that two players tackle together. (It's not possible to play these
missions with just one player.) Completing the missions earns you items,
including a number of rare items you can only find in this mode (see below for
details).
The later missions also make for a particular challenge for FF Tactics masters,
as they're the toughest battles in the game.
---STARTING A MISSION---
Beginning midway through Chapter I, new Rendezvous Mode missions will continue
to become available as you progress through the single-player game. A mission
may be selected as long at least ONE of the two players has unlocked it, though
both players must have at least progressed through the first few battles of the
game to make the Rendezvous Mode option appear in a Taven.
To start a Rendezvous Mode mission, have each player go to the Tavern and
choose Rendezvous Mode and "Start a Mission." The hosting player (Player 1)
should choose to host a mission and the other player should choose to join.
Like Melee Mode, Rendezvous Mode can only be played over a local (ad hoc)
connection.
Each mission can be played an unlimited number of times, regardless of whether
you win or lose.
Unlike the Melee Mode, Rendezvous missions do not cost gil.
---MISSION DIFFICULTY---
The Rendezvous Mode missions that you can unlock as you play through the
single-player mode are appropriate for characters at that stage of the game.
So, the missions you unlock in Chapter II can be tackled while you're still in
Chapter II, and so on.
The experience level of the enemies you face in Rendezvous Mode scales with
your own characters' levels. So, simply leveling up won't really help you win
the battles. Of course, learning new abilities, gaining equipment, and using
the stat-raising tricks described in the Level Downs and Stat-Grinding section
*will* help you. :)
---THE RULES---
Rendezvous Mode differs from single-player combat in several ways:
* You CANNOT permanently lose items or characters in this mode. Stolen and
broken items, and items consumed using the Throw, Iaido, and Items commands,
are restored to you at the end of battle. Characters cannot permanently die
because they simply teleport out of the battle when their KO counter expires.
(Since they're not permanent deaths, these do NOT count as Casualties on your
Chronicle screen.)
Note that this makes some abilities substantially more useful in the Rendezvous
Mode since you no longer have to worry about losing rate items. Elixirs are
great for restoring HP and MP, the Masamune and Chirijiraden Iaidos can be used
freely (Masamune casts Haste and Regen on a group!) and rare weapons like the
Chaos Blade can be thrown without losing them.
* You CAN keep items that YOU obtain from chests, stealing, and catching them
from ENEMIES using Sticky Fingers. You CANNOT keep weapons caught when your
partner throws them (which would otherwise allow you to easily duplicate any
weapon :P).
* The Arithmeticks command is completely off-limits in this mode and cannot be
used.
* Monsters cannot be poached for items. Poaching a monster will still remove
it from the map, but no items will be added to the Poachers' Den.
* While the Traitor status (from Entice or Tame) can still be used to recruit
enemies onto your side for the duration of the battle, they cannot join your
team permanently afterwards.
* Only JP, not EXP or levels, is earned. In addition to earning JP, you can
also learn and keep abilities from crystals. Magick that can be learned from
being hit with it (see Various Tricks) can also be learned and kept.
Since you cannot gain levels, the Wild Boar's Bequeath Bacon is ineffective in
this mode.
* Bravery and Faith can be changed for the duration of a battle, but there are
no permanent changes.
* Your characters cannot be put under AI control.
* The game cannot be paused. (However, when one player is moving, the other
player can scroll around the map and looking at characters' status.)
* Although Bonus Gil is earned after a battle, gil cannot be gained or lost
*within* a battle from Gilgame Heart, Steal/Plunder Gil, or treasure chests.
* This isn't a Rendezvous Mode-specific rule, but it's worth noting that all of
the multiplayer-exclusive weapons cannot be thrown with the Ninja's Throw
command.
%%%RENDEZVOUS MODE - TREASURES AND RANKING%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00ren1
After winning a Rendezvous Mode battle, each player will be presented with a
ring of chests, and can open 1 to 5 of them based on your performance during
battle. (No chests are awarded if you lose.) Since these battles are a
cooperative effort, both players will always earn the same number of chests,
even if one player had his/her forces completely wiped out.
The NUMBER of chests you can open is determined by how well you fought. You
can open more chests when you....
1) Deploy fewer characters. Typically, you can deploy up to a total of 3
characters (i.e., one player deploys 1 character and the other deploys
2 characters) and still earn 5 chests, but this may vary a little from
mission to mission.
2) KO more enemies. Some missions don't require you to KO every enemy, but
KOing more of them will earn you more chests.
Having your own characters KOed or even "killed" (i.e., warped out of battle)
does NOT appear to affect the number of chests you earn. The number of turns
you take is also irrelevant.
The CONTENTS of the chests are determined by different factors:
1) The average level of your characters
2) Most missions have a "cap" on item quality. The tougher the mission, the
better the items you can get.
Note that the QUALITY and QUANTITY of items you receive are determined by
completely different factors! Even a poor performance on the later missions
will earn you a chance at rare items; you just won't get as *many* of them. On
the other hand, blowing through early missions will not get you unique items,
no matter how efficiently you fight or how high your level is.
A (probably incomplete) list of RARE items that you can win in Rendezvous Mode
is below. (I haven't listed items that can also be bought in a store, though
you'll often get these from the early missions.)
* indicates items that can ONLY be acquired in Rendezvous Mode.
WEAPONS:
Sasuke's Blade [ninja blade] Ras Algethi [gun]
Materia Blade [sword] Fomalhaut [gun]
* Moonblade [sword] Glacial Gun [gun]
Excalibur [knight's sword] Blaze Gun [gun]
Ragnarok [knight's sword] Blaster [gun]
* Durandal [knight's sword] Yoichi Bow [bow]
Chaos Blade [knight's sword] Perseus Bow [bow]
Masamune [katana] * Sagittarius Bow [bow]
Chirijiraden [katana] Dragon Whisker [polearm]
Golden Axe [axe] * Gungnir [polearm]
* Stardust Rod [rod] Fallingstar Bag [bag]
* Crown Sceptre [rod] Wyrmweave Silk [cloth]
* Dreamwaker [staff] * Deathbringer [fell sword]
Scorpion Tail [flail] * Valhalla [fell sword]
SHIELDS:
Kaiser Shield * Genji Shield
Venetian Shield * Onion Shield
HEADGEAR:
* Genji Helm [helm] Cachusha [hair adornment]
* Vanguard Helm [helm] Ribbon [hair adornment]
* Brass Coronet [hat]
ARMOR:
Genji Armor [armor] Mirage Vest [clothes]
* Onion Armor [armor] Rubber Suit [clothes]
ACCESSORIES:
* Gaius Caligae [shoes] * Sage's Ring [ring]
* Genji Glove [gauntlet] Invisibility Cloak [cloak]
* Brigand's Gloves [gauntlet] Chantage [perfume]
Of course, as noted above, not all of these items are available in every
mission. Again, the best items are only found in later missions, and your
characters must have a high level to have a chance of getting them.
In addition, there are also some items that only appear in specific missions:
MISSION ITEMS
The Guarded Temple Grand Armor, Fomalhaut
Nightmares Gungnir, Dreamwaker
Brave Story Crown Sceptre, Sage's Ring
An Ill Wind Valhalla, Vanguard Helm
(Note that the Fomalhaut isn't *really* unique to The Guarded Temple, since you
can get it quite easily in Melee Mode. But The Guarded Temple is the only
place the Fomalhaut shows up in Rendezvous Mode.)
---TITLES AND STARS---
In addition to treasures, you will also be awarded a "title" for clearing each
mission. For example, completing the Chocobo Defense mission earns you the
"Defender of the Wild" title. These titles don't do anything, they're just for
fun :)
Each title comes with a level or star rating, on a scale from 1 to 5. The star
rating is simply equal to the number of chests you were awarded at the end of
the battle. In the Tavern, the game tracks your highest star ratings for each
battle, so you can challenge yourself to try to earn 5 stars on every mission!
%%%RENDEZVOUS MISSION STRATEGIES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00ren2
---Rendezvous Mission 1: Chocobo Defense---------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Visiting Gariland on the way to the Siedge Weald in
Chapter I
BATTLE MAP: Windflat Mill
Details and strategy for this mission will be added in a future update.
TITLE AWARDED: Defender of the Wild
---Rendezvous Mission 2: Chicken Race------------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Start of Chapter II
BATTLE MAP: Tchigolith Fenlands
Details and strategy for this mission will be added in a future update.
---Rendezvous Mission 3: Treasure Hunt-----------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Start of Chapter II
BATTLE MAP: Dorvauldar Marsh
Details and strategy for this mission will be added in a future update.
---Rendezvous Mission 4: Teioh-------------------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Story Battle 13: Zaland
BATTLE MAP: Araguay Woods
Details and strategy for this mission will be added in a future update.
---Rendezvous Mission 5: Lost Heirloom-----------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Story Battle 16: Goug Lowtown
BATTLE MAP: Goug Lowtown
Details and strategy for this mission will be added in a future update.
---Rendezvous Mission 6: The Fete----------------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Start of Chapter III
BATTLE MAP: Lionel Castle Oratory
Details and strategy for this mission will be added in a future update.
---Rendezvous Mission 7: Desert Minefield--------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Story Battle 26: Monastery Vaults - First Level
BATTLE MAP: Zeklaus Desert
Details and strategy for this mission will be added in a future update.
TITLE AWARDED: Bombslayer
---Rendezvous Mission 8: Littering---------------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Story Battle 29: Yardrow
BATTLE MAP: Gollund
Details and strategy for this mission will be added in a future update.
---Rendezvous Mission 9: Shades of the Past------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Start of Chapter IV
BATTLE MAP: Brigands' Den
YOUR FORCES: 1-3 characters per player
ENEMY FORCES: Milleuda, Knight (male) x5, Archer (male) x2,
White Mage (female) x2
ENEMY: Milleuda [Aquarius] - Knight - Bravery 65, Faith 65
Equipment : Defender, Crystal Shield, Crystal Helm, Crystal Mail, Chantage
Abilities : Arts of War, White Magicks, Parry, Safeguard, Move +1
There are a lot of enemies here, but they all have pretty weak jobs that are
mostly limited to physical attacks. If you bring a good defense against
physical attacks -- a good shield and Shirahadori or especially First Strike --
you'll be practically invulnerable.
The Teleport or Ignore Elevation movement abilities may also be helpful. The
enemies sometimes climb up atop the fort and stay there, and it can be
difficult to chase after them. A Jump attack with a high horizontal and
vertical range would also work.
Milleuda's Chantage will keep reviving her if she gets KOed, and she has
Safeguard, so you can't steal or break the Chantage. This means that the only
way to get rid of her is to first KO all the other enemies, and *then* finish
her off. (You could soften her up with other attacks beforehand, though
there's not much point.)
The enemy has a number of characters who can heal the other enemies. These
include both of the White Mages, as well as Milleuda, who casts Arise. You'll
want to stop them first. Even though Milleuda has Chantage, you can stop her
White Magick by using Orlandeau's Duskblade or a Dark Knight's Infernal Strike
to wipe out her MP. (You can also just KO her when she starts casting Arise;
she'll bounce back, but the spell will be canceled.) The White Mages are
pretty easy to take out, but be aware of their reaction abilities: the Mage
that starts on the right side of the fort (from your viewpoint) has Magick
Counter, and the one on the left side has Soulbind, which bounces half the
damage you do back onto you. Neither of these abilities are really that
dangerous, though, especailly because you may be able to defeat the Mages in a
single strike anyway.
Both of the White Mages also have Sortile'ge perfumes you could steal if you
want.
Milleuda's Parry will block physical attacks, but Jump and sword techniques
will crack through her defenses, or you can just attack her from behind. (Note
that for some reason she's now an Aquarius, even though she was a Virgo in the
single-player game.)
Since having a good physical defense will make you practically invincible here,
this is a great battle to deploy just a single character per player to maximize
your item haul.
TITLE AWARDED: Exorcist
---Rendezvous Mission 10: The Knights Templar----------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Story Battle 41: Fort Besselat Sluice
BATTLE MAP: Mullonde Cathedral Nave
YOUR FORCES: 1-3 characters per player
ENEMY FORCES:
1ST BATTLE: Isilud, Wiegraf, Squire (male) x4, Archer (male) x4
2ND BATTLE: Cletienne, White Mage (female) x2, Black Mage (female) x2,
Time Mage (female) x2, Summoner (female) x3
3RD BATTLE: Barich, Chemist (male) x5, Orator (male) x4
4TH BATTLE: Folmarv [Divine Knight; Leo], Loffrey [Divine Knight; Capricorn],
Knight (male) x3, White Mage (male) x2, Dragoon (male) x2
ENEMY: Isilud [Gemini] - Nightblade - Bravery 73, Faith 63
Equipment : Defender, random other equipment
Abilities : Arts of War, random other abilities
ENEMY: Wiegraf [Virgo] - White Knight - Bravery 71, Faith 64
Equipment : Save the Queen, random other equipment
Abilities : Holy Sword, random other abilities
ENEMY: Cletienne [Gemini] - Sorceror - Bravery 51, Faith 81
Equipment : Wizard's Rod, random other equipment
Abilities : Magicks, random other abilities
ENEMY: Barich [Sagittarius] - Machinist - Bravery 64, Faith 62
Equipment : Blaster, random other equipment
Abilities : Aimed Shot, Safeguard, random other abilities
This mission occurs in four successive "trials," with each trial pitting you
against some of the Knights Templar plus a lot of generic enemies with themed
jobs. This works a little differently from anything in the single-player game,
in that you jump directly from one battle to the next, with no chance to heal
or change equipment. And unlike the multiphase Lucavi battles in the single-
player game, any "buffs" you cast on yourself do not carry over from one battle
to the next, so using Focus or Tailwind a lot during the first battle will not
help you with the later ones :(
In each trial, you must defeat all the enemies (not just the Knights Templar)
to advance to the next one.
Because there's four battles here, it's advisable to equip your characters for
the long haul. You'll need abilities to heal yourself with, like Items or an
attack that drains HP (such as the Dark Knight's Sanguine Sword or Orlandeau's
Shadowblade). Protection against Immobilize or Disable is also important; you
can get this from equipping a Guardian Bracelet or Thief's Cap. Shirahadori
and a high Bravery is also quite useful for blocking enemy attacks. Finally,
Safeguard will be helpful in stopping the Unyielding Blade attacks used in the
fourth trial.
The first round pits you against Wiegraf and Isilud, plus some Squires and
Archers. The Squires all start in a plus-shaped formation and can be easily
hit with an area-effect attack like Hallowed Bolt or Black Magick at the
beginning of the battle. They're actually mostly harmless, so if there's any
left standing after your initial attack, you may want to leave them be and
concentrate on the other enemies. Wiegraf is probably the toughest enemy here.
(Isilud no longer has his super-powered Jump attack that he used in Orbonne
Monastery, so he isn't much of a threat.) The enemies often get pretty bunched
up, so attacks that can hit a group are useful!
Before you finish off the last enemy, you may want to stop and heal yourself
since you will not otherwise be healed between battles.
When all the enemies in the first trial are KOed, you'll fade to the second
trial. This one includes Cletienne and a slew of magick users. If you move
forward quickly, you can probably take out both Black Mages with a group attack
before they can do anything. The "cone" attack pattern of the Dark Knight's
Abyssal Blade is especially powerful here; if you move forward and use it
immediately, you can strike a huge swath of the enemy forces. In general, the
enemies in this trial are even more apt to get into large groups, so take
advantage of this by hitting them with area-effect attacks.
If you take out the Black Mages and then the Summoners, the enemies won't be
able to hurt you much. They'll keep healing themselves and casting buffs,
which is *annoying*, but they can't really hurt you and you can quickly re-KO
any enemies that get revived. Using the Orator's Insult ability can also be
effective; mass-Berserking the enemies keeps them from casting magick and their
physical attacks are weak.
Since the enemies here typically know a lot of magick, this can also be a
decent opportunity to learn some magick abilities if you let the enemies decay
into crystals after being KOed. Use Duskblade, Infernal Strike, or Rend MP to
steal all the MP from the last enemy and you're pretty much free to let the
other enemies decay.
The third trial is probably the trickiest. You're fighting ten gun-wielders --
Barich, 5 Chemists, and 4 Orators -- and they start so spread out that you can
only attack one at a time. Actually, if you have Shirahadori and a good
Bravery, this isn't too bad because you can block even gun attacks with
Shirahadori and they won't be able to hurt you. If you don't have Shirahadori,
at least equip something to boost your elemental defense (since many of the
enemies have magick guns). A Venetian or Reverie Shield, White or Sage's Robe,
or Minerva Bustier all work great for this purpose, and even a Flame Shield can
work in a pinch, although it's not quite as effective. (The Ice Shield is not
a good idea since it also renders you weak to the lightning attacks from the
Blaster guns.)
Barich is the real threat here, since he can inflict Immobilize and Disable
from a distance. If you don't have any defense against Immobilize or Disable,
you'll need to take him out immediately. (Being Disabled also keeps you from
using Shirahadori to defend yourself!) This whole trial is pretty annoying
since the enemies keep using items to heal and revive each other.
Finally, the fourth trial features Folmarv and Loffrey and an assortment of
Knights, Dragoons, and White Mages. Folmarv and Loffrey have been upgraded to
??? HP status, meaning it will take a lot of damage to defeat them. However,
if you have Safeguard, they can't use their Unyielding Blade techniques. (They
may have some backup magick techniques, but they're not too bad.)
Move forward and quickly attack the three Knights with a group attack. You'll
probably want to target the Dragoons next. The Dragoons have a habit of moving
as far from you as possible and launching Jump attacks from there, so attacking
them before they can move too far is helpful. (Of course, if you have your own
Jump attack, it's no problem.) The White Mages tend not to actually have much
in the way of magick, so you may want to save them for last. Note that Folmarv
and Loffrey have Safeguard, so Unyielding Blade is not effective against them.
Completing this battle earns you an invitation to the Knights Templar! Too
bad Ramza turns it down ;)
TITLE AWARDED: Templar's Apprentice
---Rendezvous Mission 11: All-Star Melee---------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Story Battle 52: Mullonde Cathedral Sanctuary
BATTLE MAP: Gariland
YOUR FORCES: 1-3 characters per player
ENEMY FORCES: Ramza, Mustadio, Agrias, Rapha, Marach, Beowulf, Reis, Orlandeau,
Meliadoul
ENEMY: Ramza [Capricorn] - Knight - Bravery 70, Faith 70
Equipment : Ragnarok, Venetian Shield, Crystal Helm, Crystal Mail,
Guardian Bracelet
Abilities : Arts of War, Items, First Strike, Safeguard, Move +3
ENEMY: Mustadio [Libra] - Machinist - Bravery 60, Faith 62
Equipment : Blaster, Thief's Cap, Black Garb, Japa Mala
Abilities : Aimed Shot, Arts of War, Soulbind, Defense Boost, Move +3
ENEMY: Agrias [Cancer] - Holy Knight - Bravery 71, Faith 63
Equipment : Excalibur, Crystal Shield, Crystal Helm, Crystal Armor, Ribbon
Abilities : Holy Sword, White Magicks, Shirahadori, Safeguard, Move +2
ENEMY: Rapha [Pisces] - Skyseer - Bravery 31, Faith 69
Equipment : Eight-fluted Pole, Thief's Cap, Black Garb, Septie`me
Abilities : Sky Mantra, White Magicks, Soulbind, Swiftness, Move +2
ENEMY: Marach [Gemini] - Netherseer - Bravery 69, Faith 31
Equipment : Eight-fluted Pole, Thief's Cap, Black Garb, Japa Mala
Abilities : Nether Mantra, Items, Soulbind, Swiftness, Manafont
ENEMY: Beowulf [Libra] - Templar - Bravery 45, Faith 65
Equipment : Ragnarok, Crystal Shield, Crystal Helm, Crystal Armor, Angel Ring
Abilities : Spellblade, Martial Arts, First Strike, Safeguard, Move +3
ENEMY: Reis [Pisces] - Dragonkin - Bravery 62, Faith 64
Equipment : Cachusha, Septie`me
Abilities : Dragon, White Magicks, First Strike, Brawler, Move +2
ENEMY: Orlandeau [Scorpio] - Sword Saint - Bravery 77, Faith 65
Equipment : Excalibur, Crystal Shield, Crystal Helm, Crystal Armor, Japa Mala
Abilities : Swordplay, Iaido, Mana Shield, Safeguard, Manafont
ENEMY: Meliadoul [Capricorn] - Divine Knight - Bravery 67, Faith 78
Equipment : Defender, Crystal Shield, Crystal Helm, Crystal Armor, Septie`me
Abilities : Unyielding Blade, Items, Shirahadori, Attack Boost, Lifefont
This is a battle against many of your own story characters--or at least some
very accurate impostors. Your doppelgangers have mastered many of the game's
most advanced abilities and techniques, making this a tough battle. On the
bright side, all of them just have regular HP totals.
Orlandeau, Mustadio, and Meliadoul love to break your equipment, so you'll
want to equip Safeguard. (Or, you can deploy Balthier as a Sky Pirate, since
this job has an innate Safeguard.) Even though any broken equipment is
returned to you at the end of the battle in Rendezvous Mode, having your gear
broken during the fight will make it tough to win.
You'll also need protection against Mustadio's Immobilize and Disable attacks;
a Thief's Cap, Guardian Bracelet, or Ribbon will take care of this. The Ribbon
is particularly helpful as it negates all of the other status ailments that
Beowulf will try to throw you.
Shirahadori and First Strike are not that helpful here since they won't protect
you from the special job techniques used by the enemy. Instead, Mana Shield
and Manafont is probably your best best.
Finally, be aware that the clones' Zodiac signs often match up poorly with some
of your story characters'. A quick guide to a few of the key characters you
may be using:
GOOD AGAINST THESE ENEMIES: BAD AGAINST THESE ENEMIES:
Agrias Ramza, Rapha, Reis, Orlandeau Mustadio, Beowulf, Meliadoul
Beowulf Marach Ramza, Agrias, Meliadoul
Reis Agrias, Orlandeau Marach
Balthier No one Orlandeau
Orlandeau Agrias, Marach, Reis No one
Meliadoul No one Mustadio, Agrias, Beowulf
In summary, Beowulf and Meliadoul have bad comptability and are less useful
here -- plus many of the enemies have Safeguard and are protected against
Meliadoul's Unyielding Blade attacks anyway. Orlandeau and Reis have
advantageous compatibility. Agrias is a mixed bag, so if you use her, make
sure you supplement her with another character or two with a different sign.
Player 1 has it especially tough as his/her team starts near Orlandeau, Reis,
and Mustadio, who will immediately attack Player 1's team. Attacking with HP-
draining attacks like Sanguine Sword [Dark Knight], Orlandeau's Shadowblade,
are useful since they let you damage while still recovering HP. If you're
trying to complete this battle with a small number of characters, be sure to
equip Player 1 as defensively as possible. You may have to resort to giving
Player 1 items that yield a permanent Reraise (e.g. Chantage or Brave Suit) and
letting him/her get KOed and regenerate. If you use this strategy, Player 2
will need to play as defensively as possible since if s/he gets KOed too, you
lose!
If you're not fully equipped with Ribbons, Beowulf should probably be your
first target, since he can inflict all kinds of status ailments on you. Note
that his Angel Ring lets him Reraise once after you KO him, so be prepared to
KO him a second time shortly after you take him out once.
Reis, Agrias, and Orlandeau are the next characters you'll want to attack.
Reis and particularly Agrias can be taken out fairly quickly. The enemy
Orlandeau has unfortunately figured out the Mana Shield/Manafont combo, which
means it will definitely take several attacks to KO him. So even though
Orlandeau is the biggest threat, you may want to first KO a few of the other
enemies (like Reis and Agrias), just to quickly reduce the number attacking you
at one time.
If you have Safeguard, Meliadoul is reduced to just using physical attacks.
Ramza is a Knight in this battle and also pretty much just uses physical
attacks. You can worry about them later. Rapha and Marach are as irrelevant
in this battle as in most of the game, so finish them off last.
Climbing up on the roofs can be somewhat helpful, as long as you have attacks
you can use from there up. While the roof won't help you escape the sword
techniques (which have infinite vertical range), it at least makes it harder
for Meliadoul, Ramza, and Reis to attack you.
Note that if one of the enemies gets lowered to critical HP, he or she may just
run into the corner. It's pretty safe to ignore such enemies and save them for
last. They're not going to attack you, so focus your attacks on the enemies
who are still a threat.
Three of the enemies -- the Rapha, Marach, and Mustadio clones -- have
Soulbind. This tends not to be too much of a problem, since you may be able to
KO them in a single attack anyway. Plus, they're the weaker enemies, so you
can save them to KO later.
Finally, a number of the clones (Ramza, Marach, and Meliadoul) can use Items as
a command. In practice, this isn't too bad since they mostly will just use
regular Potions on themselves, which is about the least threatening action
possible. They also don't have Throw Items, so they can't heal anyone from a
distance. However, they may sometimes revive KOed allies with a Phoenix Down.
If this happens, you can use an area-effect attack to KO the character again
*and* hit the Items-user. (Since they don't have Throw Items, they'll have
to stand in a tile adjacent to the downed tile to use the Phoenix Down.)
Although the clones have a lot of good equipment, most of it is protected with
Safeguard and so there's not actually much you can claim. You're limited to
Meliadoul's Defender, Reis's Cachusha and Septie`me, Mustadio's Blaster, and
Rapha's Septie`me.
TITLE AWARDED: Performer
The following four missions are only available after completing the main quest
of the single-player game. After the ending, the game will add an additional
"flag" to your save directory that makes these missions accessible. Load up a
save from before you entered the final sequences of a battle, go to a Tavern,
and you'll see the last missions.
You will NOT be able to access these missions if your only save is in the
final sequence of battles :( -- you need to be able to get to a Tavern.
---Rendezvous Mission 12: The Guarded Temple-----------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Completing single-player game and Nelveska Temple quest
BATTLE MAP: Nelveska Temple
YOUR FORCES: 1-3 characters per player
ENEMY FORCES: Construct 2 [Automaton] x1, Construct 3 [Automaton] x7,
Protoconstruct [Automaton] x2
You must defeat all ten Automatons before they self-destruct and destroy the
temple. This battle really centers around the two Protoconstructs, both of
whom start atop the temple. They control the countdown; every time one of gets
another turn, the countdown ticks down one "minute" from 10. If the countdown
drops to 0, the Automatons explode and you lose. The countdown can only be
stopped by defeating at least one of the Protoconstructs. (Since they take
turns counting down, defeating one will stop the whole process.) To make
things more tricky, on the turn when the countdown is "supposed" to go to 8,
the Automatons experience a "system error" and it jumps all the way down to 4.
This means that you must defeat at least one Protoconstruct within the time it
takes for the Protoconstructs to get 7 turns.
Unfortunately, taking them out isn't easy since both Protoconstructs have
tremendous amounts of HP. If you're at level 90+, they will have several
thousand. Plus, there are 8 other Automatons as well.
On the bright side, you may bring up to FOUR characters into battle (combined
across the two players) and still receive a 5-star ranking! And you will need
all four :)
Sword techniques are your weapon of choice here, so you'll want to have each
player deploy Agrias and Orlandeau (or possibly Meliadoul). You'll need to
maximize both your speed and attack power. Use the Tynar Rouge (for
Agrias/Meliadoul) or the Brigand's Gloves (for Orlandeau) to give them a
permanent Haste, and add a Move +x ability to increase your mobility across the
map. To maximize your attack power, equip them with Chaos Blades and either
Vehemence [Dark Knight] or Attack Boost [Geomancer] as a support ability.
(If you have it, Vehemence is probably best as it will give you the bigger
attack boost. It does lower your defense, but this is one battle where the
best defense is a good offense :) -- if you can smash the regular Constructs
quickly, you have far fewer sources of damage to contend with.)
Since you'll need to focus on offense, you won't have much time for healing.
Equip your best armor and helms to boost your starting HP as high as possible.
You'll face no status attacks here, so Ribbons are unnecessary. Chaos Blades
will also help you a little by giving you a permanent Regen. Potentially, you
could also use Sanguine Sword or Shadowblade to drain HP during the battle,
although you don't want to be doing this too often -- it's not as strong an
attack as some others, and can only strike one enemy at a time. If you have a
Brave Suit (from Melee Mode) or Grand Armor (from a previous victory here), you
will definitely want to use those as they give you a permanent Reraise and you
don't have to worry about your HP at all.
There aren't really any especially great reaction abilities here, since NOTHING
can block the Dispose laser attack. Probably you're best off with First
Strike; it only works against the Constructs' regular attacks, but it may give
you a chance to get a few more hits in. If you're having trouble surviving,
you can use Mana Shield and Manafont, though this will require you to give up
any other movement ability. You can also swap Vehemence out for Attack Boost
(which doesn't lower your defense) if you have low HP.
If one player has a somewhat stronger team, you'll want to make that player
Player 2 since Player 2 starts a little closer to the stairs and the
Protoconstructs.
OK, enough preparation. Onto the battle!
When you start out, rush forward and attack the Constructs on the ground with
Hallowed Bolt and Divine Ruination. You should be able to defeat each one in
one or two hits. Try to aim your attacks so you can hit as many as possible at
one time. (In addition to using Hallowed Bolt, you can also move into the
enemy ranks and fire Divine Ruinations parallel to the front of the temple.
This is often a great targeting strategy for hitting 2 or 3 Constructs.) As
each character takes his or her turn, move them as far towards the stairs as
you can while still attacking the Constructs. Essentially, you want to "sweep"
across the front of the temple, taking out the Constructs from left to right
and moving towards the stairs.
You should be able to defeat most of the Constructs before more than a handful
of them move. Quickly mop up the remaining ones as you head for the stairs.
If you do need healing, you can use Shadowblade or Sanguine Sword to finish off
any remaining Constructs and sap their HP.
If you weaken one of the Constructs, it may just run and hide in the corner.
Leave it -- it's harmless and not worth chasing after when you need to defeat
the Protoconstructs ASAP.
Once you reach the Protoconstructs, concentrate all your attacks on one of the
two. Once you defeat one Protoconstruct, the countdown should stop and you're
home free!
Attack the Protoconstructs with Divine Ruination and Crush Armor, both of
which do identical amounts of damage to monster targets. When available,
Divine Ruination is slightly preferred as it is has a chance of Confusing the
Protoconstructs, who are NOT immune to Confusion! But, before you use Divine
Ruination, make sure that it won't hit any of your own allies and that the
Protoconstruct you're targeting is within its vertical range. If you can't use
Divine Ruination, Crush Armor works fine too and has no friendly fire
potential.
Wherever possible, stand in one place and attack without moving. This will
allow you to get new turns more quickly.
Like Construct 7, both Protoconstructs have a Reraise that activates the first
time they are KOed. They will return to action and immediately attack again.
Actually, this isn't such a problem, because the self-inflicted HP loss from
their Tasks abilities usually KOs them right away. Once KOed a second time,
they immediately turn into chests (which seem to always contain Bracers).
The battle won't actually end until you've KOed every last Construct, but once
you defeat one of the Protoconstructs, you don't have any more time pressure
and should have no trouble mopping the remaining bots.
There's a certain amount of luck involved in this battle, since the Constructs'
Zodiac signs are randomly determined and you may end up with good or bad
compatibility purely by chance.
The treasures from this battle include two you can't find anywhere else in
Rendezvous Mode. One is the Grand Armor, the best heavy armor available, as it
gives you a permanent Reraise and Regen. This one is definitely worth getting!
The other is the Fomalhaut gun, which is thoroughly pointless to look for here,
as Fomalhauts are abundant in Melee Mode.
Again, keep in mind that you can deploy 4 characters and still get the highest
possible ranking here.
TITLE AWARDED: Construct
UNIQUE POSSIBLE TREASURES: Grand Armor, Fomalhaut
---Rendezvous Mission 13: Nightmares-------------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Completing single-player game
BATTLE MAP: Limberry Castle Undercroft
YOUR FORCES: 1-3 characters per player
ENEMY FORCES:
1st Squad - Zalera [Death Seraph; Gemini], Adremmelch [The Wroth; Scorpio],
Ultima Demon x3
2nd Squad - Cuchulainn [The Impure; Scorpio], Belias [The Gigas; Virgo],
Hashmal [Bringer of Order; Leo], Ultima Demon x2
You're battling all of the Lucavi (sans Elidibus) at once, plus five Ultima
Demons. Player 1 will begin battling Zalera and Adremmelech's group, while
Player 2 fights the three other Lucavi.
Between the five of them, the Lucavi can throw a lot of status conditions at
you, so you'll need to equip Ribbons (or Onion Gloves, if you're using Onion
Knights). Fortunately, the Lucavi don't seem to have any of the magick attacks
they used in the single-player game. If you have Ribbons, all they can do is
use physical attacks. This means you can pretty much prevent them from hurting
you at all if you combine a Ribbon with Shirahadori or (preferably) First
Strike, or even just a good shield.
In fact, if you have Ribbons and Shirahadori/First Strike, the Ultima Demons
are actually the biggest threat, since they use magick attacks. Go after them
first. The Dark Knight's Sanguine Sword can be useful for draining HP from
them to keep you healthy. The White Mage's Arcane Defense is also a useful
support ability to reduce the magick damage you take. (If you're being
targeted by an Ultima Demon's magick, you can also try moving next to another
enemy, as their magicks can hurt friendly targets as well.)
Because all of the enemies here have the Can't Enter Water "ability," the water
in the middle of the map functions as a safe spot. The Ultima Demons can still
hit you with their magick if they get close enough, but the Lucavi can't attack
you at all (assuming you're guarded against status conditions). You can jump
directly into the water from the bridge in the center if you have a Jump of at
least 4, or Waterwalking, Levitation, Ignore Elevation, or Teleport. If you
don't have these abilities, you can also get in the water by using the little
"step" (a tile of height 3) on side of the map. It's on the side of the map
WITHOUT the gravestones. From the water, you can safely throw ranged attacks
at the enemies. Actually, if you have First Strike or Shirahadori and a high
Bravery, there isn't much benefit to this, since the Lucavi can't hurt you
anyway, and you may not be in range to attack the Ultima Demons.
Watch out for the Ultima Demons turn to crystals. The Lucavi can pick up these
crystals up to restore some of their HP (though fortunately not all of it).
This isn't fatal, but can be annoying! Grab the crystals as soon as they
appear, and if you see a KOed Ultima Demon about to disappear, try to position
yourself between the enemies and the body so that they can't grab the crystal
before you can. The Lucavi themselves explode when KOed and do not leave
crystals.
With Ribbons and First Strike, this battle actually goes quite quickly -- not
only are you virtually invulnerable, you'll quickly defeat the Lucavi because
their attempts to attack you get turned into additional attack opportunities.
That makes this battle a great one to repeatedly tackle to acquire high-level
rare items. Each player can deploy just a single character to increase your
treasure haul.
The two unique treasures you can obtain here are the Gungnir spear and the
Dreamwaker staff. The Gungnir isn't really special -- it's weaker than the
Javelin II. The Dreamwaker is the best staff in the game; although it doesn't
have the strongest attack power, it boosts your magick power more than any
other staff.
TITLE AWARDED: Dreamcatcher
UNIQUE POSSIBLE TREASURES: Gungnir, Dreamwaker
---Rendezvous Mission 14: Brave Story------------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Completing single-player game
BATTLE MAP: Monastery Vaults - Fifth Level
YOUR FORCES: 1-3 characters per player
ENEMY FORCES:
1ST BATTLE: Luso, Cloud, Chocobo x3, Black Chocobo x3, Red Chocobo x2
2ND BATTLE: Mustadio, Balthier, Chemist (male) x2, Chemist (female) x2,
Orator (male) x2, Orator (female) x2
3RD BATTLE: Onion Knight (male) x2, Onion Knight (female) x3, Sekhret x2,
Cockatrice x2, Plague Horror x1
4TH BATTLE: Cuchulainn [The Impure; Scorpio], Elidibus [Serpentarius],
Great Malboro x5, Knight (male, undead) x3
5TH BATTLE: Dycedarg, Zalbaag, Gaffgarion, Argath, Dragoon (male) x6
6TH BATTLE: Orlandeau, Agrias, Alma, Ovelia, Rapha, Marach, Orran,
Time Mage (female) x2, Mystic (male) x1
7TH BATTLE: Elmdore, Zalbaag, Celia, Lettie, Archaeodemon x6
8TH BATTLE: Bremondt, Beowulf, Aliste, Reis, Hydra x2, Greater Hydra x2,
Tiamat x2
9TH BATTLE: Isilud, Meliadoul, Barich, Cletienne, Loffrey, Wiegraf, Folmarv,
Zalmour, Time Mage (female) x2
10TH BATTLE: Delita [Sagittarius; Holy Knight], Valmafra [Leo; Sorceror],
Dark Knight (female) x8
If you thought The Knights Templar was long, this one is even longer! FFT's
100-Man Melee, the Brave Story mission consists of no fewer than TEN continuous
battles, each with 10 opponents, for a total of 100 enemies. You'll face off
against most of the game's story characters in the game here.
Orlandeau and Agrias are really the best characters here, since their sword
techniques work on everything. Meliadoul would also work, but only if
supplemented with some other good attack command (e.g. Darkness, or maybe
Jump) since some enemies have Safeguard and are immune to her Crush attacks.
Other good abilities to have here are Darkness and Arts of War (for equipment
and MP breaking). A long-range Jump can be useful in some situations, but
there are a lot of enemies here who have Shirahadori and can block it.
A few key defensive abilities will actually protect you almost everything here.
First, Shirahadori and a high Bravery will stop physical attacks. Safeguard
will make you immune to Crush attacks, and also keep your equipment from being
stolen or rent. Finally, equip female characters with a Ribbon (easily
obtained in Melee Mode or elsewhere in Rendezvous Mode) to stop all status
attacks, and male characters with a Thief's Cap to at least stop Immobilize and
Disable. With these abilities, there are actually only a few enemies here that
pose a real threat.
As with The Knights Templar, you won't be healed between battles, so having
some healing abilities is important. Carrying a Chaos Blade actually helps a
lot with this, since it gives you a permanent Regen. If you have a powerful
HP-draining attack -- Orlandeau's Shadowblade or the Dark Knight's Sanguine
Sword -- you're set. Armor that gives you an auto-Reraise -- i.e., the Brave
Suit from Melee Mode or the Grand Armor from The Guarded Temple -- will also
help out a lot. Otherwise, you might want to consider giving one character an
Action Ability that lets him or her heal (e.g. Items, Martial Arts, White
Magick, Iaido, or Summon). Before wrapping up each battle, you can leave one
enemy standing and take some time to heal characters.
Note that broken equipment and status ailments WILL be restored between
battles. Buffs will also disappear, so using Tailwind during the first battle
will not help you later on, alas.
Equipping the Tynar Rouge or a Brigand's Gloves will give you a permanent
Haste, which is quite useful both in giving you the edge against the enemies
and in reducing the time needed to hack through all ten levels.
Move +2 or Move +3 is probably the best movement ability here. Since you're
fighting on a map with a lot of holes, though, you might also consider the
Time Mage's Levitate ability, which will let you move anywhere you want and
saves you from having to take detours around the holes.
Also note that you CAN target "hole" panels, even though you can't see your
targeting cursor. This is often useful when a hole happens to be a good place
to center a Hallowed Bolt.
Since many of the enemies here have Shirahadori or First Strike and physical
attacks are ineffective against them, using Onion Knights (even fully powered
up ones) is probably not a good idea.
Finally, it's worth pointing out that this mission is LONG. You and your
partner will need to set aside a fair amount of time to clear all ten battles.
Now for strategies for specific battles:
The first battle pits you against Luso, Cloud, and 8 chocobos. Cloud has
Swiftness to help his Limits charge faster, but even still, you can probably
take him out before he can use them. (He has Shirahadori, so don't try direct
physical attacks.) After Cloud, the Red Chocobos are the next enemies to take
out since their Choco Meteor attack is unblockable and does a lot of damage.
Luso doesn't really have any special abilities and isn't much of a threat.
Battle two is against 10 gunfighters, including Mustadio and Balthier.
Shirahadori will be very helpful here in avoiding the enemy gun attacks. If
you have Shirahadori and gear to protect against the Bunansas' Arm Shots and
Leg Shots, you can't really be hurt here. If you're not protected against
Immobilize or Disable, you could try Purification or Esuna to restore
characters who do get Immobilized or Disabled. (If you're just Immobilized,
you can even use it on yourself.) Remember that Balthier's Sky Pirate job has
an innate Safeguard, so Crush skills will not work against him. He also has an
Angel Ring, which means that you will have to KO him twice. Or, simply attack
him last. (Since he takes a while to take down, you might want him to attack
him last anyway.)
Battle three pits you against the Motley Onion Fighting Outfit plus some
assorted monsters. Try to KO the Plague Horror and Cockatrices quickly since
they can inflict status ailments on any characters that don't have Ribbons.
The Sekhrets are the next targets since their Earthsplitter attack is pretty
powerful. (If you're using Levitate, though, you'll be immune to this attack.)
Although Onion Knights can't normally equip abilities, the Fighting Outfit has
them anyway. With Shirahadori, though, they're mostly harmless, so take out
the monsters first. Red, Green, and Blue basically just use physical attacks,
which you can easily deflect. Purple uses Jump attacks; these can also be
blocked by Shirahadori, but it makes him harder to hit. Be sure to attack him
when you get the chance. Yellow is pretty annoying because she tends to runs
into a corner and use Dance. Plus, she has Mana Shield, so she takes several
attacks to defeat. You may want to chase after her and start attacking her
first.
The Onion Knights all have Safeguard, so, again, Crush skills are out. This
also means that you can't steal any of their equipment, which is unfortunate,
as it's quite good!
Battle 4 is where it starts getting a little more interesting. Here you'll
face Elidibus, Cuchulainn, three undead Knights, and five Great Malboros. The
Great Malboros' Bad Breath can be quite dangerous for characters who don't have
a Ribbon. You may want such characters to keep their distance from the
Malboros. The Malboros have quite high HP and may take multiple attacks to
KO, so focus your attacks on one or two until you take themdown.
If you have someone with Items, use Phoenix Downs to quickly defeat the enemy
Knights; if you're using Balthier (or Mustadio), Seal Evil is even better.
Remember NOT to try draining HP from undead enemies, as it actually hurts you!
Of course, if you don't petrify the knights, they may revive later, but since
they're pretty weak, it's not much to worry about.
Instead, focus on breaking through the enemy line so you can reach Elidibus.
He can still cast Zodiark which, of course, makes him the biggest threat.
He's not quite as dangerous as he was on Terminus, though, just because the map
is smaller and you should be able to reach him before he can cast the summon.
One strategy you may want to use, then, is just to wipe out his MP so he can't
Zodiark. Two Rend MPs will do it, or you can use Duskblade or Infernal Strike.
Even if Elidibus has no MP, he can still use Poisonous Frog (which doesn't cost
MP) to frog you, but this can't kill you and will be removed at the end of the
battle. Cuchulainn will probably just use Nightmare to put you to sleep,
which, while annoying, is relatively harmless. You're better off defeating
Elidibus first, *then* going after him. The enemies here use a lot of status
attacks, but with at least one Ribbon, you should be OK, and all of the status
ailments are removed for the start of the next battle.
If you didn't learn Zodiark from Elidibus during the single-player game, or
want to have additional characters learn it, you can learn it here as well.
It's probably actually easier to learn here as you have a good opportunity to
use Rend Magick on Elidibus and make the summon less deadly.
Battle 5 pits you against Duke Larg's forces, including a plethora of Dragoons.
Gaffgarion and Dycedarg use sword techniques, making them the most dangerous,
and Gaffgarion's allow him to steal HP back to himself! However, Dycedarg
does not have the Magicks command that he used in Eagrose Castle, and this
version of Zalbaag does not have Vampire. (Note that Argath and Gaffgarion
seem to have switched Zodiac signs from Virgo to Scorpio!)
You can often hit multiple Dragoons with your initial attacks. Some are
arranged in a plus-shape formation that you can hit with Hallowed Bolt or other
area-effect targets. If you look closely, you'll also see that many are
arranged in a horizontal line; Divine Explosion, Kiku-ichimonji, Shockwave, or
other attacks that strike along a long line can hit many of these. You can
probably KO a majority of the Dragoons in your initial attacks.
As long as you have Shirahadori and good Bravery, the other Dragoons can't hurt
you much. So, target Dycedarg and Gaffgarion next because of their powerful
sword techniques. Argath is totally useless here (he just has a crossbow), so
you can leave him for later.
When Dycedarg's team goes down, you're halfway through! Next up is a tricky
battle against a large assortment of your own allies, including Orlandeau,
Agrias, Ovelia, Alma, Rapha, Marach, and Orran. You'll now be on the receiving
end of Orran's Celestial Stasis ability. If you have Ribbons and Thief's Caps,
though, you're mostly immune to it. (Characters with Thief's Caps can still
be Stopped, but that's all.) He shouldn't even try to cast it. If you *don't*
have status protections, though, you'll need to make a beeline for Orran and
take him out before he can paralyze your whole crew.
Otherwise, Agrias and Orlandeau should be your first targets because of their
powerful sword techniques. Agrias's Save the Queen gives her a permanent
Protect, which makes her slow to defeat. Try using Crush Weapon to break it.
(She also has Shirahadori, so Jump or physical attacks will not work.)
Once you defeat Agrias and Orlandeau, you'll probably want to go after Alma
and Ovelia next. As in the main storyline, they mostly cast their Aegis buff.
This can make other enemies tough to defeat, but Alma and Ovelia always cast it
on themselves, so you've got some time to catch up to them and defeat them.
Watch out for their Soulbind! They have so little HP that you may be able to
just circumvent Soulbind by KOing them in a single attack, though. (This will
be a little tougher if they cast Aegis on themselves and have Shell/Protect;
you could try dispeling those effects if you have an ability that will do so.)
If they did succeed in casting Aegis on themselves, they'll have a Reraise that
lets them return after the KO. So, stay close to them after KOing the first
time. When they wake up, quickly KO them again before they can cast Aegis a
second time. Note that Alma has a very high Faith, so magick would do a lot of
damage to her.
Rapha and Marach are, as always, not really worth worrying about until the end.
In Battle 7, you'll face Elmdore's forces, including Elmdore, Celia, Lettie,
the zombie version of Zalbaag, and some Archaeodemons. Elmdore is equipped
much as he was before, and you can't still get his Genji stuff. Celia and
Lettie still have their Subdual Arts abilities, and all four humans (including
Celia and Lettie!) now have the ability to turn you into Vampires. This causes
a character to go Berserk and start trying to Vampire other characters,
including your own allies! This can be pretty dangerous, especially since you
lose the battle if all characters get turned into a Vampire. Shirahadori does
not block the Vampire attack, but having a Ribbon will at least protect you
from the Vampire status if not the damage from the attack. If one of your male
characters does get turned into a Vampire (as signified by the bat icon), keep
your other characters clear of him. There's not much that can cure Vampire
status, only the Holy Water item. (The status will also be removed at the end
of the battle, of course.)
The good news is that Celia and Lettie are in perfect position for a Hallowed
Bolt at the start of the battle. You can probably also attack multiple
Archaeodemons at once. Unlike in Limberry, Celia and Lettie do NOT turn into
Ultima Demons when KOed. Zalbaag, for some reason, seems to turn into a
crystal immediately upon being KOed. Grab it before any wounded enemy can.
Elmdore has a lot of HP and will probably take several attacks, so you may want
to focus on eliminating the other humans first. The Archaeodemons like to
retreat into a corner of the map to cast their magicks; a long-range Jump
attack is good for defeating them, if you happen to have it. At any rate, they
don't have that much HP, so you can hopefully defeat them in one hit.
Battle 8 pits you the characters from Beowulf's storyline, plus an assortment
of hydras. This is probably the toughest battle in the sequence: Beowulf and
Aliste can inflict status ailments, the hydras do big damage (and their breath
attacks can't be blocked with Shirahadori), Reis can support the hydras, and
Bremondt and Reis can both Raise KOed allies.
If you can move quickly, you can hit Beowulf and Aliste with a Hallowed Bolt
before they can move. You'll want to take them out first because of the status
ailments they can inflict.
If you have your own Reis deployed, you should be able to use Dragon's Charm to
invite the hydras onto your team. This is quite helpful, as it not only
reduces the number of enemies you're fighting but gives you an extra helping
hand. (They won't stay with you past this round, though.)
Although the hydras are the ones doing the damage here, you'll probably have to
KO Bremondt and Reis first. Otherwise, they'll just keep healing or Raising
the hydras. (Orlandeau can do a lot of damage to Reis because of his Zodiac
compatibility.) Using HP-drain attacks will help a lot as it helps you keep up
your HP while still doing damage. Hydras that are low on HP may flee into a
corner, and you can just leave them there until you defeat the others.
On to the next-to-last battle! Here you'll fight all the Knights Templar.
This is also a tricky battle, especially because most of them have Excaliburs
(giving them an auto-Haste) and all have 97 Bravery, which means their reaction
abilities activate quite frequently.
If you have Safeguard, you'll be protected against their Crush attacks and they
pretty much have to resort to physical attacks, which you should be able to
block with Shirahadori. This makes Wiegraf the most dangerous; he uses Holy
Sword techniques, which do a LOT of damage, Safeguard or no Safeguard!
Hit Isilud and Meliadoul straight off with a Hallowed Bolt, then go after
Wiegraf. Unfortunately, Wiegraf has Mana Shield, which means you'll need to be
ready with a couple of attacks to take him down. Using Crush Weapon (or even
just Rend Weapon) is extremely effective here. None of the Templars have
Safeguard in this battle, and breaking their Excaliburs will take away their
Haste and disable their sword techniques.
Watch out for Loffrey's Soulbind! You probably can't defeat him in one hit, so
you'll just have to take the hits from Soulbind as you whack him away at him.
Make sure you don't attack him unless you can receive back half the damage you
deal (unless you have a Reraise, in which case you can attack him with
impunity!) Another good tactic is to use Shadowblade and Sanguine Sword to
attack him; while the HP drain effect occurs BEFORE you take the damage from
Soulbind, it at least keeps your HP up. Cletienne and Zalmour also have Magick
Counter, but unless you're using magick, you don't need to worry about this.
If you have Shirahadori and protection against Immobilize/Disable, Barich is
basically harmless, so save him for later (especially since his Mana Shield
makes him slow to go down). Zalmour is similarly useless: while in principle
he can heal the other Knights, in practice he just tries physical attacks, plus
he's extremely slow. Don't worry about him, either.
After the Knights Templar comes the final battle. Valmafra makes her long-
anticipated debut on the battlefield, accompanied by Delita and eight Dark
Knights, all of whom are equipped with Save the Queen and Defense Boost.
Some of the Dark Knights have First Strike and some have Mana Shield, and both
Delita and Valmafra have ??? HP status.
All the Dark Knights will be slow to take out because of their Defense Boost
and auto-Protect. Fortunately, they use their Darkness abilities very rarely
if ever; they just use physical attacks, which you should be able to easily
block. Breaking their weapons will help you take them out more quickly. It's
probably a good idea to first use Crush Weapon on the Dark Knights with Mana
Shield, since these will be the absolute slowest to defeat. (The other ones
you can attack more quickly.) Some of the Dark Knights also have Steal ... but
if you have Safeguard, you're completely protected against getting your
equipment stolen, so don't sweat it.
Advance slowly. Delita will soon advance to attack you. His sword techniques
are quite powerful and he has Safeguard, so you can't break his weapon. He
also has Shirahadori, so Jump and plain physical attacks are a no-go. Your
best bet is to use Shadowblade/Sanguine Sword to attack him while healing; Holy
Sword techniques also work well, too. He actually doesn't have all THAT much
HP (even at level 99, he's just north of 1000).
Once you've defeated Delita, you can focus on mopping up the other enemies.
Valmafra has a Chantage, so you'll have to either take her out last or use
Crush Accessory to break it (she doesn't have Safeguard). Fortunately, she
doesn't actually seem to do much except heal herself. She does have Soulbind,
so you'll keep taking damage while you wear her down. Again, Shadowblade or
Sanguine Sword are useful as a way of attacking her while keeping up your own
HP. Like Delita, she only has 1000 HP or so.
When you take out Delita and Valmafra's team, you're finally done with this
exhausting series of battles! Your rewards may include two unique items: the
Crown Sceptre, a rod that gives you +4 Magick Attack, and the Sage's Ring,
which allows you to absorb EVERY element and also boosts the power of all your
elemental attacks!
It's also worth noting that there are a fair number of rare items you can steal
here. (Balthier is a good character to use if you want steal here.) There's
nothing much TOO special (that's not protected with a Safeguard, anyway), but
you can pick up a bunch of knight's swords and hair adornments. Orran has an
Omnilex that you can grab -- this is also poachable, but you may find it more
convenient to acquire here if you want one.
TITLE AWARDED: Hero
UNIQUE POSSIBLE TREASURES: Crown Sceptre, Sage's Ring
---Rendezvous Mission 15: An Ill Wind------------------------------------------
AVAILABLE AFTER...: Completing single-player game
BATTLE MAP: Ziekden Fortress
YOUR FORCES: 1-3 characters per player
ENEMY FORCES: Argath [Deathknight; Virgo] x 10
It's the Argath Burly Brawl! There are no fewer than TEN Argaths here, and you
must defeat all of them to win.
The best set-up for this battle is to deploy just one character per player, and
give them the following set-up:
Equipment : Cursed Ring, Ribbon or Barette, Chaos Blade or other strong weapon
Abilities : Speechcraft (optional), First Strike, Concentration
The Cursed Ring and either a Ribbon or Barette are essential here. Argath
normally uses Fell Sword techniques to drain your HP, which will quickly kill
you and make KOing them nearly impossible since he keeps regaining HP. The
Cursed Ring, found on The Switchback in Midlight's Deep in the single-player
game, will protect you from this by negating drain attacks. (There only seems
to be one Cursed Ring, so if you lost it or don't have it, you'll have to
quickly use the Mystic's Corruption magick to make yourself undead.) Argath
also uses the Vampire attack, with has a 100% rate of turning you into a
Vampire, so you need a Ribbon or Barette to protect against this. (If both
characters get Vampired, you lose.) If you've got both a Cursed Ring and
Ribbon/Barette, Argaths can only use physical attacks, which you can block with
First Strike (or Shirahadori).
Because First Strike only works if you're in position where you can attack
back, it's very important to watch your vertical positioning. Swords have a
range of 3 down but only 2 up. If Argath stands on a tile with a height
difference of 3 from your tile, he can attack you and you can't First Strike
him! Stay on level ground and you're fine. Standing next to a tile with a
height difference of MORE than 3 -- like the side of the fort -- is also OK as
Argath can't attack you across such a distance.
The other tricky part of this battle is the Argaths' Reaction Abilities. Five
of the Argaths have Soulbind, which reflects back half the damage you do. (The
other five Argaths have different Reaction Abilities: First Strike,
Shirahadori, Sticky Fingers, and two have Mana Shield.) You're probably better
off not directly attacking the Argaths with Soulbind. Instead, let them attack
you, and First Strike will turn the attack into one of your own without
triggering Soulbind. He can normally block your counterattacks with his
shield, but Concentration will take care of that. (If you get surrounded by
the bodies of KOed Argaths, move to another tile so there's room for additional
Argaths to attack you.) You could also attack the Soulbinded Argaths directly,
but you'd have to alternate between that and using Chakra to heal yourself.
On your own turns, use sword techniques or other abilities to attack the
Argaths who *don't* have Soulbind. Although you can't view their status screen
directly, you CAN see their Reaction Ability when the damage estimate appears.
Only attack the ones who don't have Soulbind. Be careful of any area effect
damage; you might hit a second Argath who has Soulbind. If you're not sure
which Reaction Ability each Argath has, aim your attacks so that you only
strike one at a time, and only attack the ones without Soulbind. It's also
safe to attack a Soulbinded Argath who is low on HP; if you finish him off with
your attack, Soulbind never triggers. Argath has Safeguard, so Crush skills
are out.
The best secondary action ability to bring is Speechcraft and Praise. The
maximum permanent Bravery you can have is 97, which means that if you enter the
battle with 97 Bravery, there's still a (small) chance that First Strike will
fail and Argath will hit you. So begin the battle by using Praise on yourself
and you can raise your Bravery up to 100, which means you have a 100% chance of
First Strike and Argath can NEVER hurt you. (Fortunately, Argath is an idiot
and will continue attacking you even when it is literally impossible for him to
land a blow.) Alternately, you could use Martial Arts as your action ability.
Chakra heals you even if you're undead, so you can use it for healing in case
the Argaths do land a few hits on you.
Teleport or Ignore Elevation is also convenient, just because the Argaths
sometime climb up on top of the fort using their own Ignore Elevation ability.
This battle is nearly impossible without the right character set-up. On the
other hand, if you *are* properly equipped, it's really no problem as Argath
can't hurt you at all.
The unique treasures you can get here are the Valhalla fell sword and the
Vanguard Helm. The Vanguard Helm is on par with the Grand Helm; it has the
same HP bonus and also gives you +20 MP, but doesn't protect you from Blind or
Sleep. Actually, the Grand Helm is probably a little better for the status
protection, but there's only one Grand Helm, so the Vanguard Helm can be useful
too!
TITLE AWARDED: Riskbreaker
UNIQUE POSSIBLE TREASURES: Valhalla, Vanguard Helm
*******************************************************************************
VII. JOBS AND ABILITIES
*******************************************************************************
%%%JOB REQUIREMENTS (QUICK REFERENCE)%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00req
This chart is just a quick reference to the requirements to unlock each job.
New jobs are unlocked by gaining JP with particular jobs you already have and
increasing their Job Level. (The exception is Dark Knight, which has somewhat
more complex requirements; see below.) For more detail on each job, see the
sections below.
TO UNLOCK... REQUIRES JOBS
Squire : Always available
Chemist : Always available
Knight : Squire lv. 2
Archer : Squire lv. 2
Monk : Knight lv. 3
White Mage : Chemist lv. 2
Black Mage : Chemist lv. 2
Time Mage : Black Mage lv. 3
Summoner : Time Mage lv. 3
Thief : Archer lv. 3
Orator : Mystic lv. 3
Mystic : White Mage lv. 3
Geomancer : Monk lv. 4
Dragoon : Thief lv. 4
Samurai : Knight lv. 4, Monk lv. 5, and Dragoon lv. 2
Ninja : Archer lv. 4, Thief lv. 5, Geomancer lv. 2
Arithmetician : White Mage lv. 5, Black Mage lv. 5,
Time Mage lv. 4, and Mystic lv. 4
Bard : Summoner lv. 5 and Orator lv. 5, males only
Dancer : Geomancer lv. 5 and Dragoon lv. 5, females only
Mime : Squire lv. 8, Chemist lv. 8, Summoner lv. 5,
Orator lv. 5, Geomancer lv. 5, and Dragoon lv. 5
Dark Knight : Knight MASTERED*, Black Mage MASTERED*, Samurai lv. 8,
Ninja lv. 8, Geomancer lv. 8, and Dragoon lv. 8,
kill 20+ enemies (so that they turn into crystal or chests)
Onion Knight : Squire lv. 6 and Chemist lv. 6
* To Master a job, learn all of its abilities.
The following jobs are automatically available to special story characters
but are NOT available to generic characters:
Ark Knight Astrologer Automaton Byblos
Cleric Divine Knight Dragonkin Fell Knight
Game Hunter Holy Dragon Holy Knight Machinist
Netherseer Princess Sky Pirate Skyseer
Soldier Sword Saint Templar
The followings jobs and monster are used only by enemies and are never
available to you, the player:
Archaeodaemon Arch Seraph Assassin Bringer of Order
Celebrant Dark Dragon Deathknight Death Seraph
Gigas High Seraph Nightblade Reaver
Serpentarius Sorceror The Impure The Wroth
Ultima Demon White Knight
%%%GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT JOBS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00job0
---EQUIPPING ABILITIES---
Each job has a category of Action Abilities (e.g. "Black Magick" or "Steal").
This category of abilities is always available for use by the job. In
addition, each job can equip one other job's Action Ability category. So, you
can have a Black Mage with the Knight's Arts of War ability, or a Samurai who
uses both her inherent Iaido ability plus the Chemists' Items ability.
Each job can also equip one Reaction Ability, one Support Ability, and one
Movement Ability. Note that the Reaction/Support/Movement Abilities that a job
can learn are NOT automatically available (with a few exceptions noted below).
You must use your slots to equip them!
The exception to all of the above is the Onion Knight job, which can't equip
any abilities at all.
---JOBS & STATS---
A character's current stats are, of course, partially determined by his or her
current level, as well as by the jobs you used to level up with in the past.
(Note that you can use job effects on level ups as a way of grinding your
characters' stats even higher. See Level Downs & Stat Grinding under
Statistics and Leveling for more information.)
But, a character's CURRENT job also plays a big role in determining your
current stats. Black Mages have high MP and magick strength, but a weak
physical attack. Thieves are speedy but don't have much HP. Below, I've
given rough approximations of each job's stats on a scale of 1 star (poor) to
5 stars (excellent).
Three stats do not change with level ups and depend only on your current job
plus your accessories/equipment. Movement range is the number of tiles a
character can move per turn. Jump height is the maximum height distance
between tiles that a character can traverse while moving. (Additionally, when
faced with a gap, characters can make horizontal jumps equal to half their Jump
height.) Finally, each job has a inherent evade rate for physical attacks.
Note that this inherent evade rate is only good against attacks from the front.
(By contrast, shields can also evade attacks from the side, and cloaks can
evade attacks from all directions.)
Note that even though the status screen has a space for an inherent magickal
evade rate, all jobs actually have a 0% basic magick evade. The only way to
evade magick is to equip shields or accessories.
---UNLOCKING JOBS---
Aside from Squire and Chemist, jobs must be unlocked. In order to use a given
job, a character must first gain Job Levels with other jobs. For example, to
switch to the White Mage job, a character must have Chemist at job level 3 or
higher. (The requirements for each job are listed in the charts below.)
Job Levels are determined by the TOTAL amount of JP you've earned with a given
job. Spending JP to purchase abilities does NOT decrease this total. So, a
character who's earned 730 JP with Samurai would have a Samurai job level of 4,
even if he's spent 500 of those JP on abilities.
Job Level 1 0 JP total
Job Level 2 200 JP total
Job Level 3 400 JP total
Job Level 4 700 JP total
Job Level 5 1100 JP total
Job Level 6 1600 JP total
Job Level 7 2200 JP total
Job Level 8 3000 JP total
Mastered All abilities learned
Note that it's possible to Master a job even if your job level is less than 8.
Squire, Geomancer, and some special jobs require less than 3000 JP to Master,
and you can Master other jobs with less than 3000 JP if you learn a lot of
abilities from crystals. Your Job Level is actually independent of whether
you've Mastered the job and continues to go up until it reaches 8, even if
you've already Mastered the job. Keep this in mind, because most jobs unlock
based on JOB LEVELS, not on Mastered jobs. (For instance, Dark Knight requires
you to have job level 8 with Geomancer, even though you can master Geomancer
with only job level 7!)
The Job Level for Onion Knight is determined by the number of other jobs that
you've Mastered. Mime always has Job Level 1. Both Onion Knight and Mime are
always Mastered.
---SPECIAL JOBS---
Some story characters that join your party have special jobs available for
that character. They aren't available to generic characters. In all cases
where a story character has a special job, the special job replaces the Squire
job for that character. For more on these special jobs, see the Special Jobs
portion of the job/ability list, below.
---Deciphering the Charts------------------------------------------------------
A few (well, many) words of explanation about the job & ability charts below.
---ACTION ABILITIES---
MP: Action Abilities first list the MP cost of each ability. If no MP cost is
listed, the ability doesn't require MP to use.
REFLECT & ARITHMETICKS: For magick, you may see an "R" and/or an "A" after its
MP cost. "R" means the spell can be reflected -- if it's cast on a character
who has the Reflect status, the spell will bounce off and might even strike
another target! "A" means it can be cast using the Arithmetician's
Arithmeticks ability.
SPEED: Next comes the Speed ("SPD") of the ability. This determines how long
the ability takes to charge up. The SMALLER the number, the LONGER it takes to
charge. If no number is listed, the ability is used instantaneously and
doesn't need to charge.
RANGE: Two numbers are listed for Range ("RNG"). The first ("H") is the
horizontal range in tiles -- how many tiles away can the target be? Usually,
you'll see a number. You might also see "Weapon" instead, which means the
range of the ability is equal to the range of the user's current weapon.
"4Dir" means "4 directions"; the ability reaches only in the cardinal
directions and extends the length of its effect radius (see below). The second
number under Range ("V") is the vertical range. Some abilities can only target
characters who are within a certain height of the caster. A * displayed here
means the ability has an infinite vertical range and can target characters at
any height (most abilities actually fall into this category).
EFFECT RADIUS: Many abilities affect not just the character targeted, but
nearby tiles as well. This is the "Effect Radius" of the ability, and is
listed under "RAD". Again, the first number is the horizontal radius -- how
wide is the effect radius in terms of # of map tiles? (An ability with a
radius of 1 targets only one tile; a greater radius target more.) The second
number is the vertical radius. In most cases, the effect radius only holds
over tiles within a certain vertical height of the central target.
So, for instance, the spell Blizzaga has a range of 4/*. This means that it
can target any unit within 4 panels of the caster, regardless of vertical
distance. It also has an effect radius of 2/3. This means that it has a
radius of horizontal size 2 -- it hits both the targeted tile and neighboring
tiles that are 1 tile away. The vertical radius is 3, so any neighboring tiles
that differ in height by more than 3 will NOT be part of the effect radius.
TARGETS: Target ("TAR") determines whether the ability affects only allies
within in the effect radius, only foes, or both. Continuing the Blizzara
example, Blizzara target All units within the radius, meaning that both enemy
units and your own allies will be affected. Look out!
LINE OF FIRE: Finally, Line of Fire ("LF") displays whether the ability
requires an unobstructed line of fire between the user and the target. If Y
(yes) is displayed here, the ability requires a direct line of fire and CANNOT
travel through other units or obstructions such as walls. (If there is another
unit in the way, that unit will be hit instead! See Shoot Enemies Next to You
under Various Tricks for tips on how to exploit this to your advantage.) If N
(no) is displayed for Line of Fire, the ability does NOT require a direct line
of fire and works even if there are walls or other units in the way. Of
course, Line of Fire is irrelevant for abilities that affect only the user or
units in adjacent tiles, since there can't be any other obstacles in between.
---REACTION ABILITIES---
Reaction Abilities trigger when the character is hit by a specific kind of
action. The action that triggers that the Reaction Ability is listed under
Trigger. ("Critical HP" means when you have less than 20% of your max HP and
the character is kneeling/crouching.)
Most Reaction Abilities don't always activate. In most cases, the chance of a
Reaction Ability activating is equal to the character's Bravery. If "Yes" is
displayed under Bravery ("BRV"), the chance of the Reaction Ability activating
is equal to your Bravery. If "No" is displayed, Bravery does not affect the
Reaction Ability; the ability either ALWAYS works, or is affected by something
else listed in the description for that ability.
---SUPPORT AND MOVEMENT ABILITIES---
Support and Movement Abilities are pretty straightforward.
---INNATE ABILITIES---
Abilities marked with a + are automatically used by that that job and only
needs to be equipped when you switch to another job. For example, the Ninja
doesn't need to equip Dual Wield to use two weapons. You only need Dual Wield
when you change to a different job and want to retain that ability.
---RECOMMENDED ABILITIES---
Some abilities have been marked with *. A * here means the ability is (in my
usually inaccurate opinion) one of the job's best.
---LEARNING MAGICK FROM BEING HIT---
A & next to an ability's JP cost indicates that this magick ability can also
be learned if the character is hit with the magick. (Each time you're hit,
there's only a random chance of learning the ability.) For more information on
this and a list of all the abilities and their learning rates, see "Learning
Magick from Being Hit" under Various Tricks. (Note that Ultima and Zodiark can
ONLY be learned this way.)
%%%STANDARD JOBS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00job1
---SQUIRE----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : none
Needed for jobs : Knight (lv. 2), Archer (lv. 2), Onion Knight (lv. 6),
Mime (lv. 8)
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, axes, flails Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 5%
HP: *** MP: *** Phys. Atk.: *** Mag. Atk.: ** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Fundaments--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Focus * Slf 1/- Self - 300 Raises physical attack power by 1
for duration of battle
Rush 1/1 1/- Any - 80 Weak physical attack, may knock
enemy back one tile; does
variable damage (may be more or
less than estimate)
Stone 4/* 1/- Any Y 90 Weak (ranged) physical attack,
may knock enemy back one tile;
does variable damage (may be
more or less than estimate)
Salve 1/2 1/- Any - 150 Cures Blind, Silence, Poison
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Counter Tackle Phys. attack Yes 180 Counterattack using Rush
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Equip Axes + 170 Equip Axes regardless of current job
Beastmaster 200 Monsters in adjacent tiles gain an
extra ability. (Limited to
vertical range of 3.)
Defend 50 Allows use of Defend action to
double evade rate for 1 turn
JP Boost * 250 Raises JP received by the unit by
50%
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Move +1 * 200 Movement range + 1
JP to master: 1670
--MY THOUGHTS--
Squires are what you'd expect from a starting job -- functional, but nothing
all that special. Their abilities are useful early on, but there aren't too
many that you'd use later on. Move +1 is a great all-purpose movement ability
though, and definitely worth learning before you move on from Squire. (Most
other jobs have a movement range of only 3, making it tough for them to keep
up with the battle.) JP Boost is also great for helping you learn other
abilities quickly, especially when you switch to a new job and need to gain
levels quickly. It's a great investment to learn JP Boost early on.
If you're into grinding levels, Focus and Stone are good abilities to use
repeatedly to build up experience or JP.
---CHEMIST---------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : none
Needed for jobs : White Mage (lv. 2), Black Mage (lv. 2), Onion Knight (lv. 6),
Mime (lv. 8)
Equippable weapons: Knives, guns Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes Jump height : 3
Innate ability: Throw Items Physical evade : 5%
Stats:
HP: *** MP: *** Phys. Atk.: ** Mag. Atk.: ** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Items--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Potion * 1/* 1/- Any Y 30 Can use Potions (restore 30 HP)
Hi-Potion * 1/* 1/- Any Y 200 Can use Hi-Potions (restore 70
HP)
X-Potion * 1/* 1/- Any Y 300 Can use X-Potions (restore 150
HP)
Ether 1/* 1/- Any Y 300 Can use Ethers (restore 20 MP)
Hi-Ether * 1/* 1/- Any Y 400 Can use Hi-Ethers (restore 50 MP)
Elixir 1/* 1/- Any Y 900 Can use Elixirs (restore all HP &
MP)
Antidote 1/* 1/- Any Y 70 Can use Antidotes (cures Poison)
Eye Drops 1/* 1/- Any Y 80 Can use Eye Drops (cures Blind)
Echo Herbs 1/* 1/- Any Y 120 Can use Echo Herbs (cures
Silence)
Maiden's Kiss 1/* 1/- Any Y 200 Can use Maiden's Kisses (cures
Toad)
Gold Needle 1/* 1/- Any Y 250 Can use Gold Needles (cures
Stone)
Holy Water 1/* 1/- Any Y 400 Can use Holy Water (cures Undead
and Vampire)
Remedy * 1/* 1/- Any Y 700 Can use Remedies (cures Stone,
Blind, Confuse, Silence, Oil,
Toad, Poison, and Sleep)
Phoenix Down * 1/* 1/- Any Y 90 Can use Phoenix Down (revives
KOed character with minimal HP)
Note 1: All Items abilities require you to have the corresponding item in your
inventory. One item is consumed with each use. Aside from Elixirs, all the
items can be bought at the Outfitter, although some do not become available
until later in the game.
Note 2: The Throw Items ability (equippable, and also innate in the Chemist
job) extends the range of all Items abilities from 1 to 4.
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Auto-Potion * Any HP loss Yes 400 Use weakest potion available on self
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Throw Items +* 350 Increases horizontal range of Items
command from 1 to 4.
Safeguard * 250 Equipment can't be broken or stolen
Reequip 0 Allows use of Reequip action to
change unit's equipment (but
consumes turn)
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Treasure Hunter 100 Allows you to discover any hidden
items on the destination tile,
which are then added to your
inventory. Your chance of getting
a more valuable item increases
with LOW Bravery.
JP to master: 5140
--MY THOUGHTS--
Despite being a "basic" job, Chemists are great! Items are great for healing
because they don't take any time to charge and never miss. Ethers and
Hi-Ethers are also a convenient way to restore MP. And, since the effect of
items is fixed, you can assign the Items ability even to a character with low
magic ability. The only real downside is that items can only heal one
character at a time.
Early in the game, Chemists make great healers. Plus, once you're able to buy
guns (late in Chapter II), they have a good range attack, giving them something
else to do when the team doesn't need healing.
Be sure to learn Throw Items before you switch your Chemist to another job.
Otherwise, your items will only have a range of 1 and won't be much good at
all. (Chemists themselves don't need to learn Throw Items, as they have it as
an intrinsic ability.)
It's pretty safe to skip the items that cure negative status (Eye Drops, etc.);
you don't have to face these status conditions all that often. Save your JP
and just learn Remedy; once Remedies become available (midway through Chapter
II) they duplicate the effects of ALL the other items. The exception is Holy
Water, but there's pretty much only point where you have to worry about being
hit with the Undead or Vampire conditions.
Safeguard is an important support ability, especially later in the game when
you have rare equipment that you can't buy in stores. You don't want that
being broken or stolen! Although you don't need to equip Safeguard all the
time, it's good to have on hand for particular battles where the enemies are
apt to break your equipment.
The Treasure Hunter movement ability, on the other hand, isn't all that useful
during the main game since most of the items you find from it are nothing
special. However, in the game's sidequests, Treasure Hunter will net you some
rare items you can't find anywhere else, so at that point you'll definitely
want to have at least one character learn Treasure Hunter. (Preferably someone
with low Bravery, as this increases your chance of getting good items with it.)
---KNIGHT----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Squire lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Monk (lv. 3), Samurai (lv. 4), Dark Knight (Mastered!)
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 10%
HP: **** MP: *** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: ** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Arts of War--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Rend Helm Weapon Any Y 300 Destroys target's headgear
Rend Armor Weapon Any Y 400 Destroys target's armor
Rend Shield Weapon Any Y 300 Destroys target's shield
Rend Weapon * Weapon Any Y 400 Destroys target's weapon
Rend MP * Weapon Any Y 250 Lowers target's MP (by 1/2 of
target's maximum MP)
Rend Speed * Weapon Any Y 250 Lowers target's speed by 2
Rend Power * Weapon Any Y 250 Lowers target's phys. attack by 3
Rend Magick Weapon Any Y 250 Lowers target's mag. attack by 3
When combined with the Dual Wield support ability, Arts of War fires twice per
use since the character is wielding two weapons.
If Rend Helm, Armor, Shield, or Weapon is used against a target not equipped
with that type of item, it functions as a physical attack instead. (This is
useful when you Dual Wield and succeed in rending the item on the first
strike.)
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Parry No 200 Block physical attacks with weapon;
rate of success is equal to
current weapon's Block Rate (see
weapon list). Not effective
against rear attacks.
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Equip Heavy Armor +* 500 Can equip heavy armor + helmets
regardless of job
Equip Shields + 250 Can equip shields regardless of job
Equip Swords +* 400 Can equip swords regardless of job
(does not apply to knight's
swords)
--Movement Abilities--
none
JP to master: 3750
--MY THOUGHTS--
The Knight's greatest asset is not the Arts of War, but its fairly good
fighting stats and inherent ability to equip swords, heavy armor, and shields,
a power that can be transfered to other jobs with its support abilities. Equip
Heavy Armor helps make vulnerable jobs tougher, and Equip Sword is quite useful
for many of the story characters, who need to have a sword equipped in order to
use their special abilities.
Knights are also a good job late in the game, when you've learned all the
abilities you want and now just want to maximize your characters' power. They
have good HP and attack power, and are one of the few jobs that can equip
knight's swords, the single-player game's most powerful weapons. (The only
other standard job that can use them is Dark Knight, which has quite a few
prerequisites to unlock).
The Arts of War abilities are only moderately useful as Knight. They have
fairly low accuracy and if you're close enough to use them, you'll often want
to just start attacking and KO the enemy rather than mess with his/her stats.
However, pairing Arts of War with a gun (e.g. by using the Orator's Equip Gun
ability) or the Archer's bows lets you use these attacks at a distance, which
makes them quite useful. You can break your enemies' weapons before they can
get close enough to use them!
---ARCHER----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Squire lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Thief (lv. 3), Ninja (lv. 4)
Equippable weapons: Bows, crossbows Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, hats, clothes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 10%
HP: *** MP: ** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: ** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Aim--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Aim +1 * Weapon Any Y 100 Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +2 * Weapon Any Y 150 Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +3 * Weapon Any Y 200 Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +4 Weapon Any Y 250 Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +5 Weapon Any Y 300 Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +7 Weapon Any Y 400 Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +10 Weapon Any Y 700 Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +20 Weapon Any Y 1200 Charge up attack for more damage
Each of these Aim abilities does more damage than the previous one, but also
takes longer to charge. (e.g., Aim +4 does more damage than Aim +3). Note
that if the enemy you're targeting moves while you're charging, your attack
will miss.
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Adrenaline Rush * Any HP loss Yes 900 Raise Speed by 1
Archer's Bane * Arrow attack Yes 450 Evade bow / crossbow attacks
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Equip Crossbows + 350 Can equip crossbows regardless of
job (does not apply to regular
bows)
Concentration * 400 Prevents enemies from evading your
physical attacks
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Jump +1 200 Jump height + 1
JP to master: 5600
--MY THOUGHTS--
Archers make a very valuable addition to your team early in the game, when you
have few other range attacks. Later in the game, as you acquire guns, sword
techniques, and other ranged attacks, Archers become somewhat less useful. For
one thing, their Aim command is of limited value. The high Aims (Aim +10,
etc.) take too long to charge and there's rarely any enemy you can target with
them. The short Aims will increase your damage a little and are worth using
when you have the chance, but don't increase your offense enough to make them
worth choosing over another command.
Archer's Bane, though, is a great reaction ability against enemy Archers --
with a high Bravery, you're almost impervious to arrows! Since you'll fight
Archers in quite a few battles throughout the game, this is a good ability to
learn early on.
Always equip your Archers with the 2-handed longbows rather than crossbows--
longbows do more damage, have a longer range, and don't need a direct line of
fire. Crossbows do let you equip a shield at the same time, but since your
Archers should be on the back line anyway, they don't need shields that much.
Note that Archers are in fact the ONLY standard job that can equip longbows.
The Equip Crossbows ability only let other jobs use crossbows (not longbows),
which makes the ability of dubious value since crossbows are not so good.
---MONK------------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Knight lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Geomancer (lv. 4), Samurai (lv. 5)
Equippable weapons: none Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Clothes Jump height : 4
Innate ability: Brawler Physical evade : 20%
Stats:
HP: ***** MP: *** Phys. Atk.: ***** Mag. Atk.: ** Speed: ****
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Martial Arts--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Cyclone Slf 2/0 Any - 150 Non-elemental attack
Pummel 1/1 1/- Any - 300 Non-elemental attack, does
variable damage (may be more or
less than estimate)
Aurablast 3/3 1/- Any Y 300 Non-elemental attack
Shockwave * 4Dir 8/2 Any N 600 Earth attack
Doom Fist 1/0 1/- Any - 300 Causes Doom status (enemy is KOed
after 3 turns)
Purification * Slf 2/0 Any - 200 Removes Stone, Blind, Confuse,
Silence, Berserk, Toad, Poison,
Sleep, Immobilize, Disable
Chakra * Slf 2/0 Any - 350 Restores some HP and MP
Revive * 1/0 1/- Any - 500 Revives KOed character with
minimal HP
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Critical:RecoverHP Critical HP Yes 500 Restores HP completely
Counter * Phys. Attack Yes 300 Counter-attack with physical attack
First Strike * Attack command Yes 1300 Cancels enemy's Attack command and
you attack enemy instead (does not
work against monsters)
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Brawler +* 200 Raises unarmed attack strength
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Lifefont * 300 Restores HP whenever you Move
JP to master: 5300
--MY THOUGHTS--
Monks rock! In my opinion, they have the best selection of abilities in the
game. Shockwave and to a lesser extent Aurablast are decent offensive
abilities. And, they have three healing abilities that don't require any
charge time: Chakra can restore HP *AND* MP to a group, Revive revives KOed
character and usually has an 80+% hit rate, and Purification cures a number of
status changes to a group. Martial Arts is a great command to have as it gives
you both offensive and defensive abilities packed into one ability slot. The
one caveat is that the healing abilities work only over a small vertical range
-- you can't Revive someone at a different height than you, for instance -- so
be mindful of that during battle.
Monks also have great reaction abilities. Counter is a great reaction ability
to have in almost all situations. Getting counterattacks in response to enemy
attacks lets you do a LOT more damage. Against humans, First Strike is even
better since it cancels the enemy's attack outright, but it's not effective
against monster attacks -- so don't use it when you're traveling the map and
will just be facing random battles. Critical: Recover HP can be moderately
useful too since it can restore your HP to full and save a critically wounded
character, but many attacks can KO you outright and never even put you in
critical HP. (So, Counter is usually better.)
Another advantage of Monks is that they have good stats: they have a strong
attack and are pretty speedy. Consider pairing their attack with the Ninja's
Dual Wield to get two punches and double your damage! Their only weakness is
that they can't equip much in the way of armor, but Equip Heavy Armor can be a
good remedy for that.
---WHITE MAGE------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Chemist lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Mystic (lv. 3), Arithmetician (lv. 5)
Equippable weapons: Staves Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 5%
HP: ** MP: ***** Phys. Atk.: *** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ****
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: White Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Cure * 6 RA 25 4/* 2/1 Any N 50 Restores HP
Cura * 10RA 20 4/* 2/1 Any N 180 Restores HP (more)
Curaga 16RA 15 4/* 2/2 Any N 450 Restores HP (even more)
Curaja 20RA 10 4/* 2/3 Any N 800& Restores HP (best)
Raise * 10RA 25 4/* 1/- Any N 200 Revives KOed character with
half of maximum HP
Arise * 20RA 10 4/* 1/- Any N 600 Revives KOed character with full
HP
Reraise * 16RA 15 3/* 1/- Any N 1000 Gives Reraise status
(automatically return once
from KO)
Regen * 8 RA 25 3/* 2/0 Any N 350 Gives Regen status (restores HP
each turn)
Protect 6 RA 25 3/* 2/0 Any N 70 Gives Protect status (decreases
physical damage received)
Protectja 24 15 3/* 2/3 Any N 600 Gives Protect status
Shell 6 RA 25 3/* 2/0 Any N 70 Gives Shell status (decreases
magick damage received)
Shellja 20 15 3/* 2/3 Any N 600 Gives Shell status
Wall 24RA 25 3/* 1/- Any N 400 Gives both Protect and Shell
status
Esuna 18RA 34 3/* 2/2 Any N 300 Cures Stone, Blind, Confuse,
Silence, Berserk, Toad,
Poison, Sleep, Immobilize,
and/or Disable
Holy 56RA 17 5/* 1/- Any N 600 Holy attack
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Regenerate * Any HP loss Yes 400 Gain Regen status (restores HP each
turn)
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Arcane Defense * 400 Lowers damage received from magick
--Movement Abilities--
none
JP to master: 7070
--MY THOUGHTS--
White Mages are, of course, a healing oriented job; Holy is their only real
offensive spell. However, they tend not to be as effective on defense as
Chemists, since their spells consume MP and need time to charge up. The charge
time is particularly problematic if an ally has just been hit for a lot of
damage and you need to patch him/her up right away -- you might not have time
to wait!
What's GOOD about White Mages? Well, they can heal more than one character at
a time (since most of their spells affect more than one tile). They can cast a
few other "buffing" spells like Protect and Shell, though note these buffs can
miss if you have low faith or magick power! Their Arise spell is also capable
of restoring a character at full HP, which Phoenix Down or a Monk's Revive
cannot do. They're also the fastest of the mage jobs.
Overall, though, the charge times and MP costs associated with White Magick
make Chemists a better choice. If you're likely to get any use out of White
Mages, it's probably in the early stages of the game, when you'll frequently
face barrages of weak attacks spread out against your team. Then, the ability
to heal multiple characters at once is important.
White Magick can also be used an offensive weapon against undead enemies,
though there aren't too many undead enemies and most are pretty easy anyway.
Besides, you can use Chemists' Items to hurt undead enemies too!
---BLACK MAGE------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Chemist lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Time Mage (lv. 3), Arithmetician (lv. 5),
Dark Knight (Mastered!)
Equippable weapons: Rods Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 5%
HP: ** MP: ***** Phys. Atk.: ** Mag. Atk.: ***** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Black Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Fire * 6 RA 25 4/* 2/1 All N 50 Fire attack
Fira * 12RA 20 4/* 2/2 All N 200 Fire attack (stronger)
Firaga * 24RA 15 4/* 2/3 All N 500 Fire attack (even stronger)
Firaja 48 10 4/* 3/3 All N 900& Fire attack (strongest)
Thunder * 6 RA 25 4/* 2/1 All N 50 Lightning attack
Thundara 10RA 20 4/* 2/2 All N 200 Lightning attack (stronger)
Thundaga * 24RA 15 4/* 2/3 All N 500 Lightning attack (even stronger)
Thundaja 48 10 4/* 3/3 All N 900& Lightning attack (strongest)
Blizzard * 6 RA 25 4/* 2/1 All N 50 Ice attack
Blizzara * 12RA 20 4/* 2/2 All N 200 Ice attack (stronger)
Blizzaga * 24RA 15 4/* 2/3 All N 500 Ice attack (even stronger)
Blizzaja 48 10 4/* 3/3 All N 900& Ice attack (strongest)
Poison 6 RA 34 4/* 2/2 All N 150 Causes Poison status
Toad 12RA 20 3/* 1 All N 500 Causes Toad status, or cures Toad
status if target already a Toad
Death 24RA 10 4/* 1 All N 600 Instant KO
Flare * 60RA 15 5/1 1 All N 1000 Non-elemental attack
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Magick Counter Magick attack Yes 800 Counterattack w/ same spell
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Arcane Strength * 400 Raises magick damage
--Movement Abilities--
none
JP to master: 8400
--MY THOUGHTS--
When it comes to magick, Black Mages are the mythril standard -- they have a
lot of MP (second only to Summoner in standard jobs, and third to Summoners
and Beowulf's Templar job overall), and THE highest magick strength of any job.
Plus, they can equip rods that boost their magick abilities even further, and
their Arcane Strength makes their magick do more damage. In other words, the
magick abilities of other jobs get even stronger when used by a Black Mage --
so a great strategy is to learn spells from other jobs, then turn your
characters into Black Mages. (Or, even better, learn Arithmeticks and then
turn into a Black Mage so you can cast ALL spells at high power!) They're the
best magick job available.
So, how about Black Mages' own spells? Well, Black Magick tend to be pretty
useful--especially early in the game, when you have few other abilities that
can attack multiple enemies. Against monsters, you can also use Black Magick
to exploit their elemental weaknesses (check the Monsters section below to see
what they are).
Later in the game, Black Magick isn't quite as effective since you have other
ways of attacking groups of enemies that don't consume MP and don't need to
charge (e.g., sword techniques, Iaido). Plus, the strongest Black Magick
spells take a while charge, although the Time Mage's Swiftness support ability
is one remedy for this -- or you could use Arithmeticks, which lets you cast
spells without charge time. Note that the -ja spells CANNOT be used with
Arithmeticks, so if you're using Arithmeticks, you'll probably want to learn
Flare before the -ja magicks. (On the other hand, -ja spells can't be
reflected, so even if an enemy has Reflect, you can use -ja spells to still
attack with magick.)
Magick Counter is a decent reaction ability when faced when lots of enemy
mages, but there aren't really too many situations where this is needed.
The Black Mage job must be Mastered to unlock Dark Knight. You can speed this
process if at least one character has already learned the -ja spells; cast them
on allied Black Mages and they may learn the magicks from being hit with them.
(See "Learning Magick from Being Hit" under Various Tricks for more on this
process.)
---TIME MAGE-------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Black Mage lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Summoner (lv. 3), Arithmetician (lv. 4)
Equippable weapons: Staves Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 5%
HP: ** MP: ***** Phys. Atk.: * Mag. Atk.: **** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Time Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Haste * 8 RA 50 3/* 2/0 Any N 100 Gives Haste status (CT charges
faster)
Hasteja 30 15 3/* 2/3 Any N 600& Gives Haste status
Slow * 8 RA 50 3/* 2/0 Any N 80 Inflicts Slow status (CT charges
slower)
Slowja 30RA 15 3/* 2/3 Any N 600& Inflicts Slow status
Stop * 14RA 15 3/* 2/0 Any N 350 Inflicts Stop status (CT doesn't
charge)
Immobilize * 10RA 34 3/* 2/1 Any N 100 Inflicts Immobilize status
Float 8 RA 50 4/* 2/1 Any N 200 Gives Float status (see below)
Reflect * 12RA 50 4/* 1 Any N 300 Gives Reflect status
Quick * 24R 25 4/* 1 Any N 900 Fills CT gauge - instant turn!
Gravity 24RA 17 4/* 2/1 Any N 250 Damage = 1/4 of user's max HP
Graviga * 50RA 10 4/* 2/3 Any N 550 Damage = 1/2 of user's max HP
Meteor 70 5 4/* 4/3 Any N 1500 Non-elemental magick attack
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Critical: Quick * Critical HP Yes 800 Fills CT gauge to 100; instant turn!
Mana Shield * Any HP loss Yes 400 Damage dealt only to MP instead of
HP if MP >0
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Swiftness * 1000 Speeds spell/ability charge time
--Movement Abilities--
----------------------------------------------------------
Teleport * 650 Teleport to any square when moving
regardless of move range, height,
or obstacles/enemies in the way.
Chance of failure increases with
longer move distance. #
Levitate 540 Permanent Float status (can move
over water as if land & immune to
Earth status)
# Teleport never fails if you teleport only within your regular move range.
For every additional tile beyond your move range, the chance of failure
increases by 10%.
JP to master: 8920
--MY THOUGHTS--
Time Mages mostly play a support role, casting spells to assist allies or keep
the enemies from acting. These abilities can be quite useful, but it's
probably a good idea to have another ability ready set from another job (e.g.
another magick command) to supplement them with more conventional offense or
defense. The Samurai's Iaido, if available, is also a good choice since it's
boosted by the Time Mage's high magick attack but saves your MP for Time
Magick. Having good magick stats (Magick Attack and Faith) is also important
so that your Hastes and Slows are likely to succeed.
Meteor and the Gravity spells can also be good attack spells, but they can be
somewhat slow, especially Meteor. (Gravity and Graviga are particular useful
against major bosses since they are helpful in cutting down the bosses' large
HP totals.) Try first casting Immobilize to keep enemies from running out of
your way out of your Meteor. The Time Mage's own Swiftness support ability
also speeds the charge time of these spells. It's good for Time Magicks as
well as for Summons and Cloud's Limit attacks.
A great ability to transfer to other jobs is the Mana Shield reaction ability,
which makes damage go to your MP instead of your HP as long as you have at
least 1 MP. This isn't so good for magick users since it quickly drains your
MP, but it can be great on physical fighters who weren't going to use their MP
anyway -- especially if you pair it with Manafont or another ability that lets
you recover MP quickly. Mana Shield is also very helpful in surviving the
Zodiark summon in order to learn it (see Summoner, below).
The Teleport movement ability is also extremely valuable, though isn't *quite*
as great as it seems. While you can conceivably warp long distances with it,
the further you're teleporting, the greater the likelihood the teleport will
fail and you'll end up back where you started, unable to move at all that
turn. However, Teleport still lets you move through enemy units and gives you
an infinite vertical movement range, which completely changes how can you move
around certain maps. For instance, you can teleport right up a castle wall to
attack the Archers up there, or take a shortcut over the side of a cliff. This
can be very helpful in a number of story battles as it lets you get the jump on
range attackers. So just teleport at short ranges and you'll be fine!
---SUMMONER--------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Time Mage lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Bard (lv. 5), Mime (lv. 5)
Equippable weapons: Staves, rods Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 5%
HP: ** MP: ***** Phys. Atk.: * Mag. Atk.: **** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Summon--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Moogle 8 34 4/* 3/2 Ally N 110 "Moogle Charm": Restores HP
Shiva 24 15 4/* 3/2 Foe N 200 "Glacial Shards": Ice magick
attack
Ramuh * 24 15 4/* 3/2 Foe N 200 "Judgment Bolt": Lightning magick
attack
Ifrit 24 15 4/* 3/2 Foe N 200 "Infernal Blaze": Fire magick
attack
Titan * 30 10 4/* 3/2 Foe N 220 "Gaia's Wrath": Earth magick
attack
Golem * 40 25 All allies N 500 "Earthen Wall": Blocks physical
attacks targeting allies until
its HP damage limit is reached
Carbuncle 30 20 4/* 3/2 Ally N 350 "Ruby Light": Gives Reflect
status
Bahamut 60 7 4/* 4/3 Foe N 1600&"Megaflare": Non-elemental attack
Odin 50 8 4/* 4/3 Foe N 900& "Obliteration": Non-elemental
attack
Leviathan 48 8 4/* 4/3 Foe N 860& "Tidal Wave": Water magick attack
Salamander 48 8 4/* 3/2 Foe N 860& "Wyrmfire": Fire magick attack
Sylph * 26 15 4/* 3/2 Foe N 400 "Whispering Wind": Inflicts
Silence status
Faerie * 28 15 4/* 3/2 Ally N 400 "Fey Light": Restores HP
Lich * 40 10 4/* 3/2 Foe N 600& "Descending Darkness": Dark
attack; does damage equal to
1/2 of target's maximum HP but
may miss
Cyclops 62 9 4/* 3/2 Foe N 1000&"Climactic Fear": Non-elemental
attack
Zodiark * 99 6 4/* 4/3 Foe N & "Darkening Cloud": Non-elemental
attack
When Summons are used, a special attack name (not just the name of the sword)
is displayed -- these are listed in quotation marks above.
The Zodiark summon cannot be purchased with JP; it must be learned from the
boss on the last floor of the bonus dungeon. See the Midlight's Deep battle
strategies for more tips on how to learn it.
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Critical:Recover MP Critical HP Yes 400 Restores MP to maximum
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Halve MP * 1000 Halves MP cost of abilities
--Movement Abilities--
none
JP to master: 9800
--MY THOUGHTS--
While summons don't have quite the power in FF Tactics as they do in some other
FF games, they're still strong. Plus, they have a wide effect radius, and,
unlike Black and White Magick, don't hurt your teammates or heal the enemies.
The Summon command also offers you a nice mix of both offensive abilities and a
few defensive ones: Moogle and Faerie restore HP, and the very useful Golem
summon blocks all enemy physical attacks for a while. The Lich summon is also
particularly effective against many of the game's major bosses; it always takes
away half their maximum HP despite their high HP totals.
The disadvantages of Summons are that they take quite a while to charge and
cost a fair amount of MP. The former could be remedied with the Time Mage's
Swiftness ability, which shortens charge time. MP costs can be dealt with
using the Summoner's own Halve MP support ability to decrease MP costs, with
equipment that boosts your max MP (all robes, and some hats), or with the
Chemists's Ethers & Hi-Ethers. There are also some abilities that let you gain
MP from your enemies: The Mystic's Absorb MP lets you absorb MP from enemy
spells, or you could also pair Summon with Mystic Arts to use Empowerment to
steal enemy's MP. (Orlandeau's Duskblade and Beowulf's Syphon can also steal
MP.) Unfortunately, you can't equip *both* Swiftness and Halve MP as they use
the same support ability slot, but you could pair Swiftness with MP-boosting
equipment, Items, Empowerment, or Absorb MP.
If you're trying to master jobs for the purposes of powering up Onion Knight,
note that Summoner isn't considered Mastered until you learn Zodiark.
---THIEF-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Archer lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Dragoon (lv. 4), Ninja (lv. 5)
Equippable weapons: Knives Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes Jump height : 4
Stats: Physical evade : 25%
HP: *** MP: * Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: * Speed: ****
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Steal--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Steal Gil 1/1 1/- Foe - 10 Steal small amount of gil
Steal Heart * 3/1 1/- Foe N 150 Inflicts Charm; only effective on
monsters and opposite sex
Steal Helm * 1/1 1/- Foe - 350 Steal target's helmet
Steal Armor * 1/1 1/- Foe - 450 Steal target's armor
Steal Shield * 1/1 1/- Foe - 350 Steal target's shield
Steal Weapon * 1/1 1/- Foe - 600 Steal target's weapon
Steal Accessory 1/1 1/- Foe - 500 Steal target's accessory
Steal EXP 1/1 1/- Foe - 250 Steal target's current EXP
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Vigilance Any HP loss Yes 200 Enter into "Defend" state (doubles
evade rates)
Gil Snapper Any HP loss 200 Receive gil equal to HP lost
Sticky Fingers Throw 200 Blocks Ninja's Throw attack; thrown
item is added to your inventory!
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Poach * 200 Monsters KOed with physical attack
are poached and disappear from the
map; item becomes available at
Poachers' Den
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Move +2 * 560 Movement range + 2
Jump +2 500 Jump height + 2
JP to master: 4520
--MY THOUGHTS--
Thieves are poor at magick and only moderately strong physically. But, boy,
are they fast! Their movement range and jump height are both 4, so they can
get across the map quickly.
This job is useful mainly for its abilities. Stealing your opponents'
equipment not only cripples them, but adds items to your inventory--and this is
the best way to get a number of rare items! If you like getting rare items,
you'll also want Poach; many pieces of equipment can only be obtained through
poaching monsters. (A side note about Poach: this also has the advantage of
removing monsters' bodies from the map, preventing them from getting revived.)
You could just learn the crucial Steal abilities and then move onto other job.
Ninja, in particular, might be a good to graduate your Thief too, since the
success of Steal is affected by your speed--and Ninjas are even faster than
Thieves!
When Thieves aren't stealing, they can also fight. Since they can only equip
knives, though, their offense can be somewhat weak on its own. You may want to
use an ability like Equip Axes or Equip Swords to bolster their offense.
If you're planning on using Steal Heart at all, a female Thief is somewhat more
advantageous to have than a male Thief, as Steal Hearts works on the opposite
gender and there are somewhat more male enemies than female ones.
Move +2 is also a great movement ability and makes characters quite a bit more
mobile. Note that this ability supercedes the Squire's Move +1 in every way
-- there's absolutely no trade-off or downside to selecting Move +2 over Move
+1 once you've learned +2.
The Thief's reaction abilities, on the other hand, tend not to be too useful.
Gil Snapper is worthless as the amount of gil you receive from it is so small--
the same goes for Steal Gil. Sticky Fingers is not particularly useful for the
bulk of the game as you won't fight too many Ninjas, but can be used in the
optional sidequests to harvest rare weapons from high-level enemy Ninjas. So,
again, if you like rare items, Thief is your job :)
---ORATOR----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Mystic lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Bard (lv. 5), Mime (lv. 5)
Equippable weapons: Knives, guns Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Jump height : 3
Innate ability: Beast Tongue Physical evade : 5%
Stats:
HP: *** MP: *** Phys. Atk.: *** Mag. Atk.: ** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Speechcraft--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Entice * 3/3 1/- Foe N 100 Enemies join party
Stall 3/3 1/- Any N 100 Resets target's CT
Praise 3/3 1/- Any N 200 Raises Bravery by 4 #
Intimidate * 3/3 1/- Any N 200 Lowers Bravery by 20 &
Preach 3/3 1/- Any N 200 Raises Faith by 4 #
Enlighten * 3/3 1/- Any N 200 Lowers Faith by 20 &
Condemn 3/3 1/- Any N 500 Causes Doom status (enemy is KOed
after 3 turns)
Beg 3/3 1/- Foe N 100 Receive gil from enemy
Insult 3/3 1/- Any N 300 Causes Berserk status
Mimic Darlavon 3/3 2/* Any N 300 Causes Sleep status
# Note: These abilities change Faith or Bravery by 4. 3 points of this change
remains only for the battle, but 1 is permanent.
& Note: These abilities change Faith or Bravery by 20. 5 points of this change
is permanent.
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Earplug Speechcraft Yes 300 Cancels Speechcraft ability used on
character
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Equip Guns +* 800 Can equip guns regardless of job
Tame 500 Physical attacks will recruit
monsters if they have critical HP
(< 20% of max)
Beast Tongue +* 100 Can use Speechcraft against monsters
--Movement Abilities--
none
JP to master: 3900
--MY THOUGHTS--
Like Time Mages, Orators play a supplementary role. One of their main purpose
is to recruit enemy units -- if you want to recruit monsters on this team, you
need this job! (To recruit monsters, either use Entice + Beast Tongue, or
equip Tame and hit monsters with a physical attack.)
Equip Guns is the other key Orator ability. While Orators can equip guns
naturally, Equip Guns lets you transfer this ability to other jobs. Having the
long range of a gun is handy for "support" jobs that aren't going to be on the
front lines.
Finally, the Orator lets you play with Bravery and Faith statistics. Boosting
your Bravery is particularly useful as it increases the strenght of some
attacks and makes your Reaction Ability more likely to activate -- and has no
side effects. However, you can just as easily raise your Bravery with Ramza's
Steel ability, which also has the advantage that it never misses. Since Faith
controls both the damage you deal with magick and receive from enemy magick, it
can also be advantageous to raise your magick users' Faith (making them
stronger) and lower everyone else's Faith (since they won't be using magick,
decreasing their Faith makes enemy magick less effective). It's not essential
to tweak your Bravery and Faith like this, but if you DO want to do so, a good
tactic is to do it in a random battle against weaker monsters (e.g. at Mandalia
Plain), where you can use Speechcraft with less enemy interference. A tough
story battle is not a good place to grind Bravery and Faith.
You can safely skip Earplug since you'll face enemy Orators only very rarely.
---MYSTIC----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : White Mage lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Orator (lv. 3), Arithmetician (lv. 4)
Equippable weapons: Staves, rods, poles, books Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 5%
HP: ** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: * Mag. Atk.: **** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Mystic Arts--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Umbra 4 RA 50 4/* 2/1 Any N 100 Causes Blind status
Empowerment * 2 50 4/* 1/- Any N 200 Drains MP from target to caster;
amount drained is 1/3 of
target's maximum MP
Invigoration 16 50 4/* 1/- Any N 350 Drains MP from target to caster;
amount drained is 1/4 of
target's maximum HP
Belief * 6 RA 25 4/* 1/- Any N 400 Causes Faith status (character
has 100 Faith; both character's
own magick and others' magick
targeting the character are
maximally effective)
Disbelief * 6 RA 25 4/* 1/- Any N 400 Causes Atheist status (character
cannot use magick but is also
immune to others' magick)
Corruption 20RA 20 4/* 1/- Any N 300 Causes Undead status
Quiescence 16RA 34 4/* 1/- Any N 170 Causes Silence status
Fervor 16RA 20 4/* 1/- Any N 400 Causes Berserk status
Trepidation * 20RA 25 4/* 1/- Any N 200 Lowers target's Bravery
Delirium 20RA 20 4/* 1/- Any N 400 Causes Confuse status
Harmony 34 A 34 4/* 1/- Any N 800 Removes Float, Reraise, Regen,
Invisible, Protect, Shell,
Haste, Faith, Reflect
Hesitation * 10RA 20 4/* 2/0 Any N 100 Causes Disable status
Repose 24RA 17 4/* 2/1 Any N 350 Causes Sleep status
Induration 16RA 10 4/* 1/- Any N 600 Causes Stone status
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Absorb MP Magick Yes 250 Gain MP equal to MP cost of spell
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Defense Boost * 400 Lowers physical damage received
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Ignore Weather 200 Move through swamps at normal speed
even if it's raining; cancels
weather effects on Black Magick
Manafont 350 Restores some MP whenever you move
JP to master: 5970
--MY THOUGHTS--
Mystics specialize in inflicting status conditions on their foes. These spells
often fail, so if you want to use this job, a character with high Faith is
necessary to increase your success rate. In general, though, Mystic is just
not a very useful job. They don't have much in the way of direct offense or
defense, and their status affliction spells just aren't useful enough to
compensate for their charge time, MP cost, and success rate. Mustadio and,
later, Beowulf are much more effective at inflicting these kinds of status
conditions.
Defense Boost can be a somewhat useful support ability, however.
---GEOMANCER-------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Monk lv. 4
Needed for jobs : Ninja (lv. 2), Dancer (lv. 5), Mime (lv. 5),
Dark Knight (lv. 8)
Equippable weapons: Swords, axes Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: Shields, hats, clothes, robes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 10%
HP: *** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Geomancy--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Sinkhole * 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Non-elemental attack, causes
Immobilize
Torrent 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Water attack, causes Toad
Tanglevine * 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Non-elemental attack, causes Stop
Contortion * 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Non-elemental attack, causes
Stone
Tremor 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Earth attack, causes Confuse
Wind Slash * 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Wind attack, causes Disable
Will-o'-the-Wisp * 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Fire attack, causes Sleep
Quicksand 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Water attack, causes Doom
Sandstorm 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Wind attack, causes Blind
Snowstorm 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Ice attack, causes Silence
Wind Blast 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Wind attack, causes Slow
Magma Surge 5/* 2/0 Any N 150 Fire attack, instant KO
All Geomancy abilities do more damage when the user has high physical attack
and magick attack stats. Magick attack increases the damage more than physical
attack.
Note: During battle, only one Geomancy ability is available for use at any
given time. The available ability is determined by the terrain type of the
tile on which the user is standing:
Sinkhole : Soil, Wasteland
Torrent : Canal, River, Lake, Ocean, Waterfall
Tanglevine : Grassland, Underbrush, Vines
Contortion : Gravel, Flagstone, Stone Wall, Earthen Wall, Gravestone
Tremor : Stone Outcropping, Basalt
Wind Slash : Book, Tree, Brick, Bridge, Furnishings, Iron, Moss, Coffin
Will-o'-the-Wisp: Wooden Floor, Carpet, Coffer, Stairs, Wooden Deck
Quicksand : Marsh, Swamp, Poisonous Fen
Sandstorm : Sand, Stalactite, Salt Flat
Snowstorm : Snow
Wind Blast : Roof, Chimney
Magma Surge : Lava, Machinery
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Nature's Wrath Phys. attack Yes 300 Counter using Geomancy command
or Geomancy
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Attack Boost * 400 Raises physical attack damage
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Ignore Terrain 220 Moving through water does not
decrease movement range
Lavawalking 150 Can move across and stop on lava
tiles
JP to master: 2870
--MY THOUGHTS--
Geomancers are sort of a hybrid physical/magick job -- they're pretty decent
fighters, and can also do long-range elemental and status attacks with their
Geomancy. When the Geomancer job first becomes available, it can be quite
useful. Geomancy doesn't cost any MP and activates instantly, and it can hit a
group of enemies. Unfortunately, as the game progresses, the damage inflicted
by Geomancy doesn't keep pace with enemy HP, and they quickly become less
useful. Plus, there's also the disadvantage that you don't have much choice
over the Geomancy attacks available at any given time -- at most, you can
choose between two or three different attacks by moving to tiles with different
terrain. You can't really choose a specific kind of status condition to
inflict.
Attack Boost, however, is a good support ability throughout the game and can be
useful for any fighting-oriented job (though not as good as Dual Wield). It
increases the power not just of the Attack command, but other "special"
physical attacks like sword techniques.
Lavawalking is the game's most singularly useless ability, as only a single,
optional map has lava on it, and it's usually a fairly easy battle anyway.
But, hey, it's only 150 JP, what a steal!
---DRAGOON---------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Thief lv. 4
Needed for jobs : Samurai (lv. 2), Dancer (lv. 5), Mime (lv. 5),
Dark Knight (lv. 8)
Equippable weapons: Polearms Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes Jump height : 4
Stats: Physical evade : 10%
HP: **** MP: * Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: * Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Jump--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Horizontal Jump 2 * 150 Extends horizontal range of Jump to
2 or fewer tiles
Horizontal Jump 3 350 Extends horizontal range of Jump to
3 or fewer tiles
Horizontal Jump 4 550 Extends horizontal range of Jump to
4 or fewer tiles
Horizontal Jump 5 800 Extends horizontal range of Jump to
5 or fewer tiles
Horizontal Jump 8 * 1100 Extends horizontal range of Jump to
8 or fewer tiles
Vertical Jump 2 * 100 Extends vertical range of Jump to 2
Vertical Jump 3 250 Extends vertical range of Jump to 3
Vertical Jump 4 400 Extends vertical range of Jump to 4
Vertical Jump 5 550 Extends vertical range of Jump to 5
Vertical Jump 6 700 Extends vertical range of Jump to 6
Vertical Jump 7 * 1000 Extends vertical range of Jump to 7
Vertical Jump 8 1500 Extends vertical range of Jump to 8
The Jump command causes the user to temporarily disappear from the battlefield
(by jumping off the screen). On return, the user strikes the targeted unit
with a physical attack, then bounces back to his/her original tile. All the
action abilities simply extend the maximum horizontal or vertical range of this
attack. The speed of a Jump is equal to twice the user's Speed statistic.
Jump does NOT require an unobstructed line of fire. (Note that the unit's tile
cannot be moved into while s/he is off the screen.)
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Dragonheart * Phys. Attack Yes 600 Cast Reraise on self (return once
from KO automatically)
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Equip Polearms + 400 Can equip Polearms regardless of job
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Ignore Elevation * 700 Infinite jump height in movement
JP to master: 9150
--MY THOUGHTS--
Dragoons are sort of a souped-up Knight. They have comparable HP and attack
power, can equip armor, and their polearms have a range of two tiles. Dragoons
also have the Jump attack, which is quite effective. It does a good amount of
damage, potentially has a HUGE range (if you've learned the right abilities),
and puts the Dragoon temporarily out of damage. Just make sure your target
doesn't move out of the way and cancel your Jump attack! Unfortunately, you
can't preview the exact CT list for a Jump attack like you can with magicks,
but you can look at the enemy CT gauges when selecting a target. Don't target
any enemy who has a high CT gauge, especially if your character is relatively
slow.
A tip about learning the Jump action abilities: Each Horizontal Jump or
Vertical Jump ability replaces all the ones below it. In other words, if you
have Horizontal Jump 8, you can do a jump of 1-8 panels; you don't need to
learn any other remaining Horizontal Jumps. So, a good strategy is to just
learn a couple of the early Horizontal and Vertical Jump abilities (like
2 or 3) to give yourself a decent Jump, then save up your JP for Horizontal
Jump 8 and Vertical Jump 7 or 8. Once you get those, your Jump attack will be
amazing! Don't waste your JP building up your range one ability at a time.
(Horizontal Jump 8 is more advantageous to learn first because in most cases
you don't need that great a vertical range to your jump, anyways.)
Dragonheart and Ignore Elevation are also valuable abilities, though neither is
essential. Dragonheart gives you a Reraise when physically attacked, and
Ignore Elevation is helpful for taking shortcuts up and down towers and cliffs.
Note, however, that the Time Mage's Teleport gives you this same ability and
then some, so Ignore Elevation is kind of redundant. The only reason to learn
Ignore Elevation is if you've been building a melee-oriented character and
don't want to spend time earning JP as a Time Mage -- and, in fact, it can be
quite useful for this purpose.
---SAMURAI---------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Knight lv. 4, Monk lv. 5, Dragoon lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Dark Knight (lv. 8)
Equippable weapons: Katanas Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Helms, armor, robes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 20%
HP: ** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: ***** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Iaido--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ashura Slf 3/3 Foe N 100 "Spirit Blade": Non-elemental
magick attack
Kotetsu Slf 3/3 Foe N 200 "Binding Darkness": Non-elemental
magick attack
Osafune Slf 3/3 Foe N 300 "Verse of Oblivion": Lowers enemy
MP
Murasame * Slf 3/3 Ally N 400 "Rain of Wisdom": Restores HP
Ama-no-Murakumo * Slf 3/3 Foe N 500 "Cloudsea Curse": Non-elemental
magick attack, causes Slow
Kiyomori Slf 3/3 Ally N 600 "Purifying Breeze": Gives Protect
and Shell status
Muramasa * Slf 3/3 Foe N 700 "Doomed Aspirations": Non-
elemental magick attack,
causes Confuse and Doom
Kiku-ichimonji 4Dir 8/3 Foe N 800 "Sanguine Blossom": Non-elemental
magick attack
Masamune Slf 3/3 Ally N 900 "Ethereal Embrace": Gives Regen
and Haste status
Chirijiraden Slf 3/3 Foe N 1000 "Raging Inferno": Non-elemental
magick attack
Iaido abilities can only be used if you possess the corresponding katana in
your inventory (NOT equipped on the character). There is a chance that the
katana will break when the ability is used. Aside from the Masamune and
Chirijiraden, all of the katanas can be purchased at the Outfitter, although
some do not become available until later in the game.
When Iaido abilities are used, a special attack name (not just the name of the
sword) is displayed -- these are listed in quotation marks above.
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Bonecrusher Critical HP Yes 200 Counterattack and do damage equal to
your own maximum HP
Shirahadori * Phys. Attack Yes 700 Evade physical attacks. Does not
work against bows and crossbows,
but DOES work against guns!
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Equip Katana + 400 Can equip Katanas regardless of job
Doublehand 900 Equip one weapon in two hands to
increase damage dealt
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------
Swim 300 Can move and act even in water of
depth = 2 (i.e., water up to your
head)
JP to master: 8000
--MY THOUGHTS--
Somewhat like the Monk and Summoner, Iaido nicely mixes both offense and
healing. Murasame in particular is a GREAT healing ability, since it restores
HP to a large group and requires no charge time. Masamune is in theory also
very useful as it casts Regen and Haste to a group of characters, but its value
is more limited in practice since Masamunes are pretty hard to get.
Unfortunately, the downside to Iaido is that the katana have a tendency to
break pretty frequently, which means that this job expensive quickly. (Why,
it's almost like Samurai were throwing money at their enemies!) This means
Iaido actually tends to get more useful later on, when you have more spare cash
for katana. If you want to use a particular Iaido ability, bringing a couple
of copies of that katana into battle is a pretty good ability. Equipping
accessories that boosts your magick attack is also advantageous since damage
from Iaido depends on your magick attack stat, not physical attack.
Perhaps the best Samurai ability, then, is Shirahadori, which pumps up your
evade rate in accordance with your Bravery. With a high Bravery, you can be
virtually invulnerable to physical attacks! This is one of the best reaction
abilities in the game and definitely worth learning.
Note that the Samurai only has modest stats. They have limited HP, although
they can equip heavy armor to boost it. Their attack is pretty good, but since
they only have one katana for a weapon, they falter in comparison to the Ninja
(which gets TWO weapons) or the Knight (which can use knight's swords). Sure,
you can equip Doublehand to increase your attack power, but that uses up your
support ability slot.
Overall, my feeling is that Samurai is a decent job, but not quite as effective
as Dragoons or (especially) Ninja. However, Iaido is a good supplementary
Action Ability and can be particularly good when paired with a magick-oriented
job -- the job's high magick attack will increase the power of Iaido, and Iaido
gives a mage an alternative to magick that doesn't cost MP and doesn't require
charging.
---NINJA-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Archer lv. 4, Thief lv. 5, Geomancer lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Dark Knight (lv. 8)
Equippable weapons: Knives, ninja blades, flails Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes Jump height : 4
Innate ability: Dual Wield Physical evade : 30%
Stats:
HP: * MP: * Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: ** Speed: *****
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Throw--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Shuriken * 5/* 1/- Any Y 50 Throw shuriken
Bomb 5/* 1/- Any Y 70 Throw bombs
Knife 5/* 1/- Any Y 100 Throw knives
Sword * 5/* 1/- Any Y 100 Throw swords
Flail * 5/* 1/- Any Y 100 Throw flails
Katana 5/* 1/- Any Y 100 Throw samurai katanas
Ninja Blade 5/* 1/- Any Y 100 Throw ninja blades
Axe 5/* 1/- Any Y 120 Throw axes
Polearm 5/* 1/- Any Y 100 Throw polearms
Pole 5/* 1/- Any Y 100 Throw poles
Knight's Sword 5/* 1/- Any Y 100 Throw knight's swords
Book 5/* 1/- Any Y 100 Throw books
The Throw command allows you to attack by throwing weapons & items from your
inventory. Obviously, the item/weapon is lost when it is thrown.
Note that some weapons can only be found in the game's multiplayer modes. Such
weapons cannot be thrown with the Throw command.
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Vanish Any HP loss Yes 1000 Gain Invisiblity status
Reflexes Any evadable No 400 Doubles existing evade %
attack
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Dual Wield +* 1000 Equip weapons in both hands
Note that the damage estimate for Dual Wielded attacks is just for the FIRST
attack -- if you have a weapon in both hands, the total damage will be much
higher!
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------
Waterwalking 420 Stand on surface of water rather
than decreasing height to go
underwater. Can move on top of
deep water without penalty.
JP to master: 4040
--MY THOUGHTS--
With a high speed and attack strength, and the innate ability to wield two
weapons, Ninja make life very dangerous for your opponents. You can do a lot
of damage with two weapons, and their high speed means that Ninjas get to act
first and strike before your enemy does. (Plus, their good movement range
and jump height makes it easy for them to reach enemies.) Ninjas are effective
for sneaking in and taking out enemy archers, gunners, or mages before they can
get a spell or shot off. Overall, Ninja is one of the most effective standard
job. Aim for leveling up Archer and Thief quickly to unlock it!
Throw is also a pretty good action ability. It's not the strongest attack, but
throwing good weapons usually does a fair amount of damage and has a nice
range. The strongest weapon that you can buy to throw is the Morning Star
flail ... well, it's tied with the Slasher axe, but the Slasher costs more
money. Buying weapons does mean that the gil costs of Throw add up, but,
fortunately, you can always switch back to regular attacks since the Ninja's
regular attacks are good too.
Good abilities from other jobs to consider for your Ninja are Steal (Ninjas
have a very high speed, so this makes your steals more effective) and the
Monk's Brawler. Brawler lets you get two punches, which can be an extremely
strong physical attack, especially with high Bravery.
The main weakness of Ninjas (besides pirates) is their physical frailty; they
have very low HP and can't take much damage. This is particularly problematic
if you're using Ninjas to rush in and attack first -- they can get surrounded
and KOed while your other characters catch up. To solve this, you can equip
cloaks or Shirahadori to boost their evade rate, give them an Angel Ring or
Chantage or the Dragonheart reaction ability for a Reraise, or use Equip Heavy
Armor to gain more HP.
Note that Ninjas can equip both ninja blades and flails. Overall, flails are
stronger, but they're also more unpredictable -- sometimes they do MORE than
the estimated damage, sometimes they do LESS. This can be frustrating if
you're trying to finish off a weak enemy and end up not quite doing enough
damage. On the other hand, in the long run, flails DO do more damage. It's
your call whether you want to favor predictability or the potential for more
damage.
---ARITHMETICIAN---------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : White Mage lv. 5, Black Mage lv. 5,
Time Mage lv. 4, Mystic lv. 4
Needed for jobs : none
Equippable weapons: Poles, books Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 5%
HP: * MP: *** Phys. Atk.: * Mag. Atk.: * Speed: *
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Throw--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
CT n/a Any N 250 Base equations on CT
Level n/a Any N 350 Base equations on level
Exp n/a Any N 200 Base equations on EXP
Height * n/a Any N 250 Base equations on height
Prime * n/a Any N 300 Selects by prime number
Multiple of 5 n/a Any N 200 Selects by multiple of 5
Multiple of 4 * n/a Any N 400 Selects by multiple of 4
Multiple of 3 * n/a Any N 600 Selects by multiple of 3
Each time you use Arithmeticks, you select one from the first four abilities
and one from the second four abilities. This determines what characters the
ability will target. For example, selecting "Height" "Multiple of 5" will
target all characters whose current height on the map is a multiple of 5.
Finally, you select the magick to cast on these targets. Allowable magicks are
those marked with an "A" under Black Mage, White Mage, Time Mage, and Mystic
(see above). Note that you do NOT need those jobs' Action Abilities equipped;
Arithmeticks always allows access to ALL the allowable magicks you've learned.
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Cup of Life HP restore Yes 200 If healing ability used on character
restores more HP than is needed to
return to max HP, the excess HP is
distributed to the rest of the
party
Soulbind * Any HP loss Yes 300 Inflicted damage is divided between
you and the character who
inflicted it
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
EXP Boost * 350 Doubles EXP received in battle
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------
Accrue EXP 400 Earn EXP whenever you move
Accure JP 400 Earn JP whenever you move
JP to master: 4550
--MY THOUGHTS--
Arithmeticians are extremely powerful magick-wielders. Unlike conventional
magick, Arithmeticks takes no time to charge, can strike all the way across the
board, and costs no MP! By trying different combinations of multiple and
CT/Level/EXP/Height, you can customize exactly who your magick is going to hit.
Note that you can preview who Arithmeticks will hit before you use it. Look
for the characters with yellow targeting tiles at their feet. If you don't
like the combination of targets you're getting, cancel back a few menus and
pick a different match of base and multiple. You can't always target exactly
the characters you want, but you can usually get reasonably close. Check out
the Arithmeticks Chart (Ctrl+F and then 00arith) for help targeting.
The problem is that Arithmeticians also require a lot of JP to reach this level
of power. First of all, you need to learn spells from the other magick-using
jobs, then you have to learn all the Arithmeticks abilities to make your
targeting flexible. Moreover, Arithmeticians are REALLY pokey and don't get
many turns, making them slow to earn JP. (Giving them an accessory to boost
their speed will help.)
Arithmeticks also have a very low magick strength, so their spells won't be too
effective while they're still an Arithmetician. To remedy this, change the
Arithmetician into a Black Mage after you've learned all their abilities and
set their second action ability to Arithmeticks. In this highly-evolved form,
they can toast enemies around the battlefield or heal your whole party, without
even having to charge or use MP!
In other words, Arithmeticians are great if you want to spend the time to build
them up, but you certainly don't need them to beat the regular game.
---BARD------------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Summoner lv. 5, Orator lv. 5, MALE characters only
Needed for jobs : none
Equippable weapons: Instruments Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 5%
HP: * MP: * Phys. Atk.: * Mag. Atk.: **** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Bardsong--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Seraph Song * 17 All allies N 100 Restores MP
Life's Anthem 17 All allies N 100 Restores HP
Rousing Melody * 13 All allies N 100 Raises speed by 1
Battle Chant * 13 All allies N 100 Raises physical attack power by 1
Magickal Refrain 10 All allies N 100 Raises magick attack power by 1
Nameless Song * 10 All allies N 100 Gives Reraise, Regen, Protect,
Shell, or Haste
Finale * 5 All allies N 100 Fills CT to 100 (instant turn!)
Bardsong abilities activate repeatedly until a new command is entered for the
character. This means that even if you wait out your turns (causing your CT
gauge to fill more quickly), you can keep activating the ability!
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Magick Boost Any HP loss Yes 500 Magick attack power + 1
Faith Boost Magick Yes 400 Faith + 3
--Support Abilities--
none
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Move +3 * 1000 Movement range + 3
Fly 5000 Ignore terrain and obstacles while
moving
JP to master: 7900
--MY THOUGHTS--
Bards can cast a variety of buffs to your whole party, regardless of where the
characters are standing. Boosting your speed and attack/magic power, or
quickly filling your CT gauge, can help your whole team fight more effectively.
On the other hand, Bards can't do much ELSE; they have very little HP or MP and
a weak attack. Also, their buffs don't always succeed and will miss quite a
few of your party members each time they're used.
Bards can learn Fly, which costs an astronomical 5000 JP! Since Fly is
basically just a more expensive Teleport, it's not worth the JP cost at all.
On the other hand, Move +3 is much more reasonably priced and is extremely
effective for getting around the map quickly! Of course, if you have Move +3,
then Move +1 and Move +2 become completely obsolete.
---DANCER----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Geomancer lv. 5, Dragoon lv. 5, FEMALE characters only
Needed for jobs : none
Equippable weapons: Knives, cloths Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes Jump height : 3
Stats: Physical evade : 5%
HP: * MP: * Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Dance--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Witch Hunt 17 All enemies N 100 Lowers enemy MP
Mincing Minuet 17 All enemies N 100 Lowers enemy HP
Slow Dance * 13 All enemies N 100 Lowers enemy speed by 1
Polka 13 All enemies N 100 Lowers enemy physical attack by 1
Heathen Frolick * 10 All enemies N 100 Lowers enemy magical attack by 1
Forbidden Dance * 10 All enemies N 100 Causes Blind, Confuse, Silence,
Toad, Poison, Slow, Stop, or
Sleep
Last Waltz 5 All enemies N 100 Empties enemy CT
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Fury Any HP loss Yes 600 Physical attack power + 1
Bravery Boost Physical atk Yes 700 Bravery + 3
--Support Abilities--
none
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Jump +3 1000 Jump height + 3
Fly 5000 Can fly over terrain and enemies
JP to master: 8000
--MY THOUGHTS--
Whereas Bards cast buffs to help your entire party, Dancers lower the stats of
the entire party. Mincing Minuet does far too little damage to bother with,
but lowering enemy speed or attack power, or inflicting status conditions with
Forbidden Dance, can be useful.
Dancers tend to be better than Bards. Since there are generally more bad guys
on the map than party members, it's more effective to drop the enemies' stats
than boost your own. Plus, they have a stronger physical attack. Dancers also
work well with the Knight's Parry ability, as their cloth weapons have a VERY
high parry rate (50%).
As with Bard, Fly is definitely not worth 5000 JP ... and Jump +3 is pretty
pointless too, since Teleport essentially duplicates all its effects and costs
fewer JP!
---MIME------------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Squire lv. 8, Chemist lv. 8, Summoner lv. 5,
Orator lv. 5, Geomancer lv. 5, Dragoon lv. 5
Needed for jobs : none
Equippable weapons: None Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: None Jump height : 4
Stats: Physical evade : 5%
HP: ***** MP: * Phys. Atk.: ***** Mag. Atk.: **** Speed: *****
--ABILITIES--
NO ABILITIES
The Mime copies every action that your other characters take.
--MY THOUGHTS--
Mimes aren't quite as good as you'd think. They only mimic abilities in the
exact direction and range that they were originally used, which means they
usually miss. However, if you use them very carefully, they can be useful, as
they could potentially double the number of actions you take. Try pairing a
Mime with a Arithmetician -- everything spell the Arithmetician calculates, the
Mime will repeat for twice the effect (of course, you could just make two
Arithmeticians instead...).
---DARK KNIGHT-----------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Knight MASTERED, Black Mage MASTERED, Samurai lv. 8,
Ninja lv. 8, Geomancer lv. 8, Dragoon lv. 8, must kill 20
enemies (so that they turn into chests/crystals) with the
character
Needed for jobs : none
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords, Movement range : 3
fell swords, axes, flails Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, clothes, armor, robes Physical evade : 0%
Stats:
HP: *** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: ***** Mag. Atk.: ** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Darkness--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Sanguine Sword * 3/* 1/- Any N 300 Drains HP
Infernal Strike 3/* 1/- Any N 500 Drains MP
Crushing Blow 3/* 1/2 Any N 100 Attack, causes Stop. Element of
this attack is based on element
of user's current weapon.
Abyssal Blade * 3/Cone 3/2 Any N 1200 Non-elemental attack; does more
damage to units closer to
caster. Consumes HP equal to
20% of user's maximum HP
Unholy Sacrifice * Slf 3/3 All N 1200 Dark attack, causes Slow.
Consumes HP equal to 30% of
user's max HP. The greater the
user's max HP, the more damage
this ability does.
Darkness techniques have a 100% hit rate. However, they cannot be used unless
the user is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.
--Reaction Abilities--
none
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
HP Boost * 2000 Increases maximum HP by 20%
Vehemence * 400 Attack strength up by 50%, but
increases damage received by 50%
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------
Move +3# * 1000 Movement range + 3
Jump +3# 1000 Jump height + 3
#: Move +3 is available for female Dark Knights, Jump +3 for males.
JP to master: 6700
--MY THOUGHTS--
Well, Dark Knights are very strong. They have the strongest attack power of
any regular job, can equip knight's swords and heavy armor, and pretty much
all of their abilities are great (though Crushing Blow, Abyssal Blade, and
Unholy Sacrifice are all height-limited). Note that you can negate the HP
costs associated with Abyssal Blade and Unholy Sacrifice by equipping the
Time Mage ability Mana Shield. Dark Knights are also the only job (aside from
Onion Knights, of course) that can equip the fell swords, special weapons found
in the game's multiplayer mode.
So what's the catch? Well, the requirements for this job are also
astronomical. You need to completely master two other jobs (one physical, one
magickal) and get four other jobs up to level 8 ... plus you need to kill
20 enemies with the character. By the time you do all that, you'll probably be
tough enough that you don't even *need* the Dark Knight job!
So, while the Dark Knight is indisputably powerful, it's also quite
unnecessary as far as the completing the single-player mode. It's fun to play
with if you do unlock it, but you definitely don't need to jump through the
hoops if you don't want to.
---ONION KNIGHT----------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs : Squire lv. 6, Chemist lv. 6
Needed for jobs : None
Equippable weapons: All Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: All Jump height : 3
Physical evade : 5%
Stats: when job lv.8: 30%
HP: * MP: * Phys. Atk.: * Mag. Atk.: * Speed: ***
Upon reaching job level 8 (see below), the Onion Knight's stats will increase:
HP: ***** MP: ***** Phys. Atk.: ***** Mag. Atk.: **** Speed: *****
--ABILITIES--
NO ABILITIES
The Onion Knight cannot use any abilities, but can use any kind of equipment.
Even items normally reserved for female characters can be used by male Onion
Knights (and by female Onion Knights, too, of course).
--MY THOUGHTS--
Taken in their base form, Onion Knights seem how exactly how the game describes
them: sad. Sure, they can equip any piece of equipment, but they have
terrible stats and NO abilities. Even if you gave them a good sword and armor,
they'd still be just a weaker Knight with no abilities. Plus, they don't gain
experience from taking actions.
So what's the point of Onion Knights? Well, for every two other jobs you
master, the job level of Onion Knight increases. If you master 16 jobs and
get Onion Knight to job level 8, their stats will see a BIG increase. (Yes,
mastering 16 jobs is a LOT of abilities to learn.) Also, if you play the
game's multiplayer mode, you can earn the Onion gear, very strong equipment
that can only be used by Onion Knights. With these two things, Onion Knights
can be very strong melee fighters, although they still have no abilities.
The Onion Knight also gains the best stat bonuses on level-up, but since they
don't get EXP from attacking and can't equip Steal EXP, the only way to level
them up is with the Wild Boar's Bequeath Bacon ability (available with the
Beastmaster support ability). Since Wild Boars can only be obtained by
breeding them from a Swine or from other Wild Boars, this can take quite a
while.
If you're not interested in spending a lot of time leveling up your jobs or
breeding Wild Boars, you probably won't have much use for the Onion Knight.
(And you certainly don't *need* them for the single-player mode!) But, if you
want to spend the time, you'll end up with the best stats available in the
game!
%%%SPECIAL JOBS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00job2
These are special jobs used by specific story characters. They aren't
available to generic characters. In all cases where a story character has a
special job, the special job replaces the Squire job for that character.
All the special jobs have the same reaction, support, and movement abilities as
the Squire job (which they replace). Therefore, I haven't bothered to list
them. The exceptions are the Ark Knight, Automaton, and Byblos jobs, which
do have different abilities.
---SQUIRE [RAMZA]--------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Ramza Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, Jump height : 3
knight's swords (ch. 4), flails Physical evade : 10%
Equippable armor: Shields (ch. 2+), hats, helms (ch. 2+),
clothes, armor (ch. 2+), robes
Stats:
HP: **** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Mettle--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Focus * Slf 1/- Self - 300 Raises physical attack power by 1
for duration of battle
Rush 1/1 1/- Any - 80 Weak physical attack, may knock
enemy back one tile; does
variable damage (may be more or
less than estimate)
Stone 4/* 1/- Any Y 90 Weak (ranged) physical attack,
may knock enemy back one tile;
does variable damage (may be
more or less than estimate)
Salve 1/2 1/- Any - 150 Cures Blind, Silence, Poison
Tailwind * 3/* 1/- Any N 200 Raises speed by 1 for duration of
battle
Chant * 1/3 1/- Any - 0 Restores HP, Ramza loses HP equal
to 1/2 of amount healed
Steel (ch. 2+) * 3/* 1/- Any N 200 Raises Bravery by 5 #
Shout (ch. 4) * Slf 1/- Self - 500 Raises Bravery by 10 #, physical
and magick strength by 1, speed
by 1
Ultima (ch. 4) 10 20 4/* 2/1 Any N & Non-elemental magick attack
JP to master: 2570
# Note: These abilities increase your Bravery. Most of this change remains
only for the battle, but for every 4 points you increase your Bravery during
battle, you get a 1 point permanent increase in Bravery.
Ultima can only be learned by having Luso or an enemy cast it on Ramza; see the
"Learning Ultima" section under Various Tricks for more information on this.
--MY THOUGHTS--
Ramza's Squire job is powered up quite a bit relative to a regular Squire. He
has better stats, some extra abilities, and he can equip knight's swords and
heavy armor. (Unlike a regular Squire, though, he can't use axes, oddly
enough.)
Most of Ramza's extra abilities are quite useful. Tailwind is a speed boost,
Steel is a Bravery boost, and Shout raises all stats but only works on Ramza.
Steel is particulary useful as it's the fastest way of permanently adding to
your Bravery; it has a 100% hit rate and costs no MP. Whenever Ramza has a
spare turn, it's a good idea to have him use Steel to boost a teammate's
Bravery (or Shout to boost his own); increasing your Bravery makes your
reaction abilities much more effective. In a pinch, Chant is good for healing
too. On the other hand, the Ultima spell is actually pretty weak, especially
given that you have to go out of your way to learn it.
So, Mettle makes for a good set of support abilities. But since Ramza doesn't
have much in the way of direct attack abilities and only one healing ability
that also hurts him, you'll probably eventually want to supplement Mettle with
some other abilities. You can switch Ramza to another job (I like to make him
Monk or a Ninja) and equip Mettle as your second command. Or, since his Squire
job is pretty strong statistically, learn abilities with a different job and
then switch him back to Squire!
If you're trying to master lots of jobs for the purposes of powering up Onion
Knight, note that Ramza's Squire job isn't Mastered until he learns Ultima.
---SQUIRE [DELITA]-------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Delita (ch. 1) Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, flails Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Physical evade : 5%
Stats:
HP: **** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Mettle--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Focus * Slf 1/- Self - 300 Raises physical attack power by 1
for duration of battle
Rush 1/1 1/- Any - 80 Weak physical attack, may knock
enemy back one tile; does
variable damage (may be more or
less than estimate)
Stone 4/* 1/- Any Y 90 Weak (ranged) physical attack,
may knock enemy back one tile;
does variable damage (may be
more or less than estimate)
Salve 1/2 1/- Any - 150 Cures Blind, Silence, Poison
Chant * 1/3 1/- Any - 0 Restores HP, Delita loses HP
equal to 1/2 of amount healed
JP to master: 1620
--MY THOUGHTS--
Like Ramza's, Delita's Squire job has superior stats to a regular Squire,
although he only has one extra ability, Chant. Chant comes in quite useful
during Chapter I, as it lets Delita heal other party members for a substantial
amount (albeit at the cost of some of his own HP). Expect to see the guest AI
using it fairly frequently.
---SQUIRE [ARGATH]-------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Argath (ch. 1) Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, axes, flails Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes Physical evade : 15%
Stats:
HP: **** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Fundaments--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Focus * Slf 1/- Self - 300 Raises physical attack power by 1
for duration of battle
Rush 1/1 1/- Any - 80 Weak physical attack, may knock
enemy back one tile; does
variable damage (may be more or
less than estimate)
Stone 4/* 1/- Any Y 90 Weak (ranged) physical attack,
may knock enemy back one tile;
does variable damage (may be
more or less than estimate)
Salve 1/2 1/- Any - 150 Cures Blind, Silence, Poison
Rend Helm Weapon Any Y 300 Destroys target's headgear
Rend Armor Weapon Any Y 400 Destroys target's armor
JP to master: 2320
--MY THOUGHTS--
Again, compared to a regular Squire, Argath has better stats and a couple extra
abilities: Rend Helm and Rend Armor. They'd be nice to use, but since Argath
only gains JP during story battles (he doesn't participate in random battles),
you likely won't even have a chance to learn them. Instead, you may want to
supplement him with a Black Magick spell or two if available, or perhaps Items.
---FELL KNIGHT-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Gaffgarion Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes Physical evade : 15%
Stats:
HP: ***** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: *** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ****
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Fell Sword--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Shadowblade * 3/* 1/- Any N 0 Absorbs HP from target
Duskblade 3/* 1/- Any N 500 Absorbs MP from target
Fell Sword techniques have a 100% hit rate. However, they cannot be used
unless Gaffgarion is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.
JP to master: 1650
--MY THOUGHTS--
Gaffgarion is cool, but he's only in your party for two battles plus the intro
battle at the start of the game. But, his Shadowblade technique is quite
powerful (and restores some of Gaffgarion's HP!), so he'll be helpful while
you've got him.
---HOLY KNIGHT-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Agrias, Delita (ch. 2+) Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes Physical evade : 25%
Stats:
HP: ***** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: *** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Holy Sword--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Judgment Blade * 2/* 2/0 Any N 0 Physical attack, causes Stop
Cleansing Strike 3/2 1/- Any N 400 Physical attack, causes Doom
Northswain's Strike 3/1 1/- Any N 500 Physical attack, instant KO
Hallowed Bolt * 3/* 2/1 Any N 700 Physical attack, causes Silence
Divine Ruination * 4Dir 5/2 Any N 800 Physical attack, causes Confuse
Chant (Delita only) * 1/3 1/- Any - 0 Restores HP, Delita loses HP
equal to 1/2 of amount healed
Holy Sword techniques have a 100% hit rate. However, they cannot be used
unless Agrias/Delita is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.
JP to master: 3450
--MY THOUGHTS--
Agrias's sword techniques makes her an invaluable member of your party as soon
as she joins, and she'll stay that way pretty much throughout the game. Her
Holy Sword abilities are great because they do a lot of damage, require no
charge time or MP, and have a few panels' range! She's likely to be a major
part of your offense, especially before you get Orlandeau, who has all of
Agrias's abilities and then some. Even with Orlandeau available, though,
Agrias still makes for a good fighter; she's just not quite *as* strong ;).
You may want to save up your JP for Hallowed Bolt and Divine Ruination, her
best techniques. Divine Ruination is her strongest technique and can damage
quite a few enemies if they all happen to be standing on a straight line.
Hallowed Bolt isn't quite as strong, but it works on a diagonal and can strike
multiple enemies standing next to each other.
Note that since sword techniques are considered physical attacks, the
Geomancer's Attack Boost can make them even stronger!
Delita's version of the Holy Knight job is even tougher, but he only shows up
as a Holy Knight for a few battles.
---PRINCESS--------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Ovelia Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Staves Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Physical evade : 20%
Stats:
HP: *** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Holy Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Aegis * 30 25 5/* 1/- Any N 0 Gives Reraise, Regen, Protect,
Shell, and Haste status
Dispelna 20 25 4/* 1/- Any N 0 Cures Stone, Confuse, Silence,
Vampire, Toad, Poison, Stop,
Sleep, Immobilize, and Disable
JP to master: 1050
--MY THOUGHTS--
Well, Ovelia only fights in a few battles, but she's actually a useful
character (you wouldn't expect her to be, but she is!). Aegis is a great spell
since it casts 5 different buffs at once; unfortunately, since you can't
control her, she'll mostly cast it on herself.
---MACHINIST-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Mustadio Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Knives, guns Jump height : 4
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes Physical evade : 18%
Stats:
HP: *** MP: *** Phys. Atk.: *** Mag. Atk.: **** Speed: ****
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Aimed Shot--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Leg Shot Weapon Any Y 200 Causes Immobilize status
Arm Shot * Weapon Any Y 300 Causes Disable status
Seal Evil * Weapon Any Y 200 Turns undead to Stone
JP to master: 1750
--MY THOUGHTS--
With his Arm Shot ability and a gun, Mustadio can disable enemies from across
the battlefield. This is a great ability since it effectively stops enemy from
taking any kind of action for a few turns. You can Disable enemy mages to keep
them from casting spells while the rest of your team is trying to reach them,
or Disable a melee fighter and have the rest of your team pounce on him/her
without fear of reprisal. Or, when you're just faced with a lot of enemies at
once, Disabling a few can make the crowd more manageable. Since Disable also
shuts down reaction abilities, you can also use it to stop monsters from
counter-attacking you or to keep humans from recovering from your attacks.
Towards the very end of the game, it becomes slightly less useful since many
human enemies are equipped with Thief's Caps, which renders them immune to
Disable status.
Seal Evil is also useful: it turns undead enemies to stone, which not only
defeats them instantly, but prevents them from reviving. (And it has a high
hit rate!) Although you won't face undead enemies in too many battles, it's
quite handy in the ones where you do.
In order for Mustadio's Aimed Shot abilities to keep their long range, Mustadio
needs to stay equipped with a gun. Once you've finished learning his Aimed
Shot abilities, you may want to consider switching him to a Chemist, another
job that can equip guns. This will let him supplement his Aimed Shots with the
ability to heal your teammates.
Once you get Balthier, though, Mustadio essentially becomes obsolete, since
Balthier has even more abilities and better stats.
---ASTROLOGER------------------------------------------------------------------
Used by: Orran Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Books Jump height : 4
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes Physical evade : 15%
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Astrology--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Celestial Stasis * 20 All foes! N 0 Causes Stop, Immobilize, or
Disable
Focus * Slf 1/- Self - 300 Raises physical attack power by 1
for duration of battle
Rush 1/1 1/- Any - 80 Weak physical attack, may knock
enemy back one tile; does
variable damage (may be more or
less than estimate)
Stone 4/* 1/- Any Y 90 Weak (ranged) physical attack,
may knock enemy back one tile;
does variable damage (may be
more or less than estimate)
Salve 1/2 1/- Any - 150 Cures Blind, Silence, Poison
JP to master: 1865
--MY THOUGHTS--
Orran is ludicrously powerful, thanks to his Celestial Stasis spell, which will
debilitate most of the enemies on the board every time he uses it and doesn't
even cost any MP! Too bad he only shows up in one battle and you don't even
get to control him :(
---CLERIC----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Alma Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Staves Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Physical evade : 18%
Stats:
HP: *** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Holy Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Aegis * 30 25 5/* 1/- Any N 0 Gives Reraise, Regen, Protect,
Shell, and Haste status
Dispelna 20 25 4/* 1/- Any N 0 Cures Stone, Confuse, Silence,
Vampire, Toad, Poison, Stop,
Sleep, Immobilize, and Disable
Ultima 10 20 4/* 2/1 Any N & Non-elemental magick attack
Chant * 1/3 1/- Any - 0 Restores HP, Alma loses HP equal
to 1/2 of amount healed
JP to master: 1050
--MY THOUGHTS--
Alma is almost identical to Ovelia, except that she has Chant. As with Ovelia,
Aegis is a great support spell, so she'll be useful during the few battles
where you can control her. You can use Items to keep up her MP and allow her
to keep casting the spell.
It's a good idea to de-equip Alma of her all gear before you go to Orbonne
Monastery in Chapter III, since most of it can't be bought in stores.
When Alma rejoins during the final battle, it is possible for her to learn
Ultima from casting Ramza or Luso casting it on her, but you're better off with
her Aegis spell!
---GAME HUNTER-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Luso Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, knight's swords, Jump height : 3
flails Physical evade : 10%
Equippable armor: Shields, hats, helms, clothes, armor,
robes
Innate ability: Poach
Stats:
HP: **** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Huntcraft--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Focus * Slf 1/- Self - 300 Raises physical attack power by 1
for duration of battle
Rush 1/1 1/- Any - 80 Weak physical attack, may knock
enemy back one tile; does
variable damage (may be more or
less than estimate)
Stone 4/* 1/- Any Y 90 Weak (ranged) physical attack,
may knock enemy back one tile;
does variable damage (may be
more or less than estimate)
Salve 1/2 1/- Any - 150 Cures Blind, Silence, Poison
Tailwind * 3/* 1/- Any N 200 Raises speed by 1 for duration of
battle
Chant * 1/3 1/- Any - 0 Restores HP, Luso loses HP equal
to 1/2 of amount healed
Steel * 3/* 1/- Any N 200 Raises Bravery by 5
Shout * Slf 1/- Self - 500 Raises Bravery by 10, attack and
magick strength by 1, speed by
1
Ultima 10 20 4/* 2/1 Any N & Non-elemental magick attack
JP to master: 4430
Ultima can only be learned by having Ramza or an enemy cast it on Luso; see the
"Learning Ultima" section under Various Tricks for more information on this.
--MY THOUGHTS--
Luso is basically a clone of Ramza, even down to his stats, and so has the same
strengths and weaknesses. Luso's main distinguishing feature is his innate
Poach ability, which can be nice for hunting for the rare items you get from
poaching some monsters.
Overall, Luso's OK -- but you already have one Ramza, and *that* Ramza is the
one you're required to use in story battles. As a result, Luso is sadly pretty
redundant in most cases. Ramza's abilities aren't good enough that you need
two people in the party using them, not when you fill that slot in your party
with a character who has a different set of abilities.
If you're trying to master lots of jobs for the purposes of powering up Onion
Knight, note that Game Hunter isn't Mastered until Luso learns Ultima.
---SKYSEER---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Rapha Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Staves, poles Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Physical evade : 10%
Stats:
HP: *** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: *** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ****
--Action Abilities: Sky Mantra--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Heaven's Wrath * 34 4/* 2/3 Any N 100 Lightning attack, strikes random
tiles within radius
Ashura 25 4/* 2/3 Any N 200 Fire attack, strikes random tiles
within radius
Adamantine Blade 20 4/* 2/3 Any N 300 Wind attack, strikes random tiles
within radius
Maelstrom 17 4/* 2/3 Any N 400 Water attack, strikes random
tiles within radius
Celestial Void * 20 4/* 2/3 Any N 500 Non-elemental magick attack,
strikes random tiles within
radius. Causes Blind, Confuse,
Silence, Toad, Poison, Slow,
or Sleep
Divinity 15 4/* 2/3 Any N 600 Earth attack, strikes random
tiles within radius
Sky Mantra attacks do not take enemy Faith into consideration. This is unlike
most magick attacks, which do high damage to targets with high Faith and low
damage to enemies with low Faith.
JP to master: 3150
--MY THOUGHTS--
As you've probably observed during her time as a guest, Rapha's Sky Mantra
abilities are pretty useless. They strike random tiles within their effect
radius, making them often as likely to hit your allies as your enemies, and
they don't even do all that much damage anyway. (Plus, they take time to
charge.)
On the other hand, given her low Bravery, Rapha is a character that can easily
be made into a good Treasure Hunter. (You're more likely to get good items
with Treasure Hunter if your Bravery is low.) And, if you're planning to
tackle the bonus dungeon, you'll definitely want a Treasure Hunter! Of course,
it's not in any way necessary to specifically use Rapha for this; any other
character with low Bravery works fine. Rapha just tends to be convenient since
her Bravery is already pretty low to start with -- and you may want to lower
her Bravery even further with the Orator's Intimidate to increase your odds
further.
---NETHERSEER------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Marach Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Rods, poles Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Physical evade : 8%
Stats:
HP: *** MP: **** Phys. Atk.: *** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ****
--Action Abilities: Nether Mantra--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Hell's Wrath * 34 4/* 2/3 Any N 100 Lightning attack, strikes random
tiles within radius
Nether Ashura 25 4/* 2/3 Any N 200 Fire attack, strikes random tiles
within radius
Nether Blade 20 4/* 2/3 Any N 300 Wind attack, strikes random tiles
within radius
Nether Maelstrom 17 4/* 2/3 Any N 400 Water attack, strikes random
tiles within radius
Corporeal Void * 20 4/* 2/3 Any N 500 Non-elemental magick attack,
strikes random tiles within
radius. Causes Blind, Confuse,
Silence, Toad, Poison, Slow,
or Sleep
Impiety 15 4/* 2/3 Any N 600 Earth attack, strikes random
tiles within radius
Nether Mantra attacks do increased damage to enemies with LOW Faith, and when
Marach has LOW Faith. This is the opposite of most magick attacks, which do
more damage when Faith is high. (Note, however, the Faith and Atheist status
conditions still effect Nether Mantra in the usual way.)
JP to master: 3150
--MY THOUGHTS--
Marach's abilities are quite similar to Rapha's in that they strike random
tiles. His main interesting feature is that Nether Mantra does more damage to
enemies with LOW Faith (the reverse of regular magick), with gives you a magick
attack that's actually effective against low-Faith enemies. Unfortunately,
since Nether Mantra is so random, it's still not all that useful.
While Rapha can easily be turned into a Treasure Hunter thanks to her low
starting Bravery, Marach has a pretty average Bravery and isn't particularly
good for this. In other words: there's generally not much of a reason to put
Marach in your party, and he's usually considered the least useful of the story
characters. If you're not set on having all the story characters on your
roster, you could even skip recruiting him--or sign him up, take his equipment,
and then delete him.
If you do want to use Marach, you can always switch him to some standard job
instead of relying on his Nether Mantra abilities. Of course, then he's really
no different from any other generic character.
---TEMPLAR---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Beowulf Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, knight's swords Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes Physical evade : 14%
Stats:
HP: **** MP: ***** Phys. Atk.: ***** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ****
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Spellblade--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Blind 6 4/* 1/- Any N 50 Inflicts Blind status
Syphon * 2 4/* 1/- Any N 100 Absorbs MP from target (amount =
1/4 of target's max MP)
Drain 12 4/* 1/- Any N 180 Absorbs HP from target (amount =
1/4 of target's max HP)
Faith 10 4/* 1/- Any N 200 Causes Faith status (character
has 100 Faith; both character's
own magick and others' magick
targeting the character are
maximally effective)
Doubt 10 4/* 1/- Any N 200 Causes Atheist status (character
cannot use magick but is also
immune to others' magick)
Zombie 14 4/* 1/- Any N 150 Causes Undead condition
Silence 16 4/* 1/- Any N 90 Causes Silence
Berserk 16 4/* 1/- Any N 200 Causes Berserk
Chicken * 12 4/* 1/- Any N 500 Lowers target's Bravery by 50
Confuse 14 4/* 1/- Any N 200 Causes Confuse
Dispel 20 4/* 1/- Any N 300 Removes Float, Reraise, Regen,
Invisible, Protect, Shell,
Haste, Faith, Reflect
Disable * 14 4/* 1/- Any N 50 Causes Disable status
Sleep 20 4/* 1/- Any N 170 Causes Sleep
Break * 24 4/* 1/- Any N 300 Causes Stone
Vengeance * 20 8/* 1/- Any N 600 Deals damage = (Beowulf's max HP
minus Beowulf's current HP)
Spellblade techniques cannot be used unless Beowulf is equipped with a sword,
knight's sword, or fell sword.
JP to master: 4340
--MY THOUGHTS--
Beowulf is essentially a Mystic on steroids -- like a Mystic, he specializes in
inflicing status conditions, but his abilities don't need to charge and in some
cases cost less MP than the Mystic equivalent! Plus, with a knight's sword,
he can be a pretty good fighter, and Templar has the highest MP of any job in
the game.
A trio of Spellblade abilities are particularly useful. First off, Chicken
drops an enemy's Bravery by 50, which will turn it into a useless chicken in
one shot if the enemy's Bravery is less than 60. It has a 70-100% hit rate,
and it only costs 12 MP! It's a great ability for quickly reducing the number
of enemies you need to fight at once, and is also a pretty good way of
prolonging a battle (e.g. to hunt for items in the bonus dungeon). Vengeance
is also a great ranged attack that can do quite a bit of damage when Beowulf is
low on HP (and it has a fantastic range of EIGHT panels); the main downside is
that it's useless at the start of a battle when Beowulf hasn't been harmed yet.
Finally, Beowulf's Break spell also has a pretty high chance of turning an
enemy instantly to stone.
---AUTOMATON-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Construct 8 Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: none Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: none Physical : 0%
Innate abilities: Counter, Ignore Terrain, Ignore Weather#, cannot enter water.
Construct 8 is also immune to most status conditions, all elements except
thunder, and (by virtue of having 0 Faith) all magick. It's weak to Lightning,
but only non-magickal Lightning attacks since it's immune to magick.
# Since Construct 8 has no magick and can't enter water, its Ignore Weather
would appear not to ever actually do anything. What in the world?
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Tasks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Destroy 1/2 1/- Any - 0 Physical attack
Compress 1/2 1/- Any - 0 Instant KO
Dispose * 8/* 1/- Any N 0 Physical attack
Pulverize 1/0 1/- Any - 0 Physical attack
All Tasks abilities consume some of Construct 8's HP when used.
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Counter Automatically eqppd. Yes 0 Counter-attack with physical attack
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
----------------------------------------------------------
Defense Boost Automatically eqpd. 0 Lowers damage received from physical
attacks
--Movement Abilities--
none
JP to master: 0
--MY THOUGHTS--
Since Construct 8 is a special "monster," it can't change jobs, use equipment,
or learn new abilities. That means it's not a very customizable character and
has pretty much a fixed set of strengths and weaknesses.
One of Construct 8's great strengths is its Dispose ability, which has a range
of 8 panels and never misses. It's only moderately strong, but the range and
hit rate make it good for taking out enemy mages and gunners/archers.
Construct 8 is also great on defense, since it's immune to magick and most
status conditions (Confuse being one of the notable exceptions). This makes
it especially useful in particular battles where the enemy relies heavily on
magick or status attacks. Plus, it has an inherent Defense Boost and Counter.
You can also use Construct 8 as a stepping-stool to help other characters
climb up to higher ledges. (Other large monsters have this ability as well.)
This is necessary to find the hidden items at Nelveska Temple, and can often
be handy in Midlight's Deep as well.
The downside to Construct 8 is that it's pretty slow and has a short move
range, so it's pretty rare that you'll actually have a chance to use its close
range attacks. It's of course also immune to any POSITIVE magick you might
want to cast on it, like buffs or Cure spells. Using the Tasks abilities also
consumes some of its HP, but it's not all that much, so this isn't much to
worry about.
The biggest concern is that since Construct 8 can't use equipment or change
abilities, it's hard to upgrade. (The best you can do is gain levels and raise
its Bravery.) This means that it's hard to remedy some of its weaknesses like
its short movement range, and that it eventually can't keep pace with the rest
of your team. In sum, Construct 8 proves to be quite useful when you first get
it and remains very helpful in particular story battles (against enemies using
magick or status attacks), but its usefulness may start to fade as other
characters gain more and more abilities that Construct 8 can never have.
---SKY PIRATE------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Balthier Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, knight's swords, Jump height : 4
bows, crossbows, guns, polearms Physical evade : 25%
Equippable armor: Shields, hats, helms, clothes, armor,
robes
Innate ability: Safeguard
Stats:
HP: *** MP: *** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: *****
--Action Abilities: Piracy--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Leg Shot Weapon Any Y 200 Causes Immobilize status
Arm Shot * Weapon Any Y 300 Causes Disable status
Seal Evil * Weapon Any Y 200 Turns undead to Stone
Barrage Weapon Any Y 1200 Use weapon 4 times in a row at
1/2 damage per attack
Plunder Gil 1/1 1/- Foe - 10 Steal small amount of gil
Plunder Heart * 3/1 1/- Foe N 150 Inflicts Charm; only effective on
monsters and opposite sex
Plunder Helm * 1/1 1/- Foe - 350 Steal target's helmet
Plunder Armor * 1/1 1/- Foe - 450 Steal target's armor
Plunder Shield * 1/1 1/- Foe - 350 Steal target's shield
Plunder Weapon * 1/1 1/- Foe - 600 Steal target's weapon
Plunder Accessory 1/1 1/- Foe - 500 Steal target's accessory
Plunder EXP 1/1 1/- Foe - 250 Steal target's current EXP
The range of Leg Arm, Arm Shot, Seal Evil, and Barrage are equal to the range
of his current weapon.
Note that the Plunder abilities have a higher hit rate than the Thief's
Steal equivalents.
JP to master: 6350
--MY THOUGHTS--
Balthier is an all-around great character, and quite versatile. As you can see
from his available equipment, he can function both as a ranged fighter or a
close-range one. Essentially, he's a combination of Mustadio (he has all of
Mustadio's Aimed Shot abilities) and a Thief ... except that he's also
physically stronger, is more successful at stealing than a Thief, and has the
super speed of a Ninja. How can you go wrong with that? Once Balthier joins,
there's not all that much use for Mustadio since Balthier has all of Mustadio's
ability and then some!
Balthier's one completely unique ability, Barrage, is also quite useful. It's
similar to Dual Wield in the sense that is essentially doubles your attack
power, except that Barrage lets Balthier still equip a shield in his other
hand. Barrage also divides the damage across four attacks, so that if one or
two is missed or blocked, you can still connect with the others. (On the other
hand, if you land a critical hit and knock the enemy backwards, all the other
attacks will miss!) Since Barrage counts as a regular attack, it can also be
combined with Poach or Tame. In the right circumstances, Barrage can also be
used to attack multiple enemies in one turn -- see "Shoot Enemies Next to You"
under Various Tricks. Sadly, Dual Wield and Barrage CANNOT be combined; you
still only get 4 attacks even if Balthier has a weapon in both hands. No Genji
Glove + Offering this time around :(
---SWORD SAINT-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Orlandeau Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords, katanas, Jump height : 3
ninja blades Physical evade : 12%
Equippable armor: Shields, hats, helms, clothes, armor,
robes
Stats:
HP: ***** MP: ***** Phys. Atk.: ***** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ****
--Action Abilities: Swordplay--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Judgment Blade * 2/* 2/0 Any N 0 Physical attack, causes Stop
Cleansing Strike 3/2 1/- Any N 400 Physical attack, causes Doom
Northswain's Strike 3/1 1/- Any N 500 Physical attack, instant KO
Hallowed Bolt * 3/* 2/1 Any N 700 Physical attack, causes Silence
Divine Ruination * 4Dir 5/2 Any N 800 Physical attack, causes Confuse
Crush Armor 3/* 1/- Any N 200 Physical attack, destroys
target's armor
Crush Helm 3/* 1/- Any N 400 Physical attack, destroys
target's headgear
Crush Weapon * 3/* 1/- Any N 500 Physical attack, destroys
target's weapon
Crush Accessory 3/* 1/- Any N 800 Physical attack, destroys
target's accessory
Shadowblade * 3/* 1/- Any N 0 Absorbs HP from target
Duskblade * 3/* 1/- Any N 500 Absorbs MP from target
Swordplay techniques have a 100% hit rate. However, they cannot be used
unless Orlandeau is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.
Unlike in the PSone version, Crush abilities CAN target monsters and unequipped
humans, and in fact do extra damage against such targets! Crush Armor does the
most extra damage, and Crush Accessory the least. (They all do the same damage
when the relevant equipment slot is filled.) However, Crush abilities always
have a 0% hit rate against targets with Safeguard.
JP to master: 5850
--MY THOUGHTS--
There's probably not much I need to say here. The Thunder God himself is
overwhelmingly powerful -- he has all of Agrias's, Meliadoul's, and
Gaffgarion's sword techniques (all useful in their own right), he has
tremendous HP and attack power, and he comes with the Excalibur sword, which
gives a permanent Haste. His attacks do tremendous damage and he can take down
most enemy units with a sword technique. Shadowblade even lets him heal
himself in the process!
In other words, the only reason you *wouldn't* want Orlandeau on your team is
to challenge yourself by making the game harder. Otherwise, he's going to be
your strongest character -- to the point of being more than a little
unbalanced ;)
Particularly useful abilities are Hallowed Bolt and Divine Ruination for group
damage, Shadowblade for restoring Orlandeaus' HP, Crush Weapon for disabling an
enemy's offense, and Duskblade against enemy magick users. Duskblade steals so
much MP that you can often steal an enemy mage's entire magick gauge and render
them completely useless. This is a great tactic against magick-using enemies!
(You can also use it as a crippling the last enemy if you extend the battle for
any reason.) And, as with Agrias, giving him the Geomancer's Attack Boost will
make his sword techniques stronger.
---HOLY DRAGON-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Reis (before completing Nelveska Temple quest) Movement range : 5
Equippable weapons: none Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: none Physical evade : 5%
Stats:
HP: ***** MP: * Phys. Atk.: ***** Mag. Atk.: ***** Speed: ****
--Action Abilities: Breath--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ice Breath * 2/2 1/- Any Y 0 Ice attack
Fire Breath * 2/2 1/- Any Y 0 Fire attack
Thunder Breath * 2/2 1/- Any Y 0 Lightning attack
These three Breath attacks can only target characters in a straight line from
Reis, not on a diagonal.
--Reaction Abilities--
none
--Support Abilities--
none
--Movement Abilities--
none
JP to master: 0
--MY THOUGHTS--
In her dragon form, Reis is limited to her three breath attacks. (And, being
a monster, she obviously can't change jobs.) She has a lot of HP, though, and
her movement range is actually much better than her human form's. Her magick
attack is also phenomenally high, which means that her breath attacks are
likely to do more damage now than as a human! However, her very limited set of
abilities and inability to use any kind of equipment or accessories means
you'll get more use out of her human form in the long run.
Note that if you fail to buy Aerith's flower at Sal Ghidos, you won't be able
to complete the quest to restore Reis to human form and she'll actually be
stuck in dragon form for the entirety of the game.
---DRAGONKIN-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Reis (after Nelveska Temple quest) Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Bags Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Hair adornments Physical evade : 7%
Equippable accessories: Rings, armlets, perfume, and lip rouge only
Innate abilities: Beastmaster, Tame, Dual Wield
Stats:
HP: ***** MP: ***** Phys. Atk.: ***** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: *****
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Dragon--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ice Breath * 2/2 1/- Any Y 0 Ice attack #
Fire Breath * 2/2 1/- Any Y 0 Fire attack #
Thunder Breath * 2/2 1/- Any Y 0 Lightning attack #
Dragon's Charm * 2/2 1/- Foe N 300 Dragon or hydra joins as guest,
and can be recruited after
battle (100% hit rate!)
Dragon's Gift 2/2 1/- Any N 300 Heals dragon or hydra and removes
Blind, Confuse, Silence, Oil,
Berserk, Toad, Poison, Stop,
Sleep, Immobilize, and Disable.
Consumes Reis's HP when used.
Dragon's Might 2/2 1/- Any N 400 Boosts dragon or hydra's Bravery,
speed, physical attack, and
magick attack
Dragon's Speed 2/2 1/- Any N 400 Fills dragon or hydra's CT gauge
to 100 (instant turn!)
Holy Breath 4/* 3/3 Any N 900 Holy attack, strikes random tiles
within radius
# The initial three Breath attacks can only target characters in a straight
line from Reis, not on a diagonal.
JP to master: 2350
--MY THOUGHTS--
Although Reis's abilities don't seem too exciting at first glance, check out
her stats! Dragonkin is the fastest job in the game and Reis also has great
HP, MP, and physical attack power. She can also attack twice (as if she were
a Ninja) and her attack can Tame monsters. Note that bags can't be Dual-
Wielded (as is true for any character), but Reis's Dual Wield does work
with her fists or other weapons you give her using Equip ____ abilities.
Unfortunately, the job is weakened by her lack of equipment. Moreover,
although Reis's primary weapons is her fists, she does *not* have the Brawler
ability. So, to make her stronger, give her Brawler or an Equip ___ ability.
For a melee fighter, Reis's movement range of 3 is also rather poor, and she
also can't equip the accessories that would increase it. Move +1 or Move +2
will help, though. (Or, alternately, give her the Septie`me perfume or Tynar
Rouge; a permanent Haste will give her more turns, so it doesn't matter so much
if she can't move very far on each turn.)
As for her abilities, her three initial Breath attacks are nice, since they
supplement her fists with elemental attacks with a 2-tile range (and they're
automatically learned, so you don't have to spend any JP!). You can make them
stronger by raising Reis's Magick Attack (e.g. with accessories). Holy Breath
can be used as a range attack and does sizable damage, but since it strikes
random tiles, it's not very reliable unless you're fighting a large enemy
group.
The four "Dragon's _____" are only useful if you have dragons or hydras on your
squad. This gives them a somewhat use -- but the hydra family contains the
strongest monsters in the game, so they may be worth recruiting and adding to
your team! One trick is to use Dragon's Charm to recruit dragons/hydras just
to help you in one battle and also save you from fighting them; you don't have
to permanently add them to your party at the end of the battle if you don't
want to.
---DIVINE KNIGHT---------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Meliadoul Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords, crossbows, Jump height : 3
polearms Physical evade : 10%
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, clothes, armor, robes
Stats:
HP: **** MP: *** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: ** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Unyielding Blade--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Crush Armor * 3/* 1/- Any N 200 Physical attack, destroys
target's armor
Crush Helm 3/* 1/- Any N 400 Physical attack, destroys
target's headgear
Crush Weapon * 3/* 1/- Any N 500 Physical attack, destroys
target's weapon
Crush Accessory 3/* 1/- Any N 800 Physical attack, destroys
target's accessory
Unyielding Blade techniques have a 100% hit rate. However, they cannot be used
unless Meliadoul is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.
Unlike in the PSone version, Crush abilities CAN target monsters and unequipped
humans, and in fact do extra damage against such targets! Crush Armor does the
most extra damage, and Crush Accessory the least. (They all do the same damage
when the relevant equipment slot is filled.) However, Crush abilities always
have a 0% hit rate against targets with Safeguard.
JP to master: 2950
--MY THOUGHTS--
Meliadoul's sword skills are quite useful, since they do good damage, never
miss, and can shatter enemy equipment. In the PSP version, they can even be
used against targets who don't have the relevant item equipped (e.g. Crush
Armor can still damage a target without armor), which means they also work on
monsters! They're all limited to hitting a single target, though. Of her
abilities, Crush Armor and Crush Weapon are probably the best -- Crush Weapon
can cripple an enemy's offense, and Crush Armor does the most damage to
monsters.
Unfortunately for Meliadoul, she doesn't join the team until *after* Orlandeau,
who has all her sword techniques and then some, as well as better stats! So,
what would otherwise be a good character may not find all that use on your
squad. Both Orlandeau and Agrias tend to have more useful swordskills. Still,
Meliadoul can make for a pretty good second-string fighter. You could also try
making her into a magick-using job since she starts with high Faith. She can
also equip polearms and crossbows, but giving her one of these weapons won't
allow her to use her sword techniques.
---SOLDIER---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Cloud Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Swords Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, hair adornments, clothes Physical evade : 20%
Stats:
HP: **** MP: ***** Phys. Atk.: **** Mag. Atk.: *** Speed: ***
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Limit--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Brave Slash 34 2/* 1/- Any N 150 Non-elemental magick attack
Cross Slash * 25 2/* 2/2 Any N 200 Non-elemental magick attack
Blade Beam * 20 2/* 1/- Any N 250 Damage = (Cloud's max HP minus
current HP)
Climhazzard 15 2/* 1/- Any N 500 Damage = (TARGET'S max HP minus
current HP)
Meteorain 10 3/* 3/0 Any N 600 Non-elemental magick attack
Finishing Touch * 20 3/* 2/0 Any N 700 Causes KO, Stone, Stop
Omnislash 7 3/* 3/0 Any N 1200 Non-elemental magick attack
Cherry Blossom 5 3/* 3/0 Any N 2500 Non-elemental magick attack
Limit techniques cannot be used unless Cloud is equipped with the Materia Blade
sword. Note that the damage from Limit attacks is determined by Cloud's MAGICK
Attack stat, NOT his Physical Attack (unlike Agrias, Meliadoul, and
Orlandeau's sword techniques).
JP to master: 7150
--MY THOUGHTS--
For being a hidden character, Cloud could be better. His Limit abilities take
a very long time to charge, and they can only target panels (not units), so the
enemy will just move away while he's charging. Give him the Time Mage's
Swiftness ability to make up for this. Even with that, Cloud is a little pokey
-- he only has a movement range of 3, so you may also want to give him Germinas
Boots or Move +1/Move +2 to boost his movement. Finishing Touch is very
powerful, though; it petrifies or KOs enemies, and can hit a whole group.
Cloud starts at level 1, which means that you'll have to spend a lot of time
bringing him up to snuff. However, as he gains levels, you'll find that his
stats turn out to be pretty good. He has good HP and a lot of MP, so you
could try making him into a magick-user. Equipping Cloud with gear to raise
his Magick Attack also makes his Limits stronger. Unfortunately, his physical
attack is only moderately strong at best, since he's stuck with the Materia
Blade if you want to use Limits. Personally, I still don't think he's worth
the trouble, but other people seem to like him.
---ARK KNIGHT------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Zalbaag Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes Physical evade : 10%
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Blade of Ruin--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Magicksap 20 34 4/* 2/0 Any ? 0 Lowers target's MP
Speedsap 20 34 4/* 2/0 Any ? 0 Lowers target's speed
Powersap 20 34 4/* 2/0 Any ? 0 Lowers target's physical attack
strength
Mindsap 20 34 4/* 2/0 Any ? 0 Lowers target's magick attack
strength
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Counter Phys. Attack Yes 300 Counter-attack with physical attack
Counter Tackle Phys. attack Yes 180 Counterattack using Rush
--Support Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Concentration 400 Prevents enemies from evading your
physical attacks
Safeguard 250 Equipment can't be broken or stolen
Swiftness 1000 Speeds spell/ability charge time
--Movement Abilities--
JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Move +1 200 Movement range + 1
JP to master: 2130
--MY THOUGHTS--
Zalbaag doesn't really do much. He's only in one half of one battle that you
may win in one or two rounds. He has a nice set of abilities, but you'll never
see them in action.
---BYBLOS----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: the Byblos (name varies) Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: none Jump height : 6
Equippable armor: none Physical evade : 33%
Innate abilities: Counter (100%), Poach, Ignore Elevation, can't enter water
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Byblos--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Energize 4/* 1/- Any N 0 Restores HP, the Byblos loses HP
equal to 1/2 of amount healed
Parasite 4/* 1/- Any N 0 Causes Stone, Blind, Confuse,
Silence, Oil, Toad, Poison,
and/or Sleep
Vengeance 5/3 1/- Any N 0 Damage = (Byblos's max HP minus
current HP)
Manaburn 5/3 1/- Any N 0 Deals damage equal to target's
current MP
--Reaction Abilities--
TRIGGER BRV JP EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------
Counter Automatically eqppd. Yes 0 Counter-attack with physical attack
--Support Abilities--
none
--Movement Abilities--
none
JP to master: 0
--MY THOUGHTS--
The Byblos doesn't join you until you've reached the last battle of the bonus
dungeon, which limits its usefulness. By the time it's joined your team,
you've already completed pretty much the whole single-player game!
What can it do, though? Like Construct 8, it's a special "monster" and can't
change jobs or use equipment. So, the Byblos is limited to its four abilities.
While none of these are *bad*, they still give only the Byblos a very limited
set of abilities ... and the Byblos doesn't share Construct 8's immunity to
magick. The Byblos does have an innate Poach, although the addition of Luso
(who also has an innate Poach) to the PSP version makes this somewhat less
exciting. It's also reasonably mobile thanks to its innate Ignore Elevation.
%%%JOB STATISTICS COMPARISON%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00jobstat
A character's current stats differ based on which job he or she is using -- for
example, Black Mage has high MP, while Samurai has high attack power. This
chart is just a quick comparison of the stats of each job, rated on a scale of
1 (worst) to 5 (best).
Note that job-specific evade rates (C-Ev) are only effective against attacks
from the front; for more information on evade rates, see Evasion Rates under
Various Tricks.
---Normal Jobs-----------------------------------------------------------------
HP MP Phys.Atk Mag.Atk Speed Move Jump Evade
Squire *** *** *** ** *** 4 3 5%
Chemist *** *** ** ** *** 3 3 5%
Knight **** *** **** ** *** 4 3 10%
Archer *** ** **** ** *** 3 3 10%
Monk ***** *** ***** ** **** 3 4 20%
White Mage ** ***** *** *** **** 3 3 5%
Black Mage ** ***** ** ***** *** 3 3 5%
Time Mage ** ***** * **** *** 3 3 5%
Summoner ** ***** * **** *** 3 3 5%
Thief *** * **** * **** 4 4 25%
Orator *** *** *** ** *** 3 3 5%
Mystic ** **** * **** *** 3 3 5%
Geomancer *** **** **** *** *** 4 3 10%
Dragoon **** * **** * *** 3 4 10%
Samurai ** **** ***** *** *** 3 3 20%
Ninja * * **** ** ***** 4 4 30%
Arithmetician * *** * * * 3 3 5%
Bard * * * **** *** 3 3 5%
Dancer * * **** *** *** 3 3 5%
Mime ***** * ***** **** ***** 4 4 5%
Dark Knight *** **** ***** ** *** 3 3 0%
Onion Knight * * * * *** 3 3 5%
Onion Knight# ***** ***** ***** **** ***** 3 3 30%
# Upon mastering 16 other jobs, Onion Knight advances to job level 8 and its
stats increase substantially.
---Special Jobs----------------------------------------------------------------
These jobs are only available to particular story characters.
HP MP Phys.Atk Mag.Atk Speed Move Jump Evade
Squire [Ramza]**** **** **** *** *** 4 3 10%
Holy Knight ***** **** *** *** *** 3 3 25%
Machinist *** *** *** **** **** 4 3 18%
Game Hunter **** **** **** *** *** 4 3 10%
Skyseer *** **** *** *** **** 3 3 10%
Netherseer *** **** *** *** **** 4 3 8%
Templar **** ***** ***** *** **** 4 3 14%
Sky Pirate *** *** **** *** ***** 4 4 25%
Sword Saint ***** ***** ***** *** **** 4 3 12%
Holy Dragon ***** * ***** ***** **** 5 3 5%
Dragonkin ***** ***** ***** *** ***** 3 3 7%
Divine Knight **** *** **** ** *** 4 3 10%
Soldier **** ***** **** *** *** 3 3 20%
%%%MONSTERS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00mon
In addition to human characters, Final Fantasy Tactics also features a variety
of monsters. Monsters mostly appear in random battles, but also appear in a
few story battles.
---About Monsters--------------------------------------------------------------
---MONSTER TYPES---
Monsters are divided by Family and Rank. Each monster Family has three Ranks:
for instance, the chocobo family contains Chocobo (Rank I), Black Chocobo
(Rank II), and Red Chocobo (Rank III).
Within a Family, the monsters look the same but simply have different color
schemes. Each's monsters color scheme is listed in the table below. The color
scheme will help you quickly identify a monster. It can also be used to help
identify the monster inside an egg (see Previewing Monster Eggs under Various
Tricks)
---MONSTER ABILITIES---
Monsters cannot change jobs, but instead have a fixed set of 1-3 Action
Abilities. These are their only actions; they have no regular attack command.
Each monster also has one EXTRA ability. This abilitiy can only be used if an
ally with the Beastmaster support ability (Squire) is standing directly next to
the monster. (Reis's Dragonkin job also has an inherent Beastmaster).
All Action Abilities used by standard (non-boss) monsters have no charge time
and consume no MP.
*ALL* monsters have Counter as an innate Reaction Ability. Since this is true
of EVERY monster, I haven't listed it for each monster in the table, but be
aware of it!
Most monsters one or more innate Movement abilities (such as Ignore Elevation
or Levitate). These are listed in the tables.
Finally, many monsters also have various elemental affinities, such as
Absorbs: Fire (fire attacks actually heal the monster), Immune: Ice, etc.
---RECRUITING MONSTERS---
Monsters can be recruited into your party in five ways:
1. Use the Orator's Entice skill to recruit an enemy monster onto your team.
After the battle, you'll be able to permanently sign the monster up for your
team. Note that in order to use Entice (or any other Speechcraft skill) on
monsters, you must have the Beast Tongue support ability (also from Orator).
Beast Tongue is an innate ability for Orators and doesn't need to be learned or
equipped as long as you're an Orator, but if you switch to another job, you'll
have to equip Beast Tongue to Entice monsters. Reis's Dragon's Charm ability
also has the same effect and does not require Beast Tongue, but only works on
the dragon and hydra families.
2. With the Orator's Tame support ability equipped, attack a monster. If the
monster is in critical (low) HP after the attack, you can recruit the monster.
Reis's Dragonkin job has Tame as an innate ability.
3. Once you have recruited a monster onto your team, the monster will lay eggs
and produce other monsters in the same family. Eggs are laid and hatch as you
move around the world map. The Rank of the monster laying the egg determines
which kind of Ranks it can produce:
Produces... Rank I Rank II Rank III
-----------------------------------
Rank I Frequently Rarely Never
Rank II Frequently Rarely Rarely
Rank III Frequently Frequently Rarely
Note that Rank I monsters can never produce Rank III monsters directly.
However, you can use it to breed a Rank II monster, which can then go on to
produce a Rank III monster.
The level of a newborn monster is randomly determined and can be as high as
your highest-level character. So if you recruit a monster type you like but
the monster is at a low experience level, one strategy is to let it breed and
you may get a higher-level version of the same monster.
4. Rarely, you'll get into a random battle where a monster appears to fight as
a Guest on your team. Complete the battle and you'll be able to recruit the
Guest monster as a regular party member.
5. Finally, a Chocobo will be automatically offered to the party after winning
a Chapter II story battle.
And now, on with the monster list!
---Chocobo Family--------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Single feather
The Chocobo family of monsters is unique in that human characters to ride them.
To ride one, move a character onto the same tile as a friendly chocobo (of any
color). The character will mount the chocobo and they'll move and act as a
single unit. Essentially, this allows you to combine the movement range and
skills of a Chocobo with the action abilities of a human.
CHOCOBO
Family: Chocobo Rank : I Color scheme : Bright yellow
Move : 6 Jump : 5 Physical evade : 15%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Swim
ELEMENTAL ABILITIES: none
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Choco Beak 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Choco Cure Self 2/2 Any - Restores HP
(Choco Esuna) Self 2/2 Any - Cures Stone, Blind, Silence, Poison, Stop,
Immobilize, Disable
BLACK CHOCOBO
Family: Chocobo Rank : II Color scheme : Black/dark purple
Move : 6 Jump : 5 Physical evade : 25%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Fly, Swim
ELEMENTAL ABILITIES: none
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Choco Beak 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Choco Pellets 4/* 1/- Any N Physical attack
Choco Esuna Self 2/2 Any - Cures Stone, Blind, Silence, Poison, Stop,
Immobilize, Disable
(Choco Meteor) 5/* 1/- Any N Non-elemental magick attack
RED CHOCOBO
Family: Chocobo Rank : I Color scheme : Bright red
Move : 6 Jump : 5 Physical evade : 10%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Ignore Elevation, Swim
ELEMENTAL ABILITIES: none
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Choco Beak 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Choco Pellets 4/* 1/- Any N Physical attack
Choco Meteor 5/* 1/- Any N Non-elemental magick attack
(Choco Cure) Self 2/2 Any - Restores HP
---Goblin Family---------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Goblin lying face-down on ground
GOBLIN
Family: Goblin Rank : I Color scheme : Red and gray
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 18%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES: none
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tackle 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Eye Gouge 1/2 1/- Any - Inflicts Blind status
(Goblin Punch) 1/1 1/- Any - Physical attack
BLACK GOBLIN
Family: Goblin Rank : II Color scheme : Black and gray
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 19%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES: none
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tackle 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Spin Punch Self 2/1 Any - Physical attack
(Goblin Punch) 1/1 1/- Any - Physical attack
GOBBLEDYGOOK
Family: Goblin Rank : III Color scheme : Brown skin, green clothes
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 20% with purple trim
MOVEMENT ABILITIES: none
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tackle 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Eye Gouge 1/2 1/- Any - Inflicts Blind status
Goblin Punch 1/1 1/- Any - Physical attack
(Bloodfeast) 1/0 1/- Any - Drains HP from target to user
---Panther Family--------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Skull
RED PANTHER
Family: Panther Rank : I Color scheme : Tan
Move : 4 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 23%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Ignore Elevation, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Earth
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Claw 1/3 1/- Any - Physical attack
Venom Fang 1/2 1/- Any - Inflicts Poison status
(Cat Scratch) 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
COEURL
Family: Panther Rank : II Color scheme : Blue-gray
Move : 4 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 26%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Ignore Elevation, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Earth
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Claw 1/3 1/- Any - Physical attack
Cat Scratch 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Venom Fang 1/2 1/- Any - Inflicts Poison status
(Blaster) 3/* 1/- Any Y Inflicts Stone or Stop status
VAMPIRE CAT
Family: Panther Rank : III Color scheme : Purple
Move : 4 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 24%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Ignore Elevation, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Earth
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Claw 1/3 1/- Any - Physical attack
Cat Scratch 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Blaster 3/* 1/- Any Y Inflicts Stone or Stop status
(Vampire) 1/0 1/- Any - Drains HP from target to user;
inflicts Vampire status on target
---Bomb Family-----------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Floating flame
BOMB
Family: Bomb Rank : I Color scheme : Red
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 10%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Float, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Fire, Halves Ice, Weak to Water
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Bite 1/2 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
Self-Destruct Self 3/3 Any N KOs user & damages nearby units, inflicts
Oil status
(Bomblet) 1/0 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
GRENADE
Family: Bomb Rank : II Color scheme : Light blue
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 11%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Float, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Fire, Halves Ice, Weak to Water
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Bite 1/2 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
Bomblet 1/0 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
Self-Destruct Self 3/3 Any N KOs user & damages nearby units, inflicts
Oil status
(Flame Attack) 3/* 1/- Any N Fire attack
EXPLODER
Family: Bomb Rank : III Color scheme : Gray
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 12%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Float, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Fire, Halves Ice, Weak to Water
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Bite 1/2 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
Self-Destruct Self 3/3 Any N KOs user & damages nearby units, inflicts
Oil status
Spark Self 3/1 Any N Fire attack (will also heal user since
bombs absorb fire)
(Bomblet) 1/0 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
---Skeleton Family-------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Cape and pile of bones
SKELETON
Family: Skeleton Rank : I Color scheme : Gray with blue cloak
Move : 3 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 11%
Is Undead.
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : none
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Chop 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Thunder Anima 3/* 1/- Any Y Lightning magick attack
(Water Anima) 3/1 1/- Any Y Water magick attack
BONESNATCH
Family: Skeleton Rank : II Color scheme : Gray with green cloak
Move : 3 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 12%
Is Undead.
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : none
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Chop 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Water Anima 3/* 1/- Any Y Water magick attack
(Ice Anima) 3/* 1/- Any Y Ice magick attack
SKELETAL FIEND
Family: Skeleton Rank : III Color scheme : Gray with red cloak
Move : 3 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 13%
Is Undead.
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : none
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Chop 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Ice Anima 3/* 1/- Any Y Ice magick attack
(Wind Anima) 3/* 1/- Any Y Wind magick attack
---Minotaur Family-------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Horned skull
WISENKIN
Family: Minotaur Rank : I Color scheme : Dark green with gray head
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 11%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Water
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Pickaxe 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
(Feral Spin) Self 2/1 Any - Physical attack
MINOTAUR
Family: Minotaur Rank : II Color scheme : Red with gray head
Move : 4 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 15%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Water
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Pickaxe 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Feral Spin Self 2/1 Any - Physical attack
(Breathe Fire) 2/* 1/- Any Y Fire attack, targets in 4 directions only
SEKHRET
Family: Minotaur Rank : III Color scheme : Purple
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 12%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Water
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Pickaxe 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Earthsplitter Self 3/1 Ally N Earth attack
Beef Up Self 1/- Any - Raises user's Physical Attack by 2
(Breathe Fire) 2/* 1/- Any Y Fire attack, targets in 4 directions only
---Ghost Family----------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Floating cloak
GHOUL
Family: Ghost Rank : I Color scheme : Purple body, yellow shirt
Move : 4 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 26%
Is Undead.
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Teleport, Levitate, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Ectoplasm 3/* 1/- Any Y Non-elemental attack
Sleep Touch 1/2 1/- Any - Inflicts Sleep status
(Oily Touch) 1/2 1/- Any - Inflicts Oil status
GHAST
Family: Ghost Rank : II Color scheme : Gray body, red shirt
Move : 4 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 27%
Is Undead.
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Teleport, Levitate, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Ectoplasm 3/* 1/- Any Y Non-elemental attack
Oily Touch 1/2 1/- Any - Inflicts Oil status
(Drain Touch) 1/2 1/- Any - Drains target's HP
REVENANT
Family: Ghost Rank : III Color scheme : Tan body, green shirt
Move : 5 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 28%
Is Undead.
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Teleport, Levitate, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Ectoplasm 3/* 1/- Any Y Non-elemental attack
Drain Touch 1/2 1/- Any - Drains target's HP
(Zombie Touch) 1/2 1/- Any - Inflicts Undead status
---Mindflayer Family-----------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Mindflayer lying face-down on ground
PISCODAEMON
Family: Mindflayer Rank : I Color scheme : Tan with brown cloak
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 8%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Waterbreathing
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Water, Weak to Lightning
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tentacles 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
(Ink) 2/* 1/- Any Y Inflicts Blind; targets in 4 cardinal
directions only
SQUIDRAKEN
Family: Mindflayer Rank : II Color scheme : Purple with green cloak
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 9%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Waterbreathing
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Water, Weak to Lightning
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tentacles 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Ink 2/* 1/- Any Y Inflicts Blind; targets in 4 cardinal
directions only
Dischord Self 3/1 Any N Removes Float, Reraise, Invisible, Regen,
Protect, Shell, Haste, Faith, and
Reflect
(Mind Blast) 3/* 2/1 Any N Inflicts Confuse or Berserk
MINDFLAYER
Family: Mindflayer Rank : III Color scheme : Pale green with red cloak
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 10%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Waterbreathing
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Water, Weak to Lightning
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tentacles 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Ink 2/* 1/- Any Y Inflicts Blind; targets in 4 cardinal
directions only
Mind Blast 3/* 2/1 Any N Inflicts Confuse or Berserk
(Level Drain) 4/* 1/- Any N Lowers target's experience level by 1
---Ahriman Family--------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Wing
FLOATING EYE
Family: Ahriman Rank : I Color scheme : Green with orange wings
Move : 5 Jump : 5 Physical evade : 12%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Fly, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Ice
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Wing Buffet 1/2 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
(Dread Gaze) 3/* 1/- Any Y Lowers target's Bravery by 10
AHRIMAN
Family: Ahriman Rank : II Color scheme : Yellow with purple wings
Move : 5 Jump : 5 Physical evade : 13%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Fly, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Ice
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Wing Buffet 1/2 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
Bewitching Gaze 3/* 1/- Any Y Inflicts Stone, Blind, Silence,
Immobilize, or Disable status
Dread Gaze 3/* 1/- Any Y Lowers target's Bravery by 10
(Doom) 3/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Doom status
PLAGUE HORROR
Family: Ahriman Rank : III Color scheme : Red with black wings
Move : 5 Jump : 5 Physical evade : 11%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Fly, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Ice
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Wing Buffet 1/2 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
Bewitching Gaze 3/* 1/- Any Y Inflicts Stone, Blind, Silence,
Immobilize, or Disable status
Doom 3/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Doom status
(Beam) 4/* 1/- Any N Lowers target's Magick Attack by 2
---Aevis Family----------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Two feathers
JURA AEVIS
Family: Aevis Rank : I Color scheme : Blue with white plumage
Move : 6 Jump : 6 Physical evade : 30%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Fly, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Earth
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Talon Dive 1/2 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
(Featherbomb) 3/* 1/- Any N Non-elemental attack
STEELHAWK
Family: Aevis Rank : II Color scheme : Gray with yellow plumage
Move : 6 Jump : 6 Physical evade : 28%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Fly, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Earth
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Talon Dive 1/2 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
Glitterlust 1/1 1/- Any - Steals gil
(Beak) 1/0 1/- Any - Inflicts Stone status
COCKATRICE
Family: Aevis Rank : III Color scheme : Black with red plumage
Move : 6 Jump : 6 Physical evade : 33%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Fly, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Earth
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Talon Dive 1/2 1/- Any - Non-elemental attack
Beak 1/0 1/- Any - Inflicts Stone status
Featherbomb 3/* 1/- Any N Non-elemental attack
(Peck) 1/1 1/- Any - Lowers target's Physical Attack strength
by 2
---Treant Family---------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Tree branch
DRYAD
Family: Treant Rank : I Color scheme : Light brown w/ green hair
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 0%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Earth, Weak to Fire
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Leaf Rain Self 2/0 Any - Non-elemental attack
(Guardian Nymph) Self 2/0 Any - Gives Protect status, 100% hit rate
TREANT
Family: Treant Rank : II Color scheme : Gray with red hair
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 0%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Earth, Weak to Fire
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Leaf Rain Self 2/0 Any - Non-elemental attack
Life Nymph Self 2/0 Any - Restores HP
(Shell Nymph) Self 2/0 Any - Gives Shell status, 100% hit rate
ELDER TREANT
Family: Treant Rank : III Color scheme : Silver with gold hair
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 0%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Earth, Weak to Fire
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Leaf Rain Self 2/0 Any - Non-elemental attack
Guardian Nymph Self 2/0 Any - Gives Protect status, 100% hit rate
Shell Nymph Self 2/0 Any - Gives Shell status, 100% hit rate
(Magick Nymph) Self 2/0 Any - Restores MP
---Malboro Family--------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Two tentacles in puddle of water
OCHU
Family: Malboro Rank : I Color scheme : Gray-green / tan
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 0%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Waterwalking
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tentacles 1/1 1/- Any - Physical attack
Goo 1/1 1/- Any - Inflicts Immobilize status
(Lick) 1/0 1/- Any - Gives Reflect status
MALBORO
Family: Malboro Rank : II Color scheme : Bright light green
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 0%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Waterwalking
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tentacles 1/1 1/- Any - Physical attack
Lick 1/0 1/- Any - Gives Reflect status
(Bad Breath) Self 3/0 Any - Inflicts Stone, Blind, Confuse, Silence,
Oil, Toad, Poison, and/or Sleep
GREATER MALBORO
Family: Malboro Rank : III Color scheme : Dark gray
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 0%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Waterwalking
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tentacles 1/1 1/- Any - Physical attack
Bad Breath Self 3/0 Any - Inflicts Stone, Blind, Confuse, Silence,
Oil, Toad, Poison, and/or Sleep
(Malboro Spores) 1/0 1/- Any - Turns target into Malboro (permanently!)
---Behemoth Family-------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Spiny tail
BEHEMOTH
Family: Behemoth Rank : I Color scheme : Purple with yellow hair
Move : 4 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 13%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Gore 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Heave 1/0 1/- Any - Physical attack, instant KO
(Gigaflare) 4/* 3/0 Any N Non-elemental attack
BEHEMOTH KING
Family: Behemoth Rank : II Color scheme : Gold with green hair
Move : 4 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 13%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Gore 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Heave 1/0 1/- Any - Physical attack, instant KO
(Twister) 4/* 3/2 Any N Wind attack
DARK BEHEMOTH
Family: Behemoth Rank : III Color scheme : Black with orange hair
Move : 4 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 18%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Gore 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Heave 1/0 1/- Any - Physical attack, instant KO
(Almagest) 4/* 3/1 Any N Does damage equal to (Dark Behemoth's
max HP - current HP)
---Dragon Family---------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Large wing
DRAGON
Family: Dragon Rank : I Color scheme : Light green
Move : 5 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 5%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Charge 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
(Tail Sweep) 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
BLUE DRAGON
Family: Dragon Rank : II Color scheme : Light blue
Move : 5 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 9%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Ice, Weak to Fire
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Charge 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Ice Breath 2/2 1/- Any Y Ice attack
(Thunder Breath) 2/2 1/- Any Y Lightning attack
RED DRAGON
Family: Dragon Rank : III Color scheme : Brick red
Move : 5 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 8%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Fire, Weak to Ice
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Charge 1/2 1/- Any - Physical attack
Thunder Breath 2/2 1/- Any Y Lightning attack
(Fire Breath) 2/2 1/- Any Y Fire attack
---Hydra Family----------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Three-headed skull
HYDRA
Family: Hydra Rank : III Color scheme : Gold
Move : 4 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 0%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Fly, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice and Wind
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tri-Attack 1/? 1/- Any - Physical attack, attacks on front and to
both sides simultaneously
(Tri-Breath) 2/* 2/* Any N Non-elemental attack, attacks on front and
to both sides simultaneously
GREATER HYDRA
Family: Hydra Rank : III Color scheme : Dark purple / black
Move : 4 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 0%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Fly, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice and Wind
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tri-Attack 1/? 1/- Any - Physical attack, attacks on front and to
both sides simultaneously
Tri-Flame 4/* 2/0 Any N Fire attack; strikes 3 times on random
tile(s) within effect radius
(Tri-Thunder) 4/* 2/0 Any N Lightning attack; strikes 3 times on
random tile(s) within effect radius
TIAMAT
Family: Hydra Rank : III Color scheme : Off-white
Move : 4 Jump : 4 Physical evade : 0%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Fly, can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice and Wind
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tri-Breath 2/* 2/* Any N Non-elemental attack, attacks on front and
to both sides simultaneously
Tri-Thunder 4/* 2/0 Any N Lightning attack; strikes 3 times on
random tile(s) within effect radius
Tri-Flame 4/* 2/0 Any N Fire attack; strikes 3 times on random
tile(s) within effect radius
(Dark Whisper) 4/* 2/0 Any N Dark attack; strikes 3 times within effect
radius; can inflict KO or Sleep
---Pig Family------------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Pig lying face-down on ground
PIG
Family: Pig Rank : I Color scheme : Light yellow, red ears
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 42%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Reckless Charge 1/0 1/- Any - Physical attack
(Squeak) 1/1 1/- Any - Revives KOed character with full HP
SWINE
Family: Pig Rank : II Color scheme : Light pink, magenta ears
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 36%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Reckless Charge 1/0 1/- Any - Physical attack
Toot 1/1 1/- Any - Inflicts Confuse or Sleep
(Snort) 1/1 1/- Foe - Inflicts Charm status; only effective on
human targets
WILD BOAR
Family: Pig Rank : III Color scheme : Silver with magenta ears
Move : 3 Jump : 3 Physical evade : 39%
MOVEMENT ABILITIES : Can't enter water
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
ACTION ABILITIES: H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
------------------------------------------------------------------
Reckless Charge 1/0 1/- Any - Physical attack
Snort 1/1 1/- Foe - Inflicts Charm status; only effective on
human targets
(Bequeath Bacon) 1/1 1/- Any - Target's level up 1, user becomes crystal
%%%ENEMY-ONLY JOBS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00job3
Most enemies you'll encounter in the game have either generic jobs, or the same
special jobs as the story characters that join your party. However, a few
enemies have unique jobs that are not available to you, the player. This
section lists those jobs and their abilities.
There are also a few more monster-like units that appear in the enemy forces
and cannot be recruited to your team; you'll find those listed here as well.
Of course, since these are enemy-only jobs, there is NO way to obtain any of
these jobs or characters for your own team. This section is just to show you
what you're up against.
---WHITE KNIGHT----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Wiegraf Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes Physical evade : 10%
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Holy Sword--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Judgment Blade 2/* 2/0 Any N Physical attack, causes Stop
Cleansing Strike 3/2 1/- Any N Physical attack, causes Doom
Northswain's Strike 3/1 1/- Any N Physical attack, instant KO
Hallowed Bolt * 3/* 2/1 Any N Physical attack, causes Silence
* Used in Chapter III only.
Holy Sword techniques have a 100% hit rate. However, they cannot be used
unless Wiegraf is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.
--Action Abilities: Martial Arts#--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Aurablast # 3/3 1/- Any Y Non-elemental physical attack
Shockwave # 4Dir 8/2 Any N Earth-elemental physical attack
# Used in Riovanes Castle only.
--DESCRIPTION--
Wiegraf's White Knight job features a subset of Holy Knight sword techniques,
making him the first character in the job who can use sword techniques. In
your final battle with him, he also uses a pair of standard Monk abilities.
---THE IMPURE------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Cuchulainn Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: None Jump height : 4
Equippable armor: None Physical evade : 12%
Innate ability: Can't enter water
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Dread--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Nightmare 5/* 2/0 Any N Inflicts Sleep or Doom (100% hit rate)
Fowlheart 5/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Disable (100% hit rate)
Ague 5/* 2/0 Any N Inflicts Slow (100% hit rate)
--Action Abilities: Befoul--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Bio 8 R 34 4/* 2/2 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Blind
Bio 8 R 34 4/* 2/2 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Poison
Bio 8 R 34 4/* 2/2 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Oil
Biora 16R 20 4/* 2/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Toad
Biora 16R 20 4/* 2/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Slow
Biora 16R 20 4/* 2/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Silence
Biora 16R 20 4/* 2/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Stone
Bioga 24R 17 4/* 3/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Undead
Bioga 24R 17 4/* 3/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts instant KO
Bioga 24R 17 4/* 3/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Stone
--DESCRIPTION--
Cuchulainn's magick repertoire consists primarily of Nightmare, which inflicts
Sleep or Doom, and Bio magick. (Fowlheart and Ague are rarely--if ever!--
used.) Note that are multiple magicks called Bio, Biora, and Bioga; each
version inflicts a different status ailment. Since each vesion can inflict
only a single status ailment, a single cast of Bio will target each character
it hits with the SAME status ailment.
---CELEBRANT-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Zalmour, Bremondt Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Rods, staves, books, poles Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Physical evade : 9%
--Action Abilities: Priest Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Curaga 16RA 15 4/* 2/2 Any N Restores HP (even more than Cura)
Cura 10RA 20 4/* 2/1 Any N Restores HP (more than Cure)
Confuse 14 4/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Confuse status
Sleep 20 4/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Sleep status
Drain 12 4/* 1/- Any N Absorbs HP from target
Silence 16 4/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Silence status
Disable 14 4/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Disable status
Arise 20RA 10 4/* 1/- Any N Revives KOed character with full HP
Esuna 18RA 34 3/* 2/2 Any N Cures Stone, Blind, Confuse, Silence,
Berserk, Toad, Poison, Sleep,
Immobilize, and/or Disable
--DESCRIPTION--
The Celebrant combines high-level White Magicks with some status magick derived
from the Templar's sword techniques. (Note that Bremondt only seems to want
to cast Arise.)
---NIGHTBLADE------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Izlude Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Ninja blades, swords, Jump height : 4
knight's swords, polearms Physical evade : 10%
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes
Innate Ability: Concentration
--Action Abilities: Arts of War--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Rend Helm Weapon Any Y Destroys target's headgear
Rend Armor Weapon Any Y Destroys target's armor
Rend Shield Weapon Any Y Destroys target's shield
Rend Weapon Weapon Any Y Destroys target's weapon
Rend MP Weapon Any Y Lowers target's MP
Rend Speed Weapon Any Y Lowers target's speed
Rend Power Weapon Any Y Lowers target's physical attack
Rend Magick Weapon Any Y Lowers target's magick attack
--DESCRIPTION--
Izlude's Nightblade job is very similar to a Knight, with the bonus of an
inherent Concentration ability that prevents any of his physical attacks from
missing. He is also equipped with a maxed-out Jump as his secondary action
ability when he appears in the game.
---GIGAS-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Belias Movement range : 5
Equippable weapons: None Jump height : 5
Equippable armor: None Physical evade : 18%
Innate ability: Can't enter water
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Dread--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Aphony 5/* 2/0 Any N Inflicts Silence (100% hit rate)
Petrify 5/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Stone (100% hit rate)
Befuddle 5/* 2/0 Any N Inflicts Confuse (100% hit rate)
--Action Abilities: Summon Gigas--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Titan 30 10 4/* 3/2 Foe N "Gaia's Wrath": Earth magick attack
Lich 40 10 4/* 3/2 Foe N "Descending Darkness": Dark attack;
does damage equal to 1/2 of
target's maximum HP but may miss
Cyclops 62 9 4/* 3/2 Foe N "Climactic Fear": Non-elemental attack
--DESCRIPTION--
Belias's main mode of attack, of course, is his mighty summon magicks. He also
possess a few status attack spells as a backup; if he's Silenced and can't use
his summons, he can use Petrify instead.
---ARCHAEODAEMON---------------------------------------------------------------
Enemy monster. Movement range : 4
Innate abilities: Counter, Swiftness, Jump height : 3
can't enter water Physical evade : 5%
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Dark Arts--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Karma 50? 4/* 1/- Any N Does damage equal to (Archaeodaemon's
max HP - current HP)
Unholy Darkness 40 15? 4/* 1/- Any N Dark magick attack
Gigaflare 4/* 3/0 Any N Non-elemental magick attack
--DESCRIPTION--
The Archaeodaemon is a monster-type enemy with a few different magick attacks.
---ASSASSIN--------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Celia, Lettie Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Katanas (Celia), ninja blades (Let.) Jump height : 7
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes Physical evade : #
Innate ability: Dual Wield
# Celia has an evade rate of 30%; Lettie has an evade rate of 28%
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Subdual Arts--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Petrify 6/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Stone (100% hit rate)
Shadowbind 4/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Stop (100% hit rate)
Suffocate 1/0 1/- Any N Inflicts KO (100% hit rate)
Ultima 10 20 4/* 2/1 Any N Non-elemental magick attack
Allure 3/* 1/- Foe N Inflicts Charm (100% hit rate), male
and monster targets only
--DESCRIPTION--
Celia and Lettie are fast and use a variety of status attack abilities, all of
which have a 100% hit rate. They also cast Ultima, which Ramza and Luso can
learn if they are hit with the magick as a Squire or Game Hunter.
---ARK KNIGHT [ELMDORE]--------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Elmdore Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Katanas Jump height : 5
Equippable armor: Shields, hats, helms, clothes, armor, Physical evade : 16%
robes
Innate ability: Safeguard
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Sword Spirit--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ashura Self 3/3 Foe N "Spirit Blade": Non-elemental magick
attack
Kotetsu Self 3/3 Foe N "Binding Darkness": Non-elemental
magick attack
Osafune Self 3/3 Foe N "Verse of Oblivion": Lowers enemy MP
Muramasa Self 3/3 Foe N "Doomed Aspirations": Non-elemental
magick attack, inflicts Confuse
and Doom
--Action Abilities: Vampire #--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Vampire # 1/0 1/- Any - Drain HP from target to user and
inflicts Vampire status; if target
is already a Vampire, causes user to
become a Vampire instead
# Only used in Chapter IV.
--Movement Abilities--
EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------
Master Teleportation Teleport to any tile when moving,
regardless of move range or obstacles
in the way. Unlike regular Teleport,
never fails!
--DESCRIPTION--
Elmdore's Ark Knight is almost completely different from Zalbaag's and is
similar mostly in name. Elmdore's version of the job is based on the Samurai;
he fights with katanas and can use a few Iaido abilities. He also has a novel
movement ability: Master Teleportation, which lets him warp anywhere on the
battlefield. Sadly, he also has an innate Safeguard that prevents you from
stealing his Genji gear. In Chapter IV, he gains the Vampire ability, but
seems not to use it.
---REAVER----------------------------------------------------------------------
Enemy monster. Movement range : 4
Innate abilities: Counter, Swiftness, Jump height : 3
Ignore Elevation, can't enter water Physical evade : 10%
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Bio--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Bio 8 R 34 4/* 2/2 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Blind
Bio 8 R 34 4/* 2/2 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Poison
Bio 8 R 34 4/* 2/2 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Oil
Biora 16R 20 4/* 2/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Toad
Biora 16R 20 4/* 2/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Slow
Biora 16R 20 4/* 2/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Silence
Biora 16R 20 4/* 2/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Stone
Bioga 24R 17 4/* 3/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Undead
Bioga 24R 17 4/* 3/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts instant KO
Bioga 24R 17 4/* 3/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack,
inflicts Stone
--DESCRIPTION--
The Reaver is an enemy monster seen in two battles. It uses Bio magick. As
with Cuchulainn, note that are multiple magicks called Bio, Biora, and Bioga;
each version inflicts a different status ailment. Since each vesion can
inflict only a single status ailment, a single cast of Bio will target each
character it hits with the SAME status ailment.
---ULTIMA DEMON----------------------------------------------------------------
Enemy monster. Movement range : 5
Innate Abilities: Counter, Swiftness, Brawler, Jump height : 2
can't enter water Physical evade : 10%
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Demon Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Nanoflare 0 20? 4/* 3/1 Any N Non-elemental magick attack
Unholy Darkness 40 15? 4/* 1/- Any N Dark magick attack
Ultima 10 20 4/* 2/1 Any N Non-elemental magick attack
Twister 4/* 3/2 Any N Wind attack
Almagest 4/* 3/1 Any N Does damage equal to (Ultima Demon's
max HP - current HP)
--DESCRIPTION--
The Ultima Demon is an enemy monster seen in a couple battles. It uses some
high-level magick, including Ultima, which Ramza and Luso can learn from it.
---DEATHKNIGHT-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Argath (ch. 4) Movement range : 5
Equippable weapons: Swords Jump height : 4
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor Physical evade : 24%
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Fell Sword--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Shadowblade 3/* 1/- Any N Absorbs HP from target
Duskblade 3/* 1/- Any N Absorbs MP from target
Fell Sword techniques have a 100% hit rate. However, they cannot be used
unless Argath is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.
--DESCRIPTION--
Argath's Deathknight job actually isn't very different from Gaffgarion's Fell
Knight job and has the same sword techniques.
---DEATH SERAPH----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Zalera Movement range : 5
Equippable weapons: None Jump height : 4
Equippable armor: None Physical evade : 24%
Innate abilities: Float, Fly, can't enter water
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Dread--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Darkness 5/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Blind (100% hit rate)
Bind 5/* 2/0 Any N Inflicts Stop (100% hit rate)
Fowlheart 5/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Disable (100% hit rate)
Nightmare 5/* 2/0 Any N Inflicts Sleep or Doom (100% hit rate)
--Action Abilities: Ja-Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Toadja 35 25? 4/* 2/3 Foe N Inflicts Toad status
Gravija 35 25? 4/* 2/3 Foe N Reduces targets to 1 HP
Flareja 35 25? 4/* 2/3 Foe N Non-elemental magick attack
Blindja 35 25? 4/* 2/3 Foe N Inflicts Blind status
Confuseja 35 25? 4/* 2/3 Foe N Inflicts Confuse status
--DESCRIPTION--
Zalera wields both Flareja (a fairly powerful non-elemental attack magick) and
a wealth of status-attack magick. His most common attacks tend to be Flareja,
Nightmare, and Bind.
---SORCEROR--------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Cletienne Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Rods, staves, poles Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes Physical evade : 14%
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Holy 56RA 17 5/* 1/- Any N Holy magick attack
Flare 60RA 15 5/1 1 All N Non-elemental magick attack
Graviga 50RA 10 4/* 2/3 Any N Damage = 1/2 of user's max HP
Unholy Darkness 40 15? 4/* 1/- Any N Dark magick attack
Arise 20RA 10 4/* 1/- Any N Revives KOed character with full HP
--DESCRIPTION--
Cletienne can cast a variety of high-level magicks, including one not available
to player-controlled jobs (Unholy Darkness).
---RUNE KNIGHT-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Dycedarg Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes Physical evade : 10%
--Action Abilities: Swordplay--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Judgment Blade 2/* 2/0 Any N Physical attack, causes Stop
Cleansing Strike 3/2 1/- Any N Physical attack, causes Doom
Northswain's Strike 3/1 1/- Any N Physical attack, instant KO
Hallowed Bolt 3/* 2/1 Any N Physical attack, causes Silence
Divine Ruination 4Dir 5/2 Any N Physical attack, causes Confuse
Crush Armor 3/* 1/- Any N Physical attack, destroys target's
armor
Crush Helm 3/* 1/- Any N Physical attack, destroys target's
headgear
Crush Weapon 3/* 1/- Any N Physical attack, destroys target's
weapon
Crush Accessory 3/* 1/- Any N Physical attack, destroys target's
accessory
--Action Abilities: Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Firaga 24RA 15 4/* 2/3 All N Fire magick attack
Thundaga 24RA 15 4/* 2/3 All N Lightning magick attack
Blizzaga 24RA 15 4/* 2/3 All N Ice magick attack
Bioga 24R 17 4/* 3/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attacks, inflicts
instant KO
--DESCRIPTION--
Dycedarg has a large selection of sword techniques, though not quite as many as
Orlandeau, since he doesn't have the two Fell Sword techniques. He also has a
second Magicks command that he lets him cast -ga attack magicks.
---THE WROTH-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Adrammelech Movement range : 5
Equippable weapons: None Jump height : 4
Equippable armor: None Physical evade : 19%
Innate ability: Can't enter water
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Dread--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Petrify 6/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Stone (100% hit rate)
Fowlheart 5/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Disable (100% hit rate)
Aphony 5/* 2/0 Any N Inflicts Silence (100% hit rate)
Befuddle 5/* 2/0 Any N Inflicts Confuse (100% hit rate)
--Action Abilities: Magicks--
Holy 56RA 17 5/* 1/- Any N Holy magick attack
Firaja 48 10 4/* 3/3 All N Fire magick attack
Thundaja 48 10 4/* 3/3 All N Lightning magick attack
Blizzaja 48 10 4/* 3/3 All N Ice magick attack
Flare 60RA 15 5/1 1 All N Non-elemental magick attack
Graviga 50RA 10 4/* 2/3 Any N Damage = 1/2 of user's max HP
Bahamut 60 7 4/* 4/3 Foe N "Megaflare": Non-elemental attack
Odin 50 8 4/* 4/3 Foe N "Obliteration": Non-elemental magick
attack
Leviathan 48 8 4/* 4/3 Foe N "Tidal Wave": Water magick attack
Salamander 48 8 4/* 3/2 Foe N "Wyrmfire": Fire magick attack
--DESCRIPTION--
Adrammelech has the usual Lucavi status attacks, plus a wealth of magicks
available to conventional jobs. Of his Dread abilities, Befuddle gets used the
most.
---DIVINE KNIGHT [LOFFREY]-----------------------------------------------------
Used By: Loffrey Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, clothes, armor, robes Physical evade : 21%
--Action Abilities: Unyielding Blade--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Crush Armor 3/* 1/- Any N Physical attack, destroys target's
armor
Crush Helm 3/* 1/- Any N Physical attack, destroys target's
headgear
Crush Weapon 3/* 1/- Any N Physical attack, destroys target's
weapon
Unyielding Blade techniques have a 100% hit rate. However, they cannot be used
unless Loffrey is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.
--Action Abilities: Magicks #--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Delirium # 20RA 20 4/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Confuse status
Induration # 16RA 10 4/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Stone status
Quiescence # 16RA 34 4/* 1/- Any N Inflicts Silence status
# Used at Orbonne Monastery only.
--DESCRIPTION--
Loffrey's Divine Knight job is quite similar to Meliadoul's, except he
exchanges the Crush Accessory ability for a higher evade rate. In your final
encounter with him, he gains a secondary Magicks command that allows him to
cast three Mystic Arts magicks (most likely used only if his weapon is
broken).
---DIVINE KNIGHT [FOLMARV]-----------------------------------------------------
Used By: Folmarv Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, clothes, armor, robes Physical evade : 12%
--ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Unyielding Blade--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Crush Armor * 3/* 1/- Any N Physical attack, destroys target's
armor
Crush Helm 3/* 1/- Any N Physical attack, destroys target's
headgear
Crush Weapon * 3/* 1/- Any N Physical attack, destroys target's
weapon
Crush Accessory 3/* 1/- Any N Physical attack, destroys target's
accessory
Unyielding Blade techniques have a 100% hit rate. However, they cannot be used
unless Folmarv is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.
--DESCRIPTION--
Folmarv is even more similar to Meliadoul; his evade rate is just two points
higher.
---BRINGER OF ORDER------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Hashmal Movement range : 5
Equippable weapons: None Jump height : 4
Equippable armor: None Physical evade : 12%
Innate Ability: Can't enter water
--Action Abilities: Dread--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Speedsap 20 34 4/* 2/0 Any ? Lowers target's speed
Bind 5/* 2/0 Any N Inflicts Stop (100% hit rate)
Ague 5/* 2/0 Any N Inflicts Slow (100% hit rate)
--Action Abilities: Planar Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Meltdown 70 15? 4/* 4/3 Any N Fire magick attack
Tornado 70 15? 4/* 4/3 Any N Wind magick attack
Quake 70 15? 4/* 4/3 Any N Earth magick attack
Meteor 70 5 4/* 4/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack
--DESCRIPTION--
Hashmal wields some very powerful attack magick possessed only by him. He also
likes to cast Bind to inflict Stop. Ague and Speedsap are rarely or never
used.
---HIGH SERAPH-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Ultima Movement range : 8
Equippable weapons: None Jump height : 5
Equippable armor: None Physical evade : 11%
--Action Abilities: Arcane Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ultima (II) 40 10? 4/* 3/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack
--Action Abilities: Chaos--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Grand Cross 20? 4/* 3/2 Foes N Inflict Stone, Blind, Confuse,
Silence, Berserk, Toad, Poison,
Slow, and/or Sleep (25% chance of
each)
--DESCRIPTION--
Ultima's first form uses Grand Cross, which hits your party with a variety of
status attacks, and a super-powered Ultima spell. (She also uses some physical
attacks.) She has Absorb MP equipped as a Reaction Ability and has an Elmdore-
styled Master Teleportation movement ability.
---ARCH SERAPH-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Ultima Movement range : 8
Equippable weapons: None Jump height : 5
Equippable armor: None Physical evade : 10%
--Action Abilities: Divine Magicks--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Divine Ultima 50 7? 5/* 4/3 Any N Non-elemental magick attack
Grand Cross 20? 4/* 3/2 Foes N Inflict Stone, Blind, Confuse,
Silence, Berserk, Toad, Poison,
Slow, and/or Sleep (25% chance of
each)
--Action Abilities: Divine Providence--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Disempower 15? 4/* 3/3 Any N Reduces targets' MP to 0
Dispelja 15? 4/* 3/3 Foes N Removes Float, Reraise, Invisible,
Regen, Protect, Shell, Haste, Faith,
and Reflect
Return 15? 4/* 3/3 Foes N Reduces targets' CT count to 0
--DESCRIPTION--
Ultima's second form retains her Grand Cross status attack spell and adds an
even more powerful Ultima spell. She can also use Dispelja to remove your
status buffs, as well as more physical attacks. Disempower and Return are
rarely cast. This form uses Faith Boost as a reaction ability and can again
teleport across the battlefield.
---DARK DRAGON-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Bremondt Movement range : 5
Equippable weapons: none Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: none Physical evade : 5%
--Action Abilities: Breath--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF JP EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ice Breath 2/2 1/- Any Y 0 Ice attack
Fire Breath 2/2 1/- Any Y 0 Fire attack
Thunder Breath 2/2 1/- Any Y 0 Lightning attack
These three Breath attacks can only target characters in a straight line from
Bremondt, not on a diagonal.
--DESCRIPTION--
The Dark Dragon is essentially an "evil" version of Reis's Holy Dragon form,
only with a Lucavi-sized HP maximum. He has Counter as a Reaction Ability.
---SERPENTARIUS----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Elidibus Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: None Jump height : 3
Equippable armor: None Physical evade : 3%
--Action Abilities: The Dark--
RNG RAD
MP SPD H/V H/V TAR LF EFFECT
---------------------------------------------------------------
Snakecharm 1/2 1/- Any - Non-elemental physical attack
Poisonous Frog 4/* 3/1 Any N Inflicts Toad and Poison status (100%
hit rate)
Midgarsomr 10? 4/* 3/2 Any N Non-elemental magick attack
Zodiark 99 6 4/* 4/3 Foe N "Darkening Cloud": Non-elemental
magick attack
--DESCRIPTION--
Elidibus's principal attack is the mighty Zodiark summon, which regular
Summoners can learn if they are hit with the summon (and survive). His other
three reptile-themed abilities are unique to him. Poisonous Frog is the one
to watch out for, as it can turn a fairly large group of characters into Frogs
(as well as poisoning them) and has a 100% hit rate.
*******************************************************************************
VIII. ABILITY STRATEGIES
*******************************************************************************
%%%ABILITY COMBOS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00abil
Here are some combinations of abilities you may find particularly useful.
---Offense-Related-------------------------------------------------------------
Arts of War (Knight) + Equip Guns (Orator) or Archer's bows
------------------------------------------------------
The Rending techniques are a lot more useful when used at a distance! Against
mages, use Rend MP or Rend Magick to cripple their magick right away. And
against close-range fighters, you can use Rend Weapon to destroy their weapon
before they even reach you!
Arts of War (Knight) + Dual Wield (Ninja)
------------------------------------------------------
When you have two weapons equipped, you get also two strikes of any Arts of War
ability, making them doubly effective! You get two chances to break an enemy's
gear, or can decrease their stats twice as fast.
Attack Boost (Geomancer) + Holy Sword (Holy Knight) or Swordplay (Sword Saint)
or Unyielding Blade (Divine Knight)
------------------------------------------------------
Sword techniques are considered physical attacks, so pairing them with Attack
Boost will make them even stronger!
Fire Rod + Fire/Fira/Firaga/Firaja (Black Mage)
Ice Rod + Blizzard/Blizzara/Blizzaga/Blizzaja (Black Mage)
Thunder Rod + Thunder/Thundara/Thundaga/Thundaja (Black Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
The Fire, Ice, and Thunder Rods increase the power of the corresponding
elemental magick. So, pick a particular element of magick to focus on and
pair it up with the corresponding rod. Early in the game, this is a great way
to increase the damage your Black Magick can do.
Immobilize (Time Mage) or Leg Shot (Machinist) +
Aim (Archer) or Limit (Soldier) or Jump (Dragoon)
------------------------------------------------------
Abilities that take a long time to charge can often be difficult to use. But
not if the enemies can't move out of the way...
Corruption (Mystic) + White Magick (White Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
The Corruption ability makes enemies undead, which means they suffer damage
from healing spells. Suddenly, your White Mage's Cure spells become both a
great defensive tool *and* an offensive weapon ... and Arise works as an
instant KO attack! You can even use Arithmeticks to cause your White Magicks
to hit many targets at once!
Geomancy + Move +1 (Squire) or Move +2 (Thief) or Move +3 (Dark Knight/Bard) or
Teleport (Time Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
Since the Geomancy command inflicts different status changes and different
elemental damage depending on where you're standing, it's most flexible and
useful if you can get around the battlefield easily. Move +1/2/3 or Teleport
will help in that regard.
Barrage (Sky Pirate) + Guns
------------------------------------------------------
Using Barrage with a gun lets you attack two enemies in one turn, as long as
they're in the same line of fire -- see "Shoot Enemies Next to You" under
Various Tricks for the skinny.
Magick Counter (Black Mage) + Arcane Strength (Black Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
If you're going to counter it, why not make it stronger?
Black Magicks (Black Mage) + Belief (Mystic)
------------------------------------------------------
The Belief magick causes Faith status, which maxes out Faith. Casting it on
your own magick users makes their magick more effective. (Of course, if their
Faith is already high, you won't see much of a difference.) Or, if you already
have high Faith, you can also cast it on an enemy to make them more
suspectibile to magick damage -- so you can use Belief as a way of softening up
an enemy before a Black Magick attack.
Graviga (Time Mage) + Climhazzard (Soldier)
------------------------------------------------------
Climhazzard does damage equal to the amount of HP your target has already lost.
Hitting a unit with Graviga will take away half its HP, and Climhazzard will
take off the other half. Of course, you could just cast Graviga twice, but
Climhazzard charges faster and uses no MP. As a one-two punch, you can have
Cloud start charging Climhazzard while the Time Mage is the midst of charging
Graviga.
Haste (Time Mage) + Doom Fist (Monk) or Condemn (Orator)
------------------------------------------------------
Doom KOs a unit after it's received three turns -- so casting Haste on it will
actually speed up its imminent demise! Of course, you'd better make sure the
enemy can't hurt you too much in the mean time! It's best used against enemy
White Mages or Chemists (or other defensive units), but this is more a fun
combo than a practical one ;)
---Defense-Related-------------------------------------------------------------
Mana Shield (Time Mage) + Manafont (Mystic)
------------------------------------------------------
Whenever Mana Shield is triggered, it saves you from taking any actual damage
to your HP as long as you have at least 1 MP left. Of course, a strong attack
may cause you to lose all your MP ... but with Manafont, you can gain back a
little MP just by moving, which is enough to activate your Mana Shield again!
Darkness (Dark Knight) + Mana Shield (Time Mage)
-----------------------------------------------------
The strongest Darkness abilities normally consume some of the user's HP ...
but Mana Shield convers the HP loss into an MP one instead! This essentially
turns them into regular magicks (albeit ones with a hefty MP cost) -- plus, you
can then use Infernal Strike to swipe MP from the enemies and recharge!
Dance (Dancer) or Sing (Bard) + Vanish (Ninja)
------------------------------------------------------
The Vanish ability gives you Invisible status whenever you get hit, which means
that enemies can't target you again until you perform an action. But if you've
already entered into a Song or Dance state before Vanish activated, continuing
to perform it does NOT count as a new action, and you can stay invisible while
continuing to hurt the enemies or help your teammates! Switching to a new
song/dance will cause you to lose your Vanish, but you can always regain it if
an enemy attacks you again. And make sure you don't get caught in the effect
radius of a wide-area attack, which will also remove your Vanish.
Mirror Mail or Reflect (Time Mage) or Reflect Ring
+ Items (Chemist) or Chakra (Monk) or Moogle/Faerie (Summoner)
------------------------------------------------------
Reflect keeps almost all magick from hitting a character. This can cause a
problem if you're trying to use White Magick to heal, but Items, Chakra, and
the Moogle and Faerie summons are three abilities that WON'T be reflected. So,
you can hide behind your Reflect status but keep your characters healed! (This
is particularly useful with the Mirror Mail or Reflect Ring, which give you a
permanent Reflect!)
Darkness (Dark Knight) + Lifefont (Monk) or Dragonheart (Dragoon) or
HP Boost (Dark Knight) or Chantage
------------------------------------------------------
Sure, a number of Darkness abilities consume some of your HP ... but if you
equip Lifefont, you can gain a lot of it back as you move around! Or, use
Dragonheart or Chantage to give yourself a Reraise and you can laugh in the
face of death :) Finally, the Dark Knight's own HP Boost will increase your
HP totals so you have more HP to use.
Parry (Knight) + Cloths
------------------------------------------------------
Cloths have a 50% evade rate, so equipping Parry on a Dancer means you can
avoid half of all physical attacks.
Steel (Ramza's Squire job) + Shirahadori (Samurai) on any character
------------------------------------------------------
With a high Bravery, Shirahadori can protect you from virtually all physical
attacks. How to get a high Bravery? Well, Ramza's Steel ability is a Bravery
booster with a 100% success rate...
Vehemence (Dark Knight) + Shirahadori (Samurai) + Aegis Shield or
Escutcheon II
------------------------------------------------------
Vehemence increases your attack power at the cost of increasing the damage you
receive ... but Shirahadori will keep a lot of physical attacks from even
hitting you! Then, to protect against magick, equip an Aegis Shield or
Escutcheon II.
Reflexes (Ninja) + Featherweave Cloak
------------------------------------------------------
The Reflexes reaction ability doubles your existing evasion rate. Pair it with
a Featherweave Cloak for a 80% physical evade rate and a 40% magick evade rate
-- pretty good! You could also use a shield, but they don't work against
attacks from behind, and cloaks do.
Vengeance (Templar/Byblos) or Blade Beam (Soldier)
+ Dragonheart (Dragoon) or Reraise (White Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
Vengeance and Blade Beam both get stronger as the user's HP decreases, which
means they're most powerful when the user is near-KO. Of course, this is
normally kind of risky, but you can get some insurance with Dragonheart or the
Reraise magick, which will bring you back after you're KOed. (Of course, the
Byblos can't equip Dragonheart, but you *can* cast Reraise on it.)
Soulbind (Arithmetician) + Lifefont (Monk) or Reraise (White Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
Soulbind splits the damage you receive with the enemy who inflicted it. This
makes it advantageous for the character with Soulbind to take a lot of damage
... but you'll still need some way to heal the damage you DO take. Lifefont
will take care of that, or a cast of Reraise will revive the character if he
or she is KOed.
Soulbind (Arithmetician) + HP Boost (Dark Knight) or armor/job with high HP
------------------------------------------------------
Since Soulbind requires to take the full force of an attack before half the
damage is diverted back to the enemy, you'll want to make sure you have enough
HP to survive the original attack.
Regenerator (White Mage) + Lifefont (Monk)
------------------------------------------------------
You want HP? You've got HP... but if it's still not enough, throw in Chakra.
---Miscellaneous---------------------------------------------------------------
Equip Guns (Orator) + Poach (Thief) or Tame (Orator)
------------------------------------------------------
Monsters with low HP tend to run away into a corner, making it hard to catch
up and use the physical attacks you need to Poach or Tame them. So equip a
gun and you've got a nice long range :)
Summon (Summoner) +
Absorb MP (Mystic) or Manafont (Mystic) or Hi-Ether (Chemist)
------------------------------------------------------
Normally, summons eat up a lot of your MP -- but you can remedy this by
equipping an ability that gets you your MP back quickly.
Barrage (Sky Pirate) + Poach (Thief) or Tame (Orator)
------------------------------------------------------
Balthier's Barrage attack counts as a regular attack, so you can use it as an
easy way of Poaching monsters for items or Taming them onto your side.
Parry (Knight) + Nagnarok sword + Treasure Hunter
------------------------------------------------------
If you're using a character for Treasure Hunting, you want the character to
have low Bravery ... but this also makes most Reaction Abilities useless, since
they depend on Bravery to activate. Parry, however, only depends on your
weapon's block rate, so pair it with the Nagnarok sword and its 50% block rate
(add Equip Swords if needed) and you've got a decent Reaction Ability for even
a low-Bravery character.
Steal Weapon (Thief) + Throw (Ninja)
------------------------------------------------------
This isn't that great a combo, but there's a certain joy in stealing somebody's
weapon and then turning around and killing them with it.
Gil Snapper (Thief) + Throw (Ninja) or Iaido (Samurai) or Items (Chemist)
------------------------------------------------------
Throw, Iaido, and Items all consume items from your inventory, which cost
money to replace. Over the course of a battle, Gil Snapper will give you some
extra spending money to help replace what you used. (But, the money earned
from Gil Snapper is usually nothing compared to your post-battle Bonus Coin, so
this is not a very effectice combo.)
%%%CHARACTER STRATEGIES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00char
---Generic Character Strategies------------------------------------------------
MONK (esp. RAMZA)
Reaction Ability : Counter or First Strike
Support Ability : Dual Wield
Movement Ability : Lifefont
Equipment : no weapon equipped
Bravery : High (as close to 97 as possible)
------------------------------------------------------
The Dual Wield ability gives you two punches. Coupled with a high Bravery,
this makes for an extremely powerful attack -- and you've also got all the
Monk's helpful restorative abilities. Strong punches are particularly useful
early in the game when you don't have access to high-level weapons to equip.
You can land even more attacks if you equip the Monk's own Counter or First
Strike. (First Strike is only good against humans.) Since you'll have a high
Bravery, these abilities will activate quickly and let you counterattack a lot!
Since this set-up leaves your Monk without any extra armor, Lifefont is pretty
useful for recovering HP.
This set-up can be particularly useful for Ramza because his Shout ability lets
him raise his own Bravery quickly.
BLACK MAGE or SUMMONER
Action Ability : Arithmeticks
Reaction Ability : Magick Counter
Support Ability : Arcane Srength
Movement Ability : Manafont
Equipment : Rod of Faith, Lordly Robe, Magepower Glove or Septi`eme
------------------------------------------------------
The ultimate magic-user. Be sure to have all the Arithmeticks, and get as
many spells (Black, White, Time, and Mystic Arts) as you can. If you want
maximum magick strength, switching back to Black Mage is the way to go.
Alternately, Summoner has a high magick attack as well, and gives you
additional magick variety by letting you cast all the summons, too -- although
a maxed-out Arithmeticks command already gives you pretty much everything you
could need!
If the character is female, Septi`eme perfume is a great accessory as it gives
you a permanent Haste and gets you turns much faster. For males, a Magepower
Glove increases your magick power.
For a more defensive character of this character, swap out Magick Counter for
Mana Shield, which uses your MP to protect you from physical attacks. As long
as you're using Arithmeticks, you don't need MP anyway, and if you keep walking
around, Manafont will regenerate your MP and keep up your Mana Shield!
NINJA or BALTHIER
Action Ability : Steal
Support Ability : Brawler
Equipment : Mirage Vest or Ninja Gear, Green Beret or Lambent Hat or
Thief's Cap, Hermes Shoes
------------------------------------------------------
If you're looking to steal items, this will do the trick! Ninjas have the
highest speed of any regular job, and the equipment raises it even further,
increasing your hit rate for stealing. Brawler raises it even more! Once you
get Balthier, he's even better for stealing items, as his Plunder abilities
have a higher rate of success than a regular Steal and his Sky Pirate job has a
high Speed to boot.
SUMMONER
Action Ability : Iaido
Reaction Ability : Absorb MP
Support Ability : Swiftness
Movement Ability : Manafont
Equipment : Wizard's Rod, Wizard's Robe, Magepower Glove
Faith : High
------------------------------------------------------
Summons are powerful, but take a while to charge and use lots of MP. You can
remedy the former with Swiftness and the latter with Manafont and/or MP Absorb.
To increase the strength of your summons, raise your Faith and equip a Wizard's
Rod, Wizard's Robe, and/or Magepower Glove. (Pure gains in magick attack may
be more helpful for a Summoner than elemental boosts since many summons are
non-elemental).
A good second action ability, if available, is the Samurai's Iaido. Iaido is
boosted by the Summoner's high magick attack but doesn't drain any of your MP.
It also activates instantly, so you can use it instead of Summon when you need
a quick heal or attack.
ARCHER
Action Ability : Arts of War
Reaction Ability : Archer's Bane
Support Ability : Concentration
Equipment : Bow
------------------------------------------------------
When you're attacking from a distance with bows, you often don't have a choice
of what angle to strike from, so Concentration will ensure you hit even when
attacking from the front. Adding Arts of War as an action ability lets you
rend enemy stats or equipment from a distance, and Concentration helps this as
well. To keep the enemy from shooting bows back at you, you can use the
Archer's own Archer's Bane ability.
GEOMANCER
Reaction Ability : Nature's Wrath
Movement Ability : Move +1/2/3 or Teleport
Equipment : Runeblade, Magepower Glove or Genji Glove or Tynar Rouge
------------------------------------------------------
Geomancy isn't really the most useful action ability, but if you want to use
it, the movement abilities Move +1/2/3 or Teleport will give you access to more
tiles on any given turn, allowing you to pick and choose which elements and
status ailments you want to attack with. A Runeblade and a Magepower Glove
(or, even better, a Genji Glove or the Tynar Rouge if available) will increase
the power of the Geomancy attacks.
NINJA
Reaction Ability : Reflexes
Support Ability : Equip Shields
Equipment : Crystal Shield (or better), Featherweave Cloak
------------------------------------------------------
It's almost impossible (if not actually impossible) to get hit. Imagine a
party of five of these...
SAMURAI or DARK KNIGHT ... or SQUIRE [RAMZA] or SWORD SAINT [ORLANDEAU]
Reaction Ability : Mana Shield
Bravery : High (as close to 97 as possible)
------------------------------------------------------
The downside of Mana Shield is that it's only good with high MP ... and most
high-MP jobs are magick-using jobs, where you need to *keep* your MP! But
Samurai and Dark Knight are two jobs that don't need MP to use their abilities,
but still have a high MP total. Ramza's "special" Squire job and Orlandeau's
Sword Saint job have even more, and are also melee-oriented jobs. With these
jobs, Mana Shield turns their extra MP into a nice buffer of extra health.
Raise your Bravery as high as possible so Mana Shield will activate more
frequently.
RAPHA - OR OTHER LOW-BRAVERY FEMALE CHARACTER
Job : Thief or Ninja
Reaction Ability : Parry
Support Ability : Equip Swords
Movement Ability : Treasure Hunter
Equipment : Nagnarok, Septie`me
Bravery : Low (just above 10)
------------------------------------------------------
Hunting for items in Midlight's Deep? With this set-up, you can turn Rapha (or
any other character with a low Bravery) into the ultimate Treasure Hunter.
Thief and Ninja are mobile jobs; both have a move and jump of 4, allowing Rapha
to navigate to more remote locations. The Septie`me perfume gives Rapha a
permanent Haste, allowing her to get more turns and scoot around the map even
more quickly, as well as making her Invisible. As long as she never takes
action and just moves around looking for items, the enemies will never attack
her. Finally, if she DOES lose her Invisibility (e.g. because she was hit in a
wide-radius attack spell), the Nagnarok coupled with Parry gives her a 50%
evade rate despite her low Bravery. Actually, this is pretty much overkill;
you could go Treasure Hunting with half these abilities... :)
---Special Character Strategies------------------------------------------------
RAMZA
Reaction Ability : Counter or First Strike
Support Ability : Dual Wield
Movement Ability : Lifefont
Equipment : No weapon equipped
Bravery : High (as close to 97 as possible)
------------------------------------------------------
This set-up, described above in Generic Character Strategies, works great for
Ramza because his Shout ability lets him raise his own Bravery quickly.
MUSTADIO
Job : Machinist
Action Ability : Items
Reaction Ability : Auto-Potion
Support Ability : Throw Items
Equipment : Magick gun, Japa Mala
Faith : High
------------------------------------------------------
After you've mastered Machinist, Chemist is a great supplementary for Mustadio
because it allows him to keep his gun (and consequently his long-range Aimed
Shot abilities). Once you've mastered Chemist, switch him back to a Machinist
for its improved Speed, then give him Items and Throw Items to make him into a
great healer/support character. If you're using the magick guns, you can
increase their damage output by raising his Faith and giving him a Japa Mala
for the elemental boost.
Since Mustadio's guns give him a ranged attack, you could also consider giving
him Arts of War, which will let him break enemy gear or reduce their stats from
a distance. However, you might find this somewhat redundant with Arm Shot and
Leg Shot, which while not identical are also pretty effective at shutting down
enemy forces.
LUSO
Job : Game Hunter
Reaction Ability : Auto-Potion (optional)
Support Ability : Dual Wield or Doublehand
Movement Ability : Lifefont (optional)
Equipment : Knight's sword, Power Garb, Headband, Bracer
Bravery : High (as close to 97 as possible)
------------------------------------------------------
Luso's distinguishing characteristic is his inherent Poach. If you want to
exploit this, you'll need to make it easy for Luso to kill enemies with
physical attacks. Give him a couple strong knight's swords with Dual Wield;
or, if you have only a limited supply, one knight's sword plus Doublehand.
Raising his Bravery with Shout will make his knight's sword even stronger. For
further attack boosts, equip a Bracer and perhaps a Power Garb and/or a
Headband. The Power Garb and Headband aren't the best armors in terms of HP
ratings, so if you give him these, you may want to give him Auto-Potion or
Lifefont to keep his HP up.
RAPHA
Job : Thief or Ninja
Reaction Ability : Parry
Support Ability : Equip Swords
Movement Ability : Treasure Hunter
Equipment : Nagnarok, Septie`me
Bravery : Low (just above 10)
------------------------------------------------------
As described above, this is a great set-up for the Treasure Hunter ability if
you want to exploit Rapha's low Bravery.
MARACH
Job : Netherseer
Action Ability : Iaido
Support Ability : Swiftness
Movement Ability : Move +1/2/3
Equipment : Magepower Glove
Faith : Low (as close to 03 as possible)
------------------------------------------------------
If you want to use Marach's Nether Mantra abilities, the first step is to lower
his Faith as low as possible (using Enlighten) to increase the damage Nether
Mantra does. This will also raise his defense against enemy magick. However,
it also means he won't be effective using regular magick.
Instead, try giving him the Samurai's Iaido ability, which makes use of his
high Magick Attack but doesn't depend on Faith. Another advantage of Iaido is
that (unlike Nether Mantra) it doesn't affect friendly targets, so you can use
it when he's in close quarters and Nether Mantra is a no-go. A Magepower Glove
could also be added to make both Nether Mantra and Iaido stronger.
Giving him Move +1, 2, or 3 will help him reach enemy territory before the rest
of your characters do, so he can use Nether Manta without any risk of hitting
an ally by mistake.
Finally, if you're concerned about the charge time of Nether Mantras, Swiftness
will help with that.
MARACH
Action Abilities : Nether Mantra and other magick ability
Support Ability : Swiftness
Movement Ability : Move +1/2/3
Equipment : Rod of Faith, Magepower Glove
------------------------------------------------------
Later, once when you get the Rod of Faith, you may want to consider giving it
to Marach. The Faith status maximizes both the Faith bonuses from Nether
Mantra *and* from regular magicks, allows him to use both!
Swiftness and Move +1/2/3 will still be useful in wielding Nether Mantra
effectively.
ORLANDEAU
Job : Sword Saint
Action Ability : Iaido or other
Reaction Ability : Shirahadori
Support Ability : Dual Wield
Movement Ability : Teleport or Move +3
Equipment : Chaos Blade, Excalibur, Maximillian, Grand Helm, Angel Ring
Bravery : High (97)
Faith : Low (03)
------------------------------------------------------
Orlandeau's tough in any form, but with the right set of ability, he comes to
close to the ultimate character and could win almost any single-player battle
by himself. As long as he's not using magick (and with his sword techniques,
there's not much reason to), you can lower his faith to render him nearly
impervious to enemy magick. He can't equip Chantage, of course, but an Angel
Ring makes a good back-up as it gives him one Reraise per battle in case he
does get KOed. If you want to poach monsters, ditch Dual Wield and the Chaos
Blade and give him Poach and the Escutcheon II instead.
Either Teleport or Move +3 is a great movement ability. Move +3 lets him cover
the map faster, but Teleport makes him more agile through difficult terrain and
large crowds of enemies.
Iaido might be a good secondary action ability since it gives him both group
attack capability and (through Murasame and Kiyomori) some healing and support
abilities.
For a more defensive version of this character, you can swap out Shirahadori
and Move +3/Teleport for Mana Shield and Manafont. You'll be a little less
mobile, but Mana Shield and Manafont will provide Orlandeau with an almost
constant buffer of HP that is effective against any kind of attack.
AGRIAS
Job : Holy Knight
Action Ability : Iaido or other
Reaction Ability : Shirahadori
Support Ability : Dual Wield
Movement Ability : Teleport or Move +3
Equipment : Chaos Blade, Excalibur, Maximillian, Ribbon,
Chantage or Tynar Rouge
Bravery : High (97)
Faith : Low (03)
------------------------------------------------------
Same as Orlandeau, but with the Ribbon's immunity to status changes, she's even
more invulnerable. For an accessory, you can choose between a Chantage (for
a permanent Reraise), or the instant Haste, attack boost, and protection of the
Tynar Rouge. The Rouge is probably the overall better choice, with the extra
attack power and permanent Shell/Protect, you may not even need a Reraise that
often!
Since Agrias is female and can't use the Bard job, getting Move +3 requires
unlocking Dark Knight; in the mean time, you can give her the Thief's Move +2.
BEOWULF
Job : Templar
Action Ability : Summon or Darkness
Equipment : Excalibur
------------------------------------------------------
Beowulf's Templar job is fairly useful as it can inflict a lot of status
conditions with no charge time. It also has the highest MP total of any job in
the game. This means that Beowulf can also make a good Summoner, since the
high MP cost of Summons isn't such an issue for him. If you take this route
with him, you may also want to give him Swiftness so the Summons charge faster.
Since Beowulf's Spellblade abilities don't depend on the strength of his
weapon, maximizing out his weapon power isn't so important. Instead, give him
an Excalibur for its permanent Haste effect.
Or, if you've unlocked Dark Knight, the Darkness abilities pair up well with
Beowulf's Vengeance ability. You can first use Darkness attacks, which sap
Beowulf's HP ... thus making his Vengeance attack stronger! And, if his HP
gets *too* low, you can restore it with Sanguine Sword.
REIS
Job : Dragonkin
Action Ability : Martial Arts or Steal or Jump
Support Ability : Brawler
Movement Ability : Move +3
Equipment : no weapon, Septie`me or Tynar Rouge
Bravery : High (97)
------------------------------------------------------
Although Reis has high HP, her punches are pretty weak without Brawler and a
high Bravery. Finally, since her move range is somewhat short, Move +3 (or a
lesser movement ability) will help her get across the battlefield. She can't
use much equipment, but you CAN give her perfume or lip rouge. Both the
Septie`me or Tynar Rouge will increase her magick attack (making her breath
attacks stronger) and give her Haste, allowing her to take more turs.
What about action abilities? If you've equipped Brawler, it makes sense to
also give her Martial Arts or Steal as an action ability since both these
abilities benefit from Brawler. Or, you could give her Jump, since she has
very high speed and this will make your Jump attacks execute quickly.
Paired with a Tiamat or Greater Hydra, Reis makes for one heck of a fighting
team, and she's also good at recruiting enemy monsters with her inherent Tame.
CONSTRUCT 8
Bravery : High (97)
------------------------------------------------------
Since Construct 8 can't change abilities or equipment and always has the
minimal level of Faith, the only way you can improve it is to max out its
Bravery and level it up.
BALTHIER
Job : Sky Pirate
Support Ability : Brawler
Equipment : Mirage Vest or Ninja Gear, Green Beret or Lambent Hat or
Thief's Cap, Hermes Shoes
------------------------------------------------------
Again, if you want to steal, this is the way to go. Balthier's Plunder
abilities and high Speed make him the best item-stealer in the game, if you're
so inclined.
CLOUD
Support Ability : Swiftness
Equipment : Materia Blade, Lambent Hat, Magepower Glove
------------------------------------------------------
Swiftness makes Cloud's Limits charge faster. And giving him a Lambent Hat for
headgear and Magepower Glove as accessoriy raises his magick attack strength,
which makes his Limits stronger.
MELIADOUL
Job : Divine Knight
Action Ability : Darkness
Support Ability : Attack Boost
Equipment : Chantage
------------------------------------------------------
Attack Boost is a good early ability to learn for Meliadoul since it will make
her sword techniques stronger.
Her main weakness, though, is that her sword techniques all only damage one
target at a time. And since the Divine Knight's magick attack is fairly low,
magick isn't a good choice for her either. Instead, you may want to consider
building her towards a Dark Knight. Several Darkness abilities can strike more
than target and she'll already have the sword she needs to use them.
Since Meliadoul is female, she can use Chantage; the automatic Reraise means
you won't have to worry about the HP loss from Darkness too much.
BYBLOS
Bravery : High (97)
Faith : Low (03)
------------------------------------------------------
As with Construct 8, tweaking the Byblos is pretty much limited to increasing
its Bravery. None of the Byblos's abilities depend on Faith, so you can also
safely lower its Faith to 3 to defend it against enemy magick.
%%%PARTY STRATEGIES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00par
HOLY JUSTICE
4 Knights with Chameleon Robes
Black Mage with Arithmeticks, Holy (White Mage) learned, Chameleon Robes
------------------------------------------------------
Have the Black Mage calculate Holy on as many targets as possible; it will do
lots of damage to the enemies but heal all your characters since Chameleon
Robes absorb holy damage!
PHANTOMS OF THE OPERA
4 Dancers with Mincing Minuet (Dancer) and Vanish (Ninja)
Ramza as a Mime
------------------------------------------------------
At the start of the battle, have all the Dancers dance Mincing Minuet, which
will damage all the enemies. Have them Wait out all their turns and they will
keep on Mincing. When the Dancers get hit, Vanish will turn them invisible.
Now, if you act while invisible, you'll become visible again... but if you just
wait, you keep using Mincing Minuet, and it doesn't count as an action! In
other words, you can stay invisible (and consequently inVINCible) and keep
damaging the enemies. You can't lose! Well, except for Ramza... just have run
and hide; he'll Mimic all the Minuets. (In non-story battles, you can dump
Ramza in favor of another Dancer.)
KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE
1 female character with Chantage
Another character with Ninja Gear, the Invisiblity Cloak, or Septie`me perfume
------------------------------------------------------
Chantage makes a character virtually invulnerable by giving her a permanent
Reraise ... but, of course, the one catch is that at least one other character
has to be still alive for the Reraise to work. What to do? Make another
teammate invisible (using the Ninja Gear, Invisibility Cloak, or Septie`me)
and have him/her hide in the corner where s/he won't get hit. As long as the
invisible character doesn't act and stays invisible, s/he won't get targeted by
enemies and can't die. This means the character with Chantage can Reraise
indefinitely! You can't lose! The only possible snag is if the invisible
character gets caught in the effect radius of a wide-range spell, which will
cause you to lose invisibility, but hiding in the corner is usually a good way
to keep this from happening.
*******************************************************************************
IX. STATISTICS AND LEVELING
*******************************************************************************
%%%BRAVERY AND FAITH%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00brave
Bravery and Faith are two "special" statistics that are not affected by gaining
levels. Bravery affects a couple different combat skills, while Faith governs
the effectiveness of magic.
Bravery and Faith each range on a scale from 0 to 100 for each character, both
human and monster. They are not affected by equipment, experience level, or
job. Instead, only a few abilities and story events (listed below) will change
Bravery or Faith temporarily for a battle. At the end of the battle, a quarter
of this change (rounded down) also becomes permanent. For instance, raising
your Bravery by 4 during a battle results in a 1-point permanent increase at
the end of the battle. Or, a 9-point decrease in Bravery during a battle will
result in a 2-point permanent decrease.
This calculation means it's not possible for Bravery or Faith to be permanently
raised above 97 or below 3 -- you can only get a 3-point change, which is not
enough for a permanent change!
---Bravery---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bravery relates to a couple different elements in combat. Generally speaking,
a high Bravery is better (and, in fact, will help you out quite a lot!)
---WHAT DOES BRAVERY AFFECT?---
- The chance of using most Reaction Abilities in response to an enemy attack is
equal to your Bravery. So, a high Bravery means you'll use Reaction
Abilities more. This is quite helpful, and the best reason for raising your
Bravery.
- A higher Bravery increases the damage you deal when attacking with fists,
knight's swords, and/or katanas.
- A higher level of Bravery increases your level of success at some Errands.
- If a unit's Bravery drops below 10 during battle, she/he/it will turn into a
Chicken. As a Chicken, the character cannot be controlled and will simply
flee into a corner and do nothing. A Chicken regains 1 Bravery each turn and
will turn back into its regular self once his/her Bravery gets back to 10.
- If a unit's permanent Bravery gets too low, he or she will abandon the team
out of cowardice and permanently disappear from the roster.
- When discovering items using the Treasure Hunter movement ability, you
receive one of two different possible items based on Bravery ... in this
case, having a LOW Bravery makes receiving the "good" item more likely. For
this reason, Rapha makes a great Treasure Hunter as she starts with a very
low Bravery.
---WHAT CHANGES BRAVERY?---
Bravery can be increased during battle by:
- Your choices in two story battles. Choosing to rush the enemy and not help
Argath on the Mandalia Plain in Chapter I will raise the current team's
Bravery by 10 for the battle (at least 2 of which is thus permanent). In
Chapter II, choosing to help Mustadio at Zaland will raise Bravery by 20;
choosing not to help him will raise Bravery by 10.
- The Orator's Praise skill raises Bravery by 4.
- The Dancer's Bravery Boost reaction ability raises Bravery by 3 in response
to a physical attack. Note that one use of this by itself is not enough for
a permanent change.
- Ramza and Luso's ability Steel (only available in Chapter II or later) raises
Bravery by 5 and has a 100% hit rate.
- Ramza and Luso have an ability called Shout (not available for Ramza until
Chapter IV) that raises their own Bravery by 10, but can only target
themselves, not other allies.
- Reis's Dragon's Might ability raises a dragon or hydra's Bravery. It does
not work on other characters/monsters.
Bravery can be decreased by:
- Choosing not to help Boco in the story battle at Araguay Woods in Chapter II.
This gives a 10 point penalty to the party's Bravery
- The Mystic's Trepidation magick and the Orator's Intimidate ability each
lowers Bravery by 20.
- Beowulf's Chicken ability lowers Bravery by 50!
- The Dread Gaze ability possessed by the Floating Eye and Ahriman monsters
lowers a character's Bravery by 10.
Remember that only 1/4 (25%) of these changes remain after a battle.
---WHAT LEVEL OF BRAVERY IS GOOD?---
There's little reason not to shoot for as high a Bravery as you can get. It
makes your Reaction Abilities more effective, and increases the power of
certain weapon types. The ONLY downside to having a higher Bravery is that it
keeps you from finding rare items with Treasure Hunter. But, you can just keep
one specialized character with a low Bravery for that, and raise your main
fighting team to have as high a Bravery as possible. Plus, once you've
collected all the rare Treasure Hunter items, you don't need a low-Bravery
character any more and can raise his/her Bravery back up.
---HOW CAN I RAISE BRAVERY?---
The best way to gain Bravery is to use Ramza and Luso's Steel ability. Steel
gives you the largest Bravery boost (5) and has a 100% hit rate. (To increase
Ramza and Luso's own Bravery, Shout is even better.) If you want to grind
Bravery, deploy both Ramza and Luso, increase their speed, and use Steel/Shout
until everyone's Bravery is maxed out at 100. Then finish off the enemies.
Since only 1/4 of your Bravery gains are permanent, you'll have to repeat this
process quite a few times to actually reach the highest permanent Bravery
possible (97).
Also, when you encounter the three battles in the story where you're given a
choice of mission objectives, be sure to pick the options that net you a higher
Bravery (don't help Argath; help Boco and Mustadio). This is a nice early
Bravery boost before you have other abilities to tweak it.
---HOW CAN I LOWER BRAVERY?---
The only reason you'll want to lower Bravery is for Treasure Hunter, but the
quickest way to do this is with Beowulf's Chicken. (The good Treasure Hunter
items don't show up until after Beowulf is available.) Each use of Chicken can
net up to a 12-point drop in permanent Bravery. Use it over the course of
several battles to drop your Bravery quite a bit. For final tuning of your
Bravery, use Intimidate to make smaller 4-point changes. (Remember that if you
go TOO low, you run the risk of the character deserting!)
---Faith-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Faith is mostly related to magick, and can be both good and bad.
---WHAT DOES FAITH AFFECT?---
- Magick is most effective when cast by characters with high Faith. Attack
magicks do more damage, healing magicks restore more HP, and status-changing
magick is more likely to succeed.
- But, enemy magick is also more effective against you when you have high
Faith.
- Marach's Nether Mantra abilities reverses the above: it does more damage when
Marach has LOW Faith, and when his targets have LOW Faith.
- "Magick" guns (Glacial Gun, Blaze Gun, Blaster) are more likely to do high
damage when the user has high Faith.
- A LOW Faith increases the attack strength of fell swords wielded by the
character.
- A higher level of Faith increases your level of success at some Errands.
- If your character's permanent Faith level gets too high, the character will
experience a religious conversion and permanently quit the team.
---WHAT CHANGES FAITH?---
Faith can be increased by:
- The Orator's Preach skill raises Faith by 4.
- The Bard's Faith Boost reaction ability raises Faith by 3 in response to a
magick attack. Note that one use of this by itself is not enough for a
permanent change.
- The Mystic's Belief spell and the Templar's Belief swordskill cause Faith
status, which acts as a temporary increase in a character's Faith to 100.
Because this status has no effect on a character's actual Faith number, it
does not result in any permanent change to Faith.
- The Rod of Faith weapon gives the character equipped with it a permanent
Faith status as long as it is equipped. (But, again, this never affects your
actual Faith number.)
- Striking characters with the Rod of Faith can bestow the Faith status on
them.
Faith can be decreased by:
- The Orator's Enlighten skill lowers Faith by 20.
- The Mystic's Disbelief spell and Templar's Doubt swordksill cause Atheist
status, which is the reverse of Faith status: it acts as a temporary
reduction to 0 in Faith, but also has no permanent impact on Faith.
---WHAT LEVEL OF FAITH IS GOOD?---
Unlike with Bravery, there's no "best" Faith value since Faith is a double-
edged sword -- it makes your own magicks stronger, but it also increases the
damage you take from enemy magicks.
For magick-users, you'll probably want a high Faith in order to increase your
magick strength. If you have a support character using a magick gun, you might
want to boost his Faith as well to make the gun more effective. Remember,
though, that you can't get your Faith TOO high (95+) or the character will quit
your team.
If a character isn't going to be using magick, you may want to lower his Faith
as low as possible. Of course, this destroys his/her ability to use magicks,
but it also renders them virtually invulnerable to enemy magicks. For
characters who use primarily physical attacks (e.g. Ninjas, Dark Knights,
special characters with swordskills) and not magicks, low Faith is actually a
great defensive asset!
---HOW CAN I RAISE/LOWER FAITH?---
You're pretty much dependent on the Orator's skills to change Faith. Just make
as many characters into Orators as possible, defeat most of the enemies and
cripple the remaining ones (see tips below), then have them use Enlighten or
Preach on each other.
%%%EXP, JP, AND GIL%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00exp
---EXP and Experience Levels---------------------------------------------------
Characters gain experience after every successful action except Defend and
Re-equip, unless they're KOed by an enemy counterattack. Gaining 100
experience points advances a character's experience level by 1 and resets the
experience count to 0. You cannot "carry over" any excess experience; gaining
23 EXP when you have 99 EXP still leaves you with 0 EXP at your new level.
Stats that increase with level gains include maximum HP, maximum MP, attack
power, magick power, and speed. Attack and magick power and speed increase
fairly slowly, though; you won't see these increase with every level gain.
Bravery and Faith do NOT increase with level up; they have their own mechanic
(see Bravery and Faith, above). Other stats that do NOT increase with level
ups are Move and Jump ranges and evade rates.
Of the five stats that do change, the amount each stat increases at level-up is
determined by the character's current job. For example, being a Knight will
cause you to gain more HP at level up than a Black Mage, but vice versa for MP.
(You can exploit this by leveling down and then back up; see Level-Downs & Stat
Grinding, below)
A character's experience level and current EXP count can also be used as the
basis of targeting Arithmeticks (see the Arithmetician job description above).
---HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE?---
The number of experience points you earn is largely determined by the gap
beween YOUR level and the TARGET's level. You'll earn 10 EXP for performing
an action on a target as the same level as you. Performing actions (either
healing or attacking) on characters of higher level than you will get you MORE
experience, and the gain is bigger the bigger the difference in level. Of
course, healing or attacking characters of lower level will you earn you LESS
experience, and the penalty is bigger the bigger the gap (though you'll always
earn at least 1 EXP).
A good way to build up low-level characters is to have them heal teammates who
are at a higher level. This is safe and won't get them counterattacked, and
if there's a big gap in level, they'll gain experience quickly. This technique
is particularly useful for building up Cloud, who starts at experience level 1
at a time when most of your characters are probably at least level 40.
Guns are also useful for low-level characters since their damage is not based
on any stats that are dependent on level. (Regular gun damage is based only on
the attack strength of the gun, and magickal guns reflect only attack strength
and Faith, which doesn't change with levels.)
---OTHER WAYS TO GAIN EXP---
- The Arithmetician support ability EXP Boost doubles the experience you earn
from regular actions.
- The Thief action ability Steal EXP steals all of an enemy's current
experience counter (i.e., anywhere from 0 to 99) and adds it to the stealer's
own experience counter. This can be useful for small-scale experience
boosts, but it's limited by the amount of EXP that your enemy has.
- The Arithmetician movement ability Accrue EXP gives you additional experience
every time you move around the battlefield.
- The Wild Boar monster -- available only by breeding from a Swine or other
Wild Boar -- has an ability called Bequeath Bacon that becomes available
when it is standing next to an ally with the Squire's Beastmaster support
ability. This ability causes its target to gain 1 experience level, but
turns the Wild Boar into a crystal, killing it permanently.
---ONION KNIGHTS---
The Onion Knight job cannot gain EXP! So, the easy way to level up to Onion
Knights is switch them to another job to level up. The hard way is to use
Bequeath Bacon, which is time-consuming but rewards you with the best stat
gains -- see the Level-Downs and Stat Grinding section below.
---Gaining JP------------------------------------------------------------------
JP is gained after every action, just like experience. Characters earn JP for
each job separately -- whatever your current job is, that's the job you'll earn
JP for. JP is used to "purchase" new abilities. It is also used to advance
your job level -- see Unlocking Jobs up in the Jobs section.
---SPILLOVER JP---
Whenever a character gains JP, all other allies ALSO gain some JP for the same
job, equal to 25% of the JP earned by the original character. For example, if
a character on your team who's a Ninja performs an action and gains 40 JP, your
other units will also gain 10 JP for the Ninja job, regardless of what their
current job is.
This bonus applies ONLY to characters participating in the current battle. It
does not apply to the other characters in your roster whom you did not deploy.
Note that "spillover" JP accumulates even for a jobs a given character hasn't
unlocked yet. You'll see it once the job DOES becomes available. For
instance, if Ramza earns JP as a Dragoon, Agrias will get spillover JP for the
Dragoon job, even if she hasn't unlocked it.
JP continues to be earned and distributed this way even if the character
already has 9999 JP for the job and his/her own JP count has stopped.
---OTHER WAYS TO GAIN JP---
- Characters at higher experience levels gain more JP! So, you'll find it
much quicker to unlock jobs and abilities at the end of the game than at the
start.
- Characters also gain more JP as their job level for the current job
increases. This means your JP growth for each job isn't linear; you start
out gaining JP slowly, but gain it more quickly after you've advanced job
levels.
- The Squire support ability JP Boost increases the JP you earn for each
action by 50%.
- The Arithmetician movement ability Accrue JP gives you additional experience
every time you move around the battlefield.
- JP is received from completing any Errand available in the Taverns in every
town. For the best reward, match up your jobs with the demands of the Errand
-- see the Errands list for more information.
---Gil-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gil is Ivalice's currency and is used to purchase items and services in towns.
Unlike EXP and JP, gil is not earned after every action. Instead, it's
primarily earned at the end of a battle as Bonus Coin. The amount of Bonus
Coin you receive at the end of the battle is equal to the combined level of all
the enemies times 100.
The other major way to earn gil is to sell items and equipment in your
inventory to the Outfitter or Poachers' Den. You'll receive half the list
price for each item (e.g., an item that costs 400 gil to buy at the Outfitter
will net you 200 gil when sold). A lot of equipment simply becomes obsolete
after newer equipment becomes available, so sell away! For example, there's no
reason to keep Leather Helms (+10 HP) when Bronze Helms (+20 HP) are available.
However, you may want to hang on to equipment with particular special effects
(e.g. immunity to certain status conditions), as these often come in handy for
particular battles.
---OTHER WAYS TO EARN GIL---
- Gil is received from completing any Errand available in the Taverns in every
town. It costs some gil to sign up for each Errand to begin with, though, so
your profit is often somewhat limited--in some cases, you can even LOSE money
on an Errand! For the best reward, match up your jobs with the demands of
the Errand -- see the Errands list for more information.
- The Thief action ability Steal Gil gives you a small amount of gil if it
succesfully hits an enemy unit. (Note that when enemy Thieves hit YOU with
Steal Gil, you'll actually lose money out of your War Funds!)
- The Thief reaction ability Gil Snapper, when triggered, gives you an amount
of gil equal to the amount of damage the character just received. This
actually isn't all that useful an ability, since the amount of gil you get
from it is small compared to Bonus Coin. (Even an attack that does 998 HP
damage would only get you 998 gil, compared to the tens of thousands you can
earn in Bonus Gil.)
- Many story battles also give you a fixed amount of gil as a Battle Trophy
after the battle in addition to the regular Bonus Coin. These include story
battles #1, #4, #5, #6, #7, #10, #13, #14, #16, #19, #22, #26, #29, #35, #39,
and #42. This gil tends to be helpful early in the game, but in the
later battles is quite small relative to the Bonus Coin.
- If you pick up an item from a chest during the battle and already have the
maximum 99 copies of that item, you'll instead be given gil equal to 1/4 of
the list price of the item.
%%%QUICKLY EARNING EXP AND JP%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00quick
The follow sections describes how EXP, JP, and gil are earned, and strategies
for earning them quickly and maxing out your stats.
It's RARELY (if ever!) necessary to spend time grinding experience to complete
the game. In most cases, a change of strategy is all you need to get you
through the next battle. But, if you're absolutely stuck or if you just want
to max out your characters, read on :)
---BASIC STRATEGY---
The basic strategy for quickly raising JP is to take out all but 1 or 2
enemies, and then afflict the remaining ones with status conditions that
prevent them from doing much of anything. Now, your characters can simply
perform actions over and over to net JP.
A more detailed breakdown of these steps:
---PARALYZING THE ENEMIES---
Status conditions that prevent the enemy from doing much of anything include
Stop, Disable, Toad, and Chicken. Chicken and (especially) Toad are the best
as Chicken lasts for as many as 10 enemy turns, and Toad lasts until actively
removed. Turning the last enemies to Stone will end the battle, so don't
do this.
Alternately, you can use your characters to trap the enemy in a place where it
can't move (e.g. in a corner, or next to tall obstacles), then turn those
characters into Stone (e.g. using the Mystic's Induration magick). This will
keep the enemy trapped where it can't move or attack you. Just make sure that
you have a way of eventually killing the enemy -- either a way to remove the
Stone status from your characters or a magick attack that can hit the trapped
enemy.
To further increase the number of actions you can take relative to the enemy,
you can raise your Speed and/or lower the enemy's (e.g., with Tailwind, Rend
Speed, etc.) This will reduce the amount of time you have to waste watching
the enemy move.
Finally, remember that it's important to keep the last enemy alive. If the
last enemy is KOed, the battle ends. For this reason, it's a good idea to
remove Reaction Abilities that would allow you to counterattack and
accidentally KO the enemy.
---RAISING JP---
The Focus ability (Squire) is probably the best for gaining JP, as it can be
acquired early in the game, requires no charge time, always succeeds, and does
not consume MP. Plus, it even has a fairly short animation! Once you've
turned the enemies into poultry or amphibians, you can simply use Focus over
and over to build JP.
Most of the special story characters, however, can't learn Focus, and neither
can monsters. For these characters, you'll need to use other action patterns:
- Inflict a minor status condition, then cure that condition. For instance,
make a character blind with the Mystic's Umbra spell or Beowulf's Blind sword
technique, then use Eye Drops to remove it.
- Attack other allied units. This works best if you turn the character into a
Toad first to minimize the damage s/he can do. (You could also use repeated
Rend Powers instead of Toad.) Or, equip the target with Chantage and she
will regenerate no matter times you attack and KO her.
If you're going to be attacking your allies, make sure they aren't equipped
with shields, cloaks, or reaction abilities that can stop attacks (like
Shirahadori or First Strike). You won't earn any JP for a dodged or blocked
attack. On the other hand, healing reaction abilities like Regenerator,
Critical: Recover HP, or Dragonheart will help your punching bags recover
from the damage they take :P.
- After you do some damage attacking your allies, you can also then use Chakra
or other healing abilities to heal the damage you inflicted, for another
source of JP.
Equipping the Squire's JP Boost is a HUGE help in raising JP. This ability
gives you a 50% boost to your JP and can be learned very early. (Even
characters without a Squire job have JP Boost available.)
Remember that the "spillover JP" effect means that whenever you gain for a
given job, the other active characters gain a lesser amount of JP for the same
job. You can adjust your strategy accordingly: If you really want to learn
abilities from ONE job, you can turn multiple characters into that job to
maximize your JP gains for that job. Or, you can use different jobs to spread
your JP gains between multiple jobs. This can be useful if Character A only
needs a few more JP for a particular job (say, Knight) -- you can make
Character B a Knight and Character A can just pick up the remaining Knight JP
from spillover while s/he works on a different job.
---RAISING EXP---
You can raise experience points in pretty much the same way as JP, since you'll
also earn experience for all of the actions listed above. Of course, EXP Boost
and Accrue EXP (both Arithmetician abilities) will speed your experience
gaining.
Since you can earn more experience by attacking/healing high-level characters,
a good strategy is to bring a mix of high-level and low-level characters, and
let the low-level characters beat up the high-level characters. Adding high-
level characters to your team will also increase the level of the enemies, and
so the low-level characters can earn more EXP from them as well.
If there's a sufficiently big gap in experience level between the low-level
and high-level character, you can combine EXP Boost and Accrue EXP to gain an
entire level per turn. Have your low-level character attack the high-level
character to gain most of the EXP needed for the next level, then move the
maximum distance to gain the rest of the needed EXP (via Accrue EXP). Repeat
the process in reverse on the character's next turn.
Once you hit level 99 and 99 experience, you can easily cast healing or
defensive magicks to your whole party using Arithmeticks and Level Multiple of
3 or Exp Multiple of 3. (Of course, you might hit a few enemies too.)
Note that, for monsters, it may be faster to get a "new" high-level monster
rather than level up an existing one. The level of a new monster born from an
egg can be as high as the highest-level character on your roster. So, if you
have a monster type you like but the monster is at a low experience level, you
can let the monster breed and you can probably get a higher-level version of
the same monster that way.
---RAISING BRAVERY/FAITH---
If you want to grind your Bravery and Faith up or down, you can paralyze the
enemies in the same way, and then repeatedly use abilities that change your
Bravery and Faith. The best abilities for this job are:
- Raising Bravery: Steel (Ramza/Luso)
- Lowering Bravery: Chicken (Beowulf) for large changes,
Intimidate (Orator) for smaller changes
- Raising Faith: Preach (Orator)
- Lowering Faith: Enlighten (Orator)
---PARALYZING EXCESS PARTY MEMBERS---
If you have extra party members that you don't want to level, use the Orator's
Induration spell to turn them to stone. This prevents them from getting any
turns at all, so you don't have to bother with them. (And, unlike being KOed,
it will never kill you permanently.)
This can be a useful strategy if you're trying to level up weaker characters,
who might not be able to handle the enemy party on their own. You can bring a
few strong characters to wipe out the batch of enemies, but then turn those
strong characters into Stone so you won't have to bother with them while your
weak characters train.
%%%AUTOMATED LEVELING%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00auto
It's possible to combine the above leveling tactics to make the game AI
automatically raise JP and experience for you! You can let the characters
fight and earn JP without even having to watch the game.
There are two different methods for doing this. The Simple Method is quick and
easy, but it doesn't work for monsters or most story characters and can be
tricky to use with a few generic jobs. The Universal Method is a bit more
complex and requires a few more abilities, but works for all characters and
jobs.
---The Simple Method-----------------------------------------------------------
This method, from reader winddraco, is quite easy to do, but it does NOT work
with monsters or with story characters except Ramza and Luso. It does,
however, also help you grind your Bravery up.
STEP ONE: You must have learned some ability that will let you cripple the
enemies' abilities to attack you. Either Toad (Black Mage) or Rend
Power/Speed (Knight) will work.
STEP TWO: In the Options list, set Battle Prompts, Display Ability Names, and
Display Effect Messages, and Display Earned EXP/JP (items 6 through 9) to
OFF, so that these messages won't interrupt the game.
STEP THREE: The characters you want to level up must have learned the Focus
ability (Squire). (This is why most story characters are ineligible as they
don't have Focus.) Switch these characters into the job you want to gain JP
as, then have them equip the Squire's Fundaments ability as a secondary
action ability. REMOVE any ranged weapons they might have.
STEP FOUR (OPTIONAL): Equip JP Boost on the characters who will be gaining JP.
This isn't strictly *necessary*, but certainly helps you gain JP faster!
STEP FIVE (OPTIONAL): If the characters who will be gaining levels are pretty
weak, you may want to deploy some other "helper" characters who will just
function to kill the other enemies. If you're doing this, make sure at least
one character in the squad has the Mystic's Induration magick available.
STEP SIX: Get into a random battle. A spacious map like Zeklaus Desert is
helpful because you'll need to keep your characters separated from the
enemies.
STEP SEVEN: Defeat all but a few of the enemies. Clear out the enemy bodies
and any chests or crystals. (Crystals will interrupt the battle with a
message you have to respond to, so you want to get rid of them.)
STEP EIGHT: Use Toad or repeated Rend Powers/Rend Speeds to reduce the
remaining enemies to a crippled state so they can't hurt you.
STEP NINE (OPTIONAL): If you were using any "helper" characters, use the
Induration magick to turn all these characters to stone. This will keep them
from participating in the battle or taking up turns.
STEP TEN: Move all your remaining characters to the opposite site of the
battlefield from the remaining enemies.
STEP ELEVEN: Set all the characters to AI control and pick the "Coward"
pattern.
11A) If Ramza or Luso is on the team, set him to the "Defender" AI pattern and
pick another character to help out. He will use Tailwind and/or Steel to
boost that character's speed or Bravery. This has the nice side effect of
helping you to raise your Bravery up too.
At this point, your AI-controlled characters should just run from the remaining
enemies while spending most (though not ALL) of their turns using Focus to
build their attack power. (They may also sometimes use other support abilities
instead.) Each ability used earns them EXP and JP. Meanwhile, the remaining
enemies are too weak to hurt you at all.
At this point, you can leave the game running while the characters build up EXP
and JP. Just make sure your PSP has plenty of power -- you may want to plug it
in before you leave.
STEP TWELVE: When you've earned enough JP to master your current jobs, press
Triangle to interrupt the battle. Select your characters and switch them
back to Manual control.
STEP THIRTEEN: Finish off the remaining enemies to end the battle. Your attack
strength will be through the roof, so this should be quite easy :)
That's it! This method is quite easy to do, since it really requires only
Focus. However, it doesn't work with special story characters who don't have
Focus (i.e., most of them) or monsters. For those characters, you'll need to
use the Universal Method below. A few standard jobs with long-range
special abilities (e.g. Dragoon) can also cause trouble as the AI may choose to
use range attacks. However, if you start leveling before you've learned those
abilities, you won't have to worry about this.
There's also a chance that your AI-controlled characters will occasionally
throw stones at the enemy and accidentally kill them because of their high
attack power. If you leave more than one crippled enemy in play, this will
help keep the battle from ending prematurely.
---The Universal Method--------------------------------------------------------
The procedure is also pretty straightforward -- you really only need the Toad
and Induration spells to do it, although having Rend Power and/or Rend Speed
and Berserk will help. The advantage of this method is that it is guaranteed
to work with ALL jobs and characters (including monsters!, but it may require a
bit more management.
Here's the method:
STEP ONE: Make sure at least one character on your team has learned the Toad
magick (Black Mage), and also either Induration (Mystic) or Arithmeticks.
STEP TWO: In the Options list, set Battle Prompts, Display Ability Names, and
Display Effect Messages, and Display Earned EXP/JP (items 6 through 9) to
OFF, so that these messages won't interrupt the game.
STEP THREE: Designate one character as the Toad-caster. Change the remaining
characters to whatever Jobs you want to gain JP.
STEP FOUR (OPTIONAL): Equip JP Boost on the characters who will be gaining JP.
This isn't strictly *necessary*, but certainly helps you gain JP faster!
STEP FIVE: Get into a battle. Random battles at the Mandalia Plain work great
because they have weak enemies and helpful terrain, but anywhere works.
STEP SIX: Defeat all but 1 or 2 of the enemies. Clear out the enemy bodies
and any chests or crystals. (Crystals will interrupt the battle with a
message you have to respond to, so you want to get rid of them.)
STEP SEVEN (OPTIONAL): Use Rend Speed (Knight) repeatedly to reduce the
remaining enemies' speed. This isn't required, but will speed up your
leveling by reducing the number of enemy turns interrupting the process.
STEP EIGHT (OPTIONAL): Use Rend Power (Knight) to reduce your own characters'
and the enemies' attack strength. This allows you to earn more JP per
battle, as your characters will have to take more turns to finish off the
enemies.
If you're going to be using Rend Power on yourself, remove any accessories or
reaction abilities that evade physical attacks (e.g. shields or Shirahadori),
so that you won't be dodging the Rend Powers.
STEP NINE: Use the Toad magick to turn the remaining enemies, as well as your
allies, into toads. Having a high Faith will increase the likelihood that
the magick succeeds in turning characters into toads.
Once you have Arithmeticks, you can use it to more efficiently cast Toad on
everyone. As noted in sahkuh's YouTube video below, Mandalia Plain provides
a great opportunity to do this. Just put all the characters you want to turn
to Toads on height 2 ground (and lure the enemy up there) and position your
Toad-caster stands on the height 4 rock, then cast Height Prime Toad. If the
spell misses any characters, move the remaining ones onto the height 3 rocks
and cast Height Multiple of 3 Toad.
If you're not using Arithmeticks, it may be helpful to bring Chakra or some
Ethers to make sure you have enough MP for repeated casts of Toad.
STEP TEN (OPTIONAL): If there any characters you don't need to level up, take
them out of the action so that they don't steal any of the EXP/JP! You can
do this in two ways:
10A) Set them to AI control and pick the Coward option. As long as they're
Toads, they'll simply run and hide in the corner.
10B) Use the Mystic's Induration spell to turn them to Stone.
STEP ELEVEN: Set your Toad allies to fight automatically. There are two ways
to do this:
11A) Use the Mystic's Fervor spell to give them Berserk status. (You can use
Arithmeticks to cast this on many characters at once.) If you have Fervor
available, this is the preferred method. Just make sure you don't Berserk
your human character by accident, as s/he will finish off the enemy toads too
quickly.
11B) Set the characters to AI control. Choose the "Berserker" AI pattern and
set them to attack the remaining enemies. As long as ALL your allies have
Toad or Stone status, they'll attack away. (If there is at least one non-
Toad character on your side, AI-controlled Toads will flee instead of
attacking.)
Note that method 11B will NOT work if any of the characters have the Black
Magicks command and the Toad spell, as the AI will then have the characters
cast Toad on themselves to turn back into human form. You can either drain
away their all MP beforehand, or just use method 11A.
The AI-controlled toads will sometimes also get "stuck" in a weird AI pattern
and stop attacking the enemy. If you're using this method and the AI stops
attacking, press Triangle to pause and change the AI to Coward for one turn
to make your characters run away. Then switch them back to Berserker and
they should start attacking again. Since this requires additional
babysitting of the game and isn't completely automatic, using the Fervor
magick is better. Characters with Berserk status will ALWAYS attack.
At this point, the Toad-ified characters will automatically fight the enemy
toad(s), doing minimal damage (especially if you used Rend Power beforehand)
but earning JP each time. This allows them to automatically earn a tremendous
amount of JP as they keep fighting in toad form. The only issue is what to do
with your remaining human character, who was casting Toad on everyone:
STEP TWELVE: Remove your Toad-caster from active control, so that your team
will be fully automatic. Again, you can do this in two ways:
12A) Cast the Mystic's Induration spell on yourself to turn to Stone. The
character won't get any turns at all for the rest of battle, so you won't
have to enter commands for him/her. However, s/he won't be able to
participate in the auto-leveling either.
12B) Cast Toad on yourself, then set the character to AI control and choose
the "Berserker" AI pattern to start attacking the enemy. This has the
advantage of allowing all 5 characters to gain JP, but it ONLY works if you
are using Arithmeticks to cast Toad--because if you have the Black Magicks
command available, the AI will simply cast Toad on itself and turn the
character back to a human. So, if you don't have Arithmeticks yet, use
method 12A.
Once you've turned your last human character into Stone or an AI-controlled
toad, your party will be fully automatic. Your toads will battle the enemy
toad and rack up a ton of JP in the process. At this point, you can simply
leave the game running and do something else. Just make sure your PSP has
plenty of power -- you may want to plug it in before you leave.
Eventually, your party will finish off the last enemy toad and the battle will
end. Then, it's time to repeat the process with a new battle. Using Rend
Power will allow each battle to run longer since the characters will need more
turns to finish off the enemy toad.
You can level every character in the game this way except for Construct 8, who
is immune to Toad status. To build up Construct 8, you can use Rend Power to
reduce its attack strength as much as possible and then set it to AI control.
CAUTION!: Of course, it's still possible for the enemy toad(s) to KO/kill your
characters. This is bad. However, as long as you outnumber the enemy and/or
used Rend Speed on the enemy toads, you'll win easily. If you want to be
extra cautious, give your characters Reraise before you've turned everyone to
toads.
YouTube user sahkuh has uploaded an excellent video demonstration of this
general method. At the time of this writing, this video is available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3dSSDwNSFE
%%%LEVEL DOWNS AND STAT GRINDING%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00down
---THE BASICS---
As noted in the EXP section, the stat gains you gain at level up are partially
based on your current job -- for example, being a Knight will cause you to gain
more HP at level up than a Summoner, but vice versa for MP.
If you want to max out your stats, find a Degenerator trap on a map, or
recruit a Mindflayer and use Beastmaster to access its Level Blast ability.
(Both of these will lower a character's experience level.) Turn into your
character into a Chemist, Bard, or Dancer and activate the trap/Level Blast.
Since these three jobs have small stat gains per level, the level drop will
only decrease your stats a little. Now, change the character into a better job
and level back up. Your stat gains at level up will be based on the current
job, so by the time you get back to the same level, you'll have gained more
than you lost. This results in a net INCREASE in your stats, even though at
you're at the SAME level! If you really have nothing better to do with your
time ;), you can keep repeating this cycle over and over to keep raising your
stats.
Two convenient Degenerator traps that you may want to use:
- Zeklaus Desert, in the ravine in the center of the map. It's in one corner
of the ravine, on a tile of height 0 next to a cliff with height 3. If you
enter the desert from Gollund, you'll start fairly close to this tile.
- Midlight's Deep floor 2, The Stair. It's on the tile with one of the
Elixirs (see the Midlight's Deep sections above for the specific location of
the tile). Of the two Elixirs, it's actually the one that's right next to
where your team starts, which makes it really handy!
---RECOMMENDED JOBS---
What jobs are best to use with this strategy?
- For level-DOWN: Bard and Dancer are the best jobs to level-down with as they
decrease your stats the least. If you don't have those jobs unlocked,
Chemist is a decent alternative.
- For gaining SPEED, Ninja is the best. Ninja will also raise HP and attack
power, though more slowly.
- For gaining HP, PHYSICAL ATTACK, and MAGICK ATTACK, Mime is the best.
However, Mime will not raise your Speed at all.
- For gaining MP, Summoner is the best.
Gaining MP generally isn't important, so Ninja and Mime are the best jobs to
grind stats with. Overall, Speed is probably the best stat to raise (via
Ninja). Speed increases are normally pretty hard to gain, while HP and attack
strength are easier to increase. And a high Speed will give your characters
numerous turns to get the jump on the enemy.
Note that the stat-grinding procedure tends to favor male characters, since
Bard is a better job to level down with Dancer. (Leveling down as a Dancer
drops your physical attack more than it does as a Bard.) Consider it
compensation for the ladies' Chantage and Tynar Rouge ;) Of course, you can
eventually max out your stats for both genders; it's just *faster* for male
characters.
---ONION KNIGHTS---
If you REALLY want to maximize your stat gains, the job with the best stats at
level-up is the Onion Knight. But since Onion Knights don't gain regular
experience and can't equip the Steal EXP or Accrue EXP skills, there's only way
to level them up: the Wild Boar's Bequeath Bacon skill. First, you'll need a
Swine on your team; use it to breed some Wild Boars. (Wild Boars don't appear
anywhere on their own.) During battle, position the Wild Boar next to a
character with the Squire's Beastmaster skill (or Reis, whose Dragonkin job has
an innate Beastmaster) to make Bequeath Bacon available. Use Bequeath Bacon on
your Onion Knight. This causes the Onion Knight to gain 1 level, but turns the
Wild Boar into a crystal, killing it permanently. Then, get another Wild Boar
and repeat the process to gain another level, and so on. This obviously takes
a lot of time, but you can great stats out of it, so if you're into leveling,
go hog wild :) (pun intended ;) )
If you don't want to go to all this effort, you can just use the other jobs
recommended above. They don't quite as big stat gains as Onion Knights, but
you'll get to the same place eventually. And, unless you have a lot of roster
slots for breeding Wild Boars, it's probably faster to use Ninja/Mime to level
up. See below for a specific strategy for this.
---QUICKLY GRINDING STATS---
FAQ contributor winddraco suggests a great method for quickly grinding stats.
STEP ONE: The character(s) you want to grind with should be switched to a Bard
or Dancer. (We'll call these character the "Grinder(s).") If you don't have
Bard or Dancer available yet, you could also use Chemist.
1A (OPTIONAL): If you have any abilities or items to make the Bard or Dancer
Invisible, equip them. You can use the Ninja Gear or Septie`me perfume, or
even the Ninja's Vanish ability (use a weak attack against the character at
the start of the battle to trigger Vanish). Being Invisible will protect
him/her once s/he's been leveled down.
STEP TWO: Get into a random battle at Zeklaus Desert. Deploy the Grinder(s)
and Ramza or Luso the Grinder(s). If you need any extra "helper" characters
to finish off the monsters, bring them and the Induration magick (Mystic) to
turn them into stone when you're done with them.
STEP THREE: Defeat all but 1 or 2 of the monsters, then use Toad or Rend Power/
Rend Speed to cripple the remaining ones. At this point, you can use
Induration to petrify any "helper" characters.
STEP FOUR: Have Ramza or Luso use Tailwind repeatedly to raise the Speed of the
Grinder(s) and net them many extra turns.
STEP FIVE: Put Ramza or Luso out of action. You can do this in two ways:
5A) Have Ramza/Luso cast Induration on himself to turn himself to Stone. If
you do this, MAKE SURE a Grinder has Items as a second command and has
learned the Gold Needle or Remedy ability, and there is at least 1 Gold
Needle or Remedy in your inventory. You need to be able to cure
Ramza/Luso at the end of battle so he can KO the last enemy. And,
having leveled down to level 1, the Grinder will most likely be too weak
to KO anything.
5B) Have Ramza/Luso step on the Hypnogas trap in Zeklaus Desert to put
himself to sleep. The Hypnogas trap is located directly adjacent to the
single cactus on side of the map. It's on the side of the cactus facing
the ravine at the center of the map.
Ramza/Luso will eventually wake up using the Hypnogas method, but you
can have him step off the trap and back on to retrigger it and put him
back to sleep. Or, have him try a very long-range Teleport, which will
almost certainly fail and land him back on the Hypnogas tile,
retriggering the trap in a single turn!
STEP SIX: Have the Grinder(s) repeatedly step on the Degenerator trap. Again,
it's in one corner of the ravine, on a tile of height 0 next to a cliff with
height 3. If you have only a single Grinder, you can just stand on the
trap tile and use failed long-range Teleports to trigger the trap every turn.
Don't have the Grinder(s) take any action, just have them move, and you can
keep them Invisible and safe.
STEP SEVEN: When the Grinder(s) hits level 1, wake up or depetrify Ramza and
finish off the enemies.
STEP EIGHT: Outside of battle, switch the Grinder(s) to the job you want to
level up with (e.g. Ninja). Give them Accrue EXP and/or EXP Boost if
available.
STEP NINE: Get into a new random battle. Again, cripple the remaining enemies
and have the Grinder(s) attack high-level allies to gain levels until they're
back at 99. You can use the general tactics above for gaining levels. A
generally quick route is to have a high-level Ramza use Tailwind to raise the
Grinder(s) while they beat him up and (if they have Accrue EXP) move around.
Use Rend Power to reduce the damage you do to Ramza, and give Ramza Critical:
Restore HP to keep him alive.
STEP TEN: Rinse, lather, and repeat all 9 steps for even higher stats!
---OTHER USES FOR LEVEL-DOWNS---
The other reason you may want to use level downs is if you're expecting to face
enemy Arithmeticians (which is pretty infrequently). Changing level 99
characters to level 98 prevents them from being hit by Level Multiple of 3
spells.
*******************************************************************************
X. EQUIPMENT AND ITEMS 00equip
*******************************************************************************
A few words of introduction here as well: Many (but not all) items can be
bought at the Outfitters, but most are not available at the start of the game.
As you progress through the game, the shop inventories go through a series of
revisions. In the tables below, the SHOP column denotes which revision makes
the item available:
#1: Beginning of Game
#2: Chapter I - After reaching Eagrose Castle
#3: Chapter I - After Sand Rat's Sieve
#4: Chapter I - After defeating Milleuda at Lenalian Plateau
#5: Chapter II - Beginning of chapter
#6: Chapter II - After Ovelia and Agrias join as guests
#7: Chapter II - After reaching Lionel Castle
#8: Chapter II - After reaching Goug
#9: Chapter II - After battle at Balias Tor
#10: Chapter III - Beginning of chapter
#11: Chapter III - After Alma joins as guest
#12: Chapter III - After battles at Orbonne Monastery
#13: Chapter III - After Rapha joins as guest
#14: Chapter IV - Beginning of chapter
#15: Chapter IV - After Fort Besselat
#16: Chapter IV - After battles at Limberry Castle
A "--" in the SHOP column indicates the item is NEVER available at stores --
see the Rare Item Locations list in Section X for information on where to get
these.
All items, including ones that can't be bought at the Outfitters, can be sold
for 1/2 the listed price. Items acquired through the Poacher's Den are
bought for 1/2 the listed price.
# denotes an item that can ONLY be obtained in the game's multiplayer mode.
Note that such weapons CANNOT be Thrown using the Ninja's Throw command.
%%%WEAPONS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00weap
In the tables below, PARRY is the evasion rate granted by the weapon when used
with the Knight's Parry reaction ability. Without Parry equipped, this
statistic has no effect.
DAMAGE BASES: Different classes of weapons use different stats in calculating
their damage output. For example, the damage from Swords is based on the
user's Physical Attack stat (as well as on the strength of the sword, etc.),
while Ninja Blades take into consideration both Physical Attack and Speed.
(These are listed in the charts below for each weapon type.) Based on a
character's stats, you can try to choose a good matching weapon type. Here's a
quick overview of what stats relate to what weapon types:
Physical Attack : Swords, Axes, Rods, Flails, Crossbows, Polearms
Phys. Attack & Speed : Knives, Ninja Blades, Bows
Phys. Attack & Bravery : Fists, Knight's Swords, Katanas
Phys. Attack & LOW Faith : Fell Swords
Phys. Attack & Mag. Attack : Instruments, Books, Cloths
Magick Attack : Staves, Poles
Faith : Magick guns
none : Non-magick guns, Bags
(Note that since guns don't take any of the user's statistics into
consideration, they can be good for low-level characters with poor stats.)
DUAL WIELD: This indicates whether the weapon can be used with the Ninja's Dual
Wield ability, which allows you to equip two weapons at once.
DOUBLEHAND: Indicates whether the weapon can be used with the Samurai's
Doublehand ability, which allows you to wield one weapon with both hands to
increase your attack power. "Doublehand: Only" means that the weapon type
ALWAYS requires both hands. You don't Doublehand to use these weapons, but you
also can't use Doublehand to increase their attack power.
RANGE: Each weapon type has a range. The horizontal range is how many tiles
the weapon reaches. The vertical range is the maximum allowable difference in
height between you and your target. A * here indicates an unlimited vertical
range. Note that many weapons have different vertical range when used to
attack upwards (i.e., an enemy above you) vs. when used to attack downards.
Unlike magick, all weapons have an effect radius of 1 tile only -- they only
strike a single target.
Almost weapon types require a direct line of fire between the user and target.
The exception is regular bows (regular bows ONLY - NOT crossbows!), which can
also be fired in a vertical arc between the user and target.
SPECIAL: Finally, many weapons have various special effects. Most commonly,
these are one or more of the following:
- "Inflicts:" - The weapon inflicts a status effect on its target.
- "Always:" - The weapon gives the user a permanent status effect.
- "Boosts:" - The weapon increases the power of spells of the named element
when cast by the user (e.g. "Boosts: Ice" increases the power of ice
spells cast by the person with the weapon).
- "Casts:" - The weapon will sometimes cast a particular magick on its
target after dealing its regular damage.
- "____ elemental" - The weapon does elemental damage
---Fists-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Bravery Dual Wield : Yes
Used By : Doublehand : No
All human jobs, when no other weapon equipped Horiz. range : 1
Vert. range : 2 up,
3 down
Equipping the Brawler support ability (Monk) increases the power of barehanded
attacks.
---Knives----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Speed Dual Wield : Yes
Used By : Doublehand : No
Regular Jobs: Squire, Chemist, Thief, Orator, Ninja, Horiz. range : 1
Dancer, Onion Knight Vert. range : 2 up,
Special Jobs: Squire [Ramza], Machinist, Game Hunter, 3 down
Templar, Sky Pirate
With Ability: none
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Dagger 100 3 5% #1
Mythril Knife 500 4 5% #2
Blind Knife 800 4 5% #3 Inflicts: Blind
Mage Masher 1500 4 5% #4 Inflicts: Silence
Platinum Dagger 1800 5 10% #6
Main Gauche 3000 6 40% #11
Orichalcum Dirk 4000 7 5% #12
Assassin's Dagger 5000 7 5% #13 Inflicts: Doom
Air Knife 8000 10 5% #15 Wind elemental
Zwill Straightblade 12000 12 10% -- Inflicts: Sleep
---Ninja Blades----------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Speed Dual Wield : Yes
Used By : Doublehand : Yes
Regular Jobs: Ninja, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 1
Special Jobs: Sword Saint Vert. range : 2 up,
With Ability: none 3 down
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Ninja Blade 3000 8 5% #10
Kunai 5000 9 5% #11
Kodachi 7000 10 5% #12
Ninja Longblade 10000 12 5% #13
Spellbinder 16000 13 5% #14 Inflicts: Disable
Sasuke's Blade 10 14 15% --
Iga Blade 10 15 10% --
Koga Blade 10 15 5% --
Orochi # 10 20 5% -- Drains HP from target to wielder
Moonsilk Blade # 10 26 5% --
---Swords----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack Dual Wield : Yes
Used By : Doublehand : Yes
Regular Jobs: Squire, Knight, Geomancer, Dark Knight, Horiz. range : 1
Onion Knight Vert. range : 2 up,
Special Jobs: Squire [Ramza], Squire [Delita], 3 down
Squire [Argath], Fell Knight, Holy Knight,
Game Hunter, Templar, Sky Pirate, Sword Saint,
Sword Saint, Divine Knight, Soldier, Ark Knight
With Ability: Equip Swords [Knight]
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Nagnarok 10 1 50% -- Inflicts: Toad
Broadsword 200 4 5% #1
Longsword 500 5 10% #2
Iron Sword 900 6 5% #3
Mythril Sword 1600 7 8% #4
Coral Sword 3300 8 5% #6 Lightning elemental
Blood Sword 2500 8 5% -- Drains HP from target to wielder
Ancient Sword 5000 9 5% #10 Inflicts: Immobilize
Sleep Blade 5000 9 5% #11 Inflicts: Sleep
Diamond Sword 8000 10 10% #12
Materia Blade 10 10 10% -- Enables Cloud's Limit command
Platinum Sword 11000 12 10% #13
Icebrand 14000 13 10% #14 Ice elemental; Casts: Blizzaga
Runeblade 20000 14 15% #15 Magick Atk+2
Moonblade # 10 20 15% -- Always: Haste
Onion Sword # 10 50 15% -- Only equippable by Onion Knights!
---Knight's Swords-------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Bravery Dual Wield : Yes
Used By : Doublehand : Yes
Regular Jobs: Knight, Dark Knight, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 1
Special Jobs: Squire [Ramza] (ch.4), Fell Knight, Vert. range : 2 up,
Holy Knight, Game Hunter, Templar, 3 down
Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Divine Knight, Ark Knight
With Ability: none
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Defender 40000 16 60% --
Save the Queen 10 18 30% -- Always: Protect
Excalibur 10 21 30% -- Always: Haste; Absorbs: Holy;
Boosts: Holy
Ragnarok 10 24 20% -- Always: Shell
Durandal # 10 26 40% -- Holy elemental;
Always: Shell, Protect
Chaos Blade 10 40 20% -- Always: Regen; Inflicts: Stone
---Katanas---------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Bravery Dual Wield : Yes
Used By : Doublehand : Yes
Regular Jobs: Samurai, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 1
Special Jobs: Sword Saint Vert. range : 2 up,
With Ability: Equip Katana [Samurai] 3 down
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Ashura 1600 7 15% #7
Kotestu 3000 8 15% #7
Osafune 5000 9 15% #9
Murasame 7000 10 15% #10
Ama-no-Murakumo 8000 11 15% #11
Kiyomori 10000 12 15% #13
Muramasa 15000 14 15% #14
Kiku-ichimonji 22000 15 15% #15
Masamune 10 18 15% --
Chirijiraden 10 25 15% --
---Axes------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack Dual Wield : No
Used By : Doublehand : Only
Regular Jobs: Squire, Geomancer, Dark Knight, Horiz. range : 1
Onion Knight Vert. range : 2 up,
Special Jobs: Squire [Argath] 3 down
With Ability: Equip Axes [Squire]
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Battle Axe 1500 9 0% #4
Giant's Axe 4000 12 0% #7
Slasher 12000 16 0% #11 Inflicts: Slow
Francisca # 10 24 0% --
Golden Axe # 10 30 0% --
Note: All axes do variable damage. The actual damage inflicted may be more or
less than the estimate you see. (The estimate is the *average* damage you'll
inflict.)
---Rods------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack Dual Wield : Yes
Used By : Doublehand : Yes
Regular Jobs: Black Mage, Summoner, Mystic, Horiz. range : 1
Onion Knight Vert. range : 2 up,
Special Jobs: Netherseer 3 down
With Ability: none
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Rod 200 3 20% #1
Thunder Rod 400 3 20% #3 Lightning elemental;
Boosts: Lightning,
Casts: Thunder
Flame Rod 400 3 20% #3 Fire elemental; Boosts: Fire;
Casts: Fire
Ice Rod 400 3 20% #3 Ice elemental; Boosts: Ice;
Casts: Blizzard
Poison Rod 500 3 20% #6 Inflicts: Poison
Wizard's Rod 8000 4 20% #12 Magick Atk+2
Dragon Rod 12000 5 20% --
Rod of Faith 10 5 20% -- Always: Faith; Inflicts: Faith
Stardust Rod # 10 5 20% -- Magick Atk+3; Casts: Gravity
Crown Sceptre # 10 5 20% -- Magick Atk+4
---Staves----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Magick Attack Dual Wield : Yes
Used By : Doublehand : Yes
Regular Jobs: White Mage, Time Mage, Summoner, Mystic, Horiz. range : 1
Onion Knight Vert. range : 2 up,
Special Jobs: Princess, Cleric, Skyseer 3 down
With Ability: none
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Oak Staff 120 3 15% #1
White Staff 800 3 15% #3 Removes (from target): Doom
Serpent Staff 2200 5 15% #6
Mage's Staff 4000 4 15% #9 Magick Atk+1
Healing Staff 4000 4 15% -- Restores HP instead of inflicting
damage
Nirvana # 10 5 15% -- Holy elemental, Magick Atk+3
Dreamwaker # 10 5 15% -- Magick Atk+4
Golden Staff 7000 6 15% #12
Zeus Mace 10 6 15% -- Physical Atk+2, Magick Atk+1
Staff of the Magi 10 7 15% --
---Flails----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack Dual Wield : Yes
Used By : Doublehand : Yes
Regular Jobs: Squire, Ninja, Dark Knight, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 1
Special Jobs: Squire [Ramza], Squire [Delita], Vert. range : 2 up,
Squire [Argath], Game Hunter : 3 down
With Ability: none
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Iron Flail 1200 9 0% #9
Flame Mace 4000 11 0% #11 Fire elemental; Casts: Fira
Morning Star 9000 16 0% #13
Scorpion Tail 40000 23 0% --
Vesper # 10 36 0% --
Note: All axes do variable damage. The actual damage inflicted may be more or
less than the estimate you see. (The estimate is the *average* damage you'll
inflict.)
---Guns------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: nothing (regular guns) Dual Wield : No
Faith (magick guns) Doublehand : No
Used By : Horiz. range : 3-8
Regular Jobs: Chemist, Orator, Onion Knight Vert. range : * up,
Special Jobs: Machinist, Sky Pirate * down
With Ability: Equip Guns [Orator]
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Romandan Pistol 5000 6 5% #8
Mythril Gun 15000 8 5% #11
Ras Algethi 28000 12 5% --
Stoneshooter 10 16 5% -- Inflicts: Stone; user begins each
battle with Stone status
Fomalhaut # 10 18 5% --
Glacial Gun 10 20 5% -- Ice elemental; variable damage*
Blaze Gun 10 21 5% -- Fire elemental; variable damage*
Blaster 10 22 5% -- Lightning elemental;
variable damage*
Note: All guns have a 100% hit rate, although Shirahadori can still be used to
block them.
* Note 2: These three guns do variable damage. The actual damage inflicted may
be MORE than the estimate you see. (Unlike with axes or flails, the damage
done by elemental guns is never LESS than the estimate.)
---Crossbows-------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack Dual Wield : No
Used By : Doublehand : No
Regular Jobs: Archer, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 3-4
Special Jobs: Sky Pirate, Divine Knight Vert. range : * up,
With Ability: Equip Crossbows [Archer] * down
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Bowgun 400 3 5% #2
Knightslayer 1500 3 5% #4 Inflicts: Blind
Crossbow 2000 4 5% #7
Poison Bow 4000 4 5% #10 Inflicts: Poison
Hunting Bow 8000 6 5% #12
Gastrophetes 20000 10 5% #15
---Bows------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Speed Dual Wield : No
Used By : Doublehand : Only
Regular Jobs: Archer, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 3-5*
Special Jobs: Sky Pirate Vert. range : * up,
With Ability: none * down
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Long Bow 800 4 0% #3
Silver Bow 1500 5 0% #4
Ice Bow 2000 5 0% #5 Ice elemental
Lightning Bow 3000 6 0% #7 Lightning elemental;
Casts: Thundaga
Mythril Bow 5000 7 0% #10
Windslash Bow 8000 8 0% #12 Wind elemental
Artemis Bow 22000 10 0% --
Yoichi Bow 10 12 0% --
Perseus Bow 10 16 0% --
Sagittarius Bow # 10 24 0% --
* Note: Bows have a horizontal range of 3-5 on level ground. Attacking
downwards INCREASES the maximum range, while firing upwards decreases your
range. From a high vantage point, you can shoot extremely far!
Note 2: Unlike all other weapons, bows do not require a direct line of fire,
since they can also be fired in an arc over obstacles and other enemies. This
is really helpful in maps crowded with enemies or obstacles.
---Instruments-----------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Magick Attack Dual Wield : No
Used By : Doublehand : No
Regular Jobs: Bard, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 3
Special Jobs: none Vert. range : * up,
With Ability: none * down
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Lamia's Harp 5000 10 10% #7 Inflicts: Confuse
Bloodstring Harp 10000 13 10% #12 Drains HP from target to wielder
Faerie Harp 30000 15 10% -- Inflicts: Charm
Note that unlike other Charm attacks, the Faerie Harp can be used on all
targets: on same- and opposite-gender humans and on monsters.
---Books-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Magick Attack Dual Wield : No
Used By : Doublehand : No
Regular Jobs: Mystic, Arithmetician, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 3
Special Jobs: Astrologer Vert. range : * up,
With Ability: none * down
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Battle Folio 3000 7 15% #7
Bestiary 6000 8 15% #11
Papyrus Codex 10000 9 15% #12
Omnilex 30000 11 15% --
---Polearms--------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack Dual Wield : No
Used By : Doublehand : Yes
Regular Jobs: Dragoon, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 1-2
Special Jobs: Sky Pirate, Divine Knight Vert. range : 3 up,
With Ability: Equip Polearms [Dragoon] 3 down
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Javelin 1000 8 10% #5
Spear 2000 9 10% #7
Mythril Spear 4500 10 10% #10
Partisan 7000 11 10% #12
Obelisk 10000 12 10% #15
Holy Lance 18000 14 10% -- Holy elemental; Casts: Holy
Dragon Whisker 44000 17 10% --
Gae Bolg # 10 24 15% --
Gungnir # 10 29 15% -- Lightning elemental
Javelin (II) 1000 30 10% --
---Poles-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Magick Attack Dual Wield : No
Used By : Doublehand : Yes
Regular Jobs: Mystic, Arithmetician, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 1-2
Special Jobs: Skyseer, Netherseer Vert. range : 3 up,
With Ability: none 3 down
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Cypress Pole 1000 6 20% #6
Battle Bamboo 1400 7 20% #7
Musk Pole 2400 8 20% #10
Iron Fan 4000 9 20% #11
Gokuu Pole 7500 10 20% #12 Inflicts: Atheist
Ivory Pole 10000 11 20% --
Eight-fluted Pole 20000 12 20% #15 Removes (from target): Blind,
Silence, Oil, Toad, Poison, Slow,
Stop, Immobilize, Disable
Whale Whisker 37000 16 20% --
---Bags------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: nothing Dual Wield : No
Used By : Doublehand : No
Regular Jobs: Women (any job), Onion Knights (m or f!) Horiz. range : 1
Special Jobs: Women (any job) Vert. range : 2 up,
With Ability: none 3 down
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Pantherskin Bag 52000 12 0% #12 Always: Regen
Croakadile Bag 53000 10 0% #10 Magick Atk+1
Hydrascale Bag 58000 14 0% #15 Speed+1
Fallingstar Bag 60000 20 0% --
Note: All bags do variable damage. The actual damage inflicted may be more or
less than the estimate you see. (The estimate is the *average* damage you'll
inflict.)
---Cloths----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Magick Attack Dual Wield : No
Used By : Doublehand : No
Regular Jobs: Dancer, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 1-2
Special Jobs: none Vert. range : 3 up,
With Ability: none : 3 down
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Damask Cloth 7000 8 50% #11
Cashmere 15000 10 50% #13
Wyrmweave Silk 40000 15 50% --
---Fell Swords-----------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, LOW Faith Dual Wield : No
Used By : Doublehand : Only
Regular Jobs: Dark Knight, Onion Knight Horiz. range : 1
Special Jobs: none Vert. range : 2 up
With Ability: none 3 down
PRICE ATK PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Chaosbringer # 10 16 0% -- Dark elemental, Inflicts: Blind
Deathbringer # 10 20 0% -- Dark elemental, Inflicts: Doom
Arondight # 10 24 0% -- Dark elemental, Inflicts: Slow
Balmung # 10 32 0% -- Dark elemental, Inflicts: Stop
Valhalla # 10 40 0% -- Dark elemental;
Inflicts: instant KO
%%%SHIELDS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00shield
Shields are used to increase your evade rate. The PHYS and MAG columns show
the evasion rate of the shield for physical and magickal attacks, respectively.
Note that shields are ineffective against attacks from the rear.
Used By:
Regular Jobs : Knight, Archer, Geomancer, Dragoon, Dark Knight, Onion Knight
Special Jobs : Squire [Ramza] (ch. 2+), Fell Knight, Holy Knight,
Game Hunter, Templar, Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Divine Knight,
Ark Knight
With Ability : Equip Shields [Knight]
PRICE PHYS MAG SHOP SPECIAL
Escutcheon 400 10% 3% #2
Buckler 700 13% 3% #3
Bronze Shield 1200 16% 0% #4
Round Shield 1600 19% 0% #5
Mythril Shield 2500 22% 5% #6
Golden Shield 3500 25% 0% #7
Ice Shield 6000 28% 0% #10 Absorbs: Ice; Halves: Fire;
Weakness: Lightning
Flame Shield 6500 31% 0% #10 Absorbs: Fire; Halves: Ice;
Weakness: Water
Aegis Shield 10000 10% 50% #1 Magick Atk+1
Diamond Shield 12000 34% 15% #12
Platinum Shield 16000 37% 10% #14
Crystal Shield 21000 40% 15% #15
Genji Shield # 10 43% 0% --
Kaiser Shield 10 46% 20% -- Boosts: Fire, Lightning, Ice
Venetian Shield 10 50% 25% -- Halves: Fire, Lightning, Ice
Reverie Shield # 10 50% 25% -- Halves: All elemental damage
Escutcheon (II) 400 75% 50% --
Onion Shield # 10 80% 75% -- Only equippable by Onion Knights
%%%HEADGEAR%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00head
Headgear (and armor) increases maximum HP and MP. The HP and MP columns show
how much each piece of gear increases your HP/MP.
---Helms-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
Regular Jobs : Knight, Dragoon, Samurai, Dark Knight, Onion Knight
Special Jobs : Squire [Ramza] (ch. 2+), Fell Knight, Holy Knight,
Game Hunter, Templar, Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Divine Knight,
Ark Knight
With Ability : Equip Heavy Armor [Knight]
PRICE HP MP SHOP SPECIAL
Leather Helm 200 10 0 #2
Bronze Helm 500 20 0 #2
Iron Helm 1000 30 0 #3
Barbut 1500 40 0 #5
Mythril Helm 2100 50 0 #6
Golden Helm 2800 60 0 #7
Close Helmet 4000 70 0 #10
Diamond Helm 6000 80 0 #11
Platinum Helm 8000 90 0 #13
Circlet 10000 100 0 #13
Crystal Helm 14000 120 0 #15
Genji Helm # 10 130 0 --
Grand Helm 10 150 0 -- Immune: Blind, Sleep
Vanguard Helm # 10 150 20 --
Onion Helm # 10 200 0 -- Only equippable by Onion Knights
--Hats-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
Regular Jobs : Squire, Chemist, Archer, White Mage, Black Mage, Time Mage,
Summoner, Thief, Orator, Mystic, Geomancer, Ninja,
Arithmetician, Bard, Dancer, Onion Knight
Special Jobs : Squire [Ramza], Squire [Delita], Squire [Argath], Princess,
Machinist, Astrologer, Cleric, Game Hunter, Skyseer,
Netherseer, Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Soldier
With Ability : none
Used By: Squire, Chemist, Archer, White Mage, Black Mage, Time Mage, Summoner,
Thief, Orator, Mystic, Geomancer, Ninja, Arithmetician, Bard, Dancer
PRICE HP MP SHOP SPECIAL
Leather Cap 150 8 0 #1
Plumed Hat 350 16 5 #2
Red Hood 800 24 8 #3
Headgear 1200 32 0 #5 Physical Atk+1
Wizard's Hat 1800 40 12 #6 Magick Atk+1
Green Beret 3000 48 0 #7 Speed+1
Headband 5000 56 0 #10 Physical Atk+2
Brass Coronet # 10 60 100 -- Magick Atk+3; Immune: Silence
Celebrant's Miter 6000 64 20 #11 Magick Atk+1
Black Cowl 7000 72 0 #12
Gold Hairpin 12000 80 50 #13 Immune: Silence
Lambent Hat 16000 88 15 #15 Magick Atk+1, Speed+1
Thief's Cap 35000 100 0 #16 Speed+2; Immune: Immobilize, Disable
Acacia Hat # 10 120 20 -- Speed+2; Immune: Berserk, Charm,
Confuse
---Hair Adornments-------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
Regular Jobs : Women (any job), Onion Knights (of either gender)
Special Jobs : Soldier
With Ability : none
PRICE HP MP SHOP SPECIAL
Cachusha 20000 20 0 -- Immune: Undead, Blind, Silence,
Toad, Poison, Slow, Immobilize,
Disable, Doom
Barette 20000 20 0 -- Immune: KO, Stone, Traitor, Confuse,
Vampire, Berserk, Stop, Charm,
Sleep
Ribbon 60000 10 0 -- Immune: All negative status except
Chicken, Oil, Atheist, and Faith
%%%ARMOR%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00armor
Armor (and headgear) increases maximum HP and MP. The HP and MP columns show
how much each piece of gear increases your HP/MP.
---Armor-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
Regular Jobs : Knight, Dragoon, Samurai, Dark Knight, Onion Knight
Special Jobs : Squire [Ramza] (ch. 2+), Fell Knight, Holy Knight,
Game Hunter, Templar, Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Divine Knight,
Ark Knight
With Ability : Equip Heavy Armor [Knight]
PRICE HP MP SHOP SPECIAL
Leather Armor 200 10 0 #2
Linen Cuirass 600 20 0 #2
Bronze Armor 800 30 0 #3
Chainmail 1300 40 0 #4
Mythril Armor 2000 50 0 #5
Plate Mail 3000 60 0 #6
Golden Armor 3600 70 0 #7
Diamond Armor 6000 80 0 #11
Platinum Armor 9000 90 0 #13
Carabineer Mail 13000 100 0 #14
Mirror Mail 18000 130 0 #15 Always: Reflect
Crystal Mail 19000 110 0 #15
Genji Armor 10 150 0 --
Grand Armor # 10 170 0 -- Always: Regen, Reraise
Maximillian 10 200 0 --
Onion Armor # 10 250 0 -- Only equippable by Onion Knights;
Always: Regen, Reraise, Shell,
Protect
Like Chantage, the Onion Armor and Grand Armor allow for an infinite number of
Reraises per battle.
---Clothes---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
Regular Jobs : All except Knight, Dragoon, Samurai, Mime, Dark Knight
Special Jobs : All except Holy Dragon, Automaton, Dragonkin, Byblos
With Ability : none
PRICE HP MP SHOP SPECIAL
Clothing 150 5 0 #1
Leather Clothing 300 10 0 #2
Leather Plate 500 18 0 #3
Ringmail 900 24 0 #4
Mythril Vest 1500 30 0 #5
Adamant Vest 1600 36 0 #6
Wizard Clothing 1900 42 15 #7
Brigandine 2500 50 0 #9
Jujitsu Gi 4000 60 0 #11 Physical Atk+1; Immune: KO
Power Garb 7000 70 0 #12 Physical Atk+2
Gaia Gear 10000 85 10 #14 Absorbs: Earth; Boosts: Earth
Black Garb 12000 100 0 #15 Immune: Stop
Ninja Gear 10 20 0 -- Speed+2; Always: Invisible
Mirage Vest 10 120 0 -- Speed+1;
Immune: Stone, Poison, Sleep
Minerva Bustier # 10 120 0 -- Only equippable by women (but can
be used by women in ANY job);
Immune: Fire, Lightning, Wind,
Darkness; Halves: Ice, Water,
Earth, Holy
Rubber Suit 48000 150 50 -- Immune: Lightning
Brave Suit # 10 160 40 -- Always: Reraise, Regen
Like Chantage, the Brave Suit allows for an infinite number of Reraises per
battle.
---Robes-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
Regular Jobs : Knight, White Mage, Black Mage, Time Mage, Summoner, Orator,
Mystic, Geomancer, Dragoon, Samurai, Arithmetician,
Dark Knight, Onion Knight
Special Jobs : Squire [Ramza], Squire [Delita], Fell Knight, Holy Knight,
Princess, Cleric, Game Hunter, Skyseer, Netherseer, Templar,
Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Divine Knight, Ark Knight
With Ability : none
PRICE HP MP SHOP SPECIAL
Hempen Robe 1200 10 10 #3
Silken Robe 2400 20 16 #4
Wizard's Robe 4000 30 22 #7 Magick Atk+2
Chameleon Robe 5000 40 28 #11 Immune: KO; Absorbs: Holy
White Robe 9000 50 34 #12 Halves: Fire, Lightning, Ice
Black Robe 13000 60 30 #13 Boosts: Fire, Lightning, Ice
Luminous Robe 30000 75 50 #15
Lordly Robe 10 100 80 -- Physical Atk+2, Magick Atk+1;
Always: Protect, Shell
Sage's Robe # 10 120 100 -- Halves: All elemental damage
%%%ACCESSORIES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00acc
Accessories provide a number of beneficial effects, such as increased stats,
permanent buffs, or immunity to certain status changes.
---Shoes-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: All except Mime and Dragonkin
PRICE SHOP EFFECT
Battle Boots 1000 #2 Move+1
Spiked Boots 1200 #5 Jump+1
Rubber Boots 1500 #7 Immune: Immobilize, Lightning
Winged Boots 2500 #10 Always: Float
Germinas Boots 5000 #11 Move+1, Jump+1
Hermes Shoes 7000 #13 Speed+1
Red Shoes 10000 #15 Magick Atk+1, Move+1
Gaius Caligae # 10 -- Move+2
---Gauntlets-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: All except Mime and Dragonkin
PRICE SHOP EFFECT
Power Gauntlet 5000 #6 Physical Atk+1
Magepower Glove 20000 #10 Magick Atk+2
Bracer 50000 #13 Physical Atk+3
Genji Glove # 10 -- Physical Atk+2, Magick Atk+2
Brigand's Gloves # 10 -- Speed+1; Always: Haste
Onion Gloves # 10 -- Only equippable by Onion Knights; Immune: All
negative status except Chicken, Oil,
Atheist, and Faith
---Rings-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: All except Mime
PRICE SHOP EFFECT
Protect Ring 5000 #7 Immune: Sleep, Doom
Magick Ring 10000 #12 Immune: Silence, Berserk
Reflect Ring 10000 #10 Always: Reflect
Angel Ring 20000 #14 Immune: KO, Blind; Always: Reraise
Cursed Ring 10 -- Physical Atk+1, Magick Atk+1, Speed+1;
Always: Undead; Immune: Traitor
Sage's Ring # 10 -- Absorbs: All 8 elements;
Boosts: All 8 elements
Note: The Angel Ring always starts you with a Reraise, but, unlike the
Chantage, it only gives you one Reraise per battle. If you're KOed a second
time, you won't Reraise.
---Armlets---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: All except Mime
PRICE SHOP EFFECT
Diamond Bracelet 5000 #9 Physical Atk+1, Magick Atk+1; Immune: Slow
Guardian Bracelet 7000 #7 Immune: Immobilize, Disable
Nu Khai Armband 10000 #10 Immune: Confuse, Charm; Halves: Dark
Jade Armlet 10000 #11 Immune: Stone, Stop
Japa Mala 15000 #12 Immune: Undead, Vampire, Toad, Poison;
Boosts: All 8 elements
Empyreal Armband # 10 -- Speed+1; Immune: Slow, Stop, Immobilize
---Cloaks----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: All except Mime and Dragonkin
PRICE PHYS MAG SHOP SPECIAL
Shoulder Cape 300 10% 10% #3
Leather Cloak 800 15% 15% #5
Mage's Cloak 2000 18% 18% #7 Magick Atk+1
Elven Cloak 8000 25% 25% #11
Vampire Cape 15000 28% 28% #13
Featherweave Cloak 20000 40% 30% #15
Invisibility Cloak 10 35% 0% -- Always: Invisible
Note that cloaks, unlike shields, ARE effective against attacks from the rear
(and from all other directions too, of course).
---Perfumes--------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Women, Onion Knights (of either gender)
PRICE SHOP EFFECT
Cherche 30000 -- Always: Float, Reflect
Sortile'ge 30000 -- Always: Protect, Shell
Chantage 60000 -- Always: Reraise, Regen
Septie`me 30000 -- Magick Atk+1; Always: Haste, Invisible
(Chantage rocks, the Reraise never disappears so you can just keep coming back
to life an infinite number of times!)
---Lip Rouge-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Women, Onion Knights (of either gender)
PRICE SHOP EFFECT
Tynar Rouge 10 -- Phys Atk+3; Mag Atk+3; Boosts: Holy;
Always: Protect, Shell, Haste
%%%ITEMS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00item
Certain inventory items are needed for particular Action Abilities.
---Potions---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Chemist (Items)
PRICE SHOP EFFECT
Potion 50 #1 Restores 30 HP
Antidote 50 #1 Removes: Poison
Eye Drops 50 #1 Removes: Blind
Echo Herbs 50 #2 Removes: Silence
Maiden's Kiss 50 #2 Removes: Toad
Golden Needle 100 #2 Removes: Stone
Hi-Potion 200 #3 Removes: 70 HP
Ether 200 #7 Removes: 20 MP
Phoenix Down 300 #1 Removes: KO, restores minimal HP
Remedy 350 #7 Removes: Stone, Blind, Confuse, Silence, Oil,
Toad, Poison, Sleep
Hi-Ether 600 #12 Restores 50 MP
X-Potion 700 #10 Restores 150 HP
Holy Water 2000 #5 Removes: Undead, Vampire
Elixir 10 -- Restores HP and MP completely
---Bombs-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Ninja (Throw)
PRICE ATK SHOP SPECIAL
Flameburst Bomb 250 8 #7 Fire elemental
Snowmelt Bomb 250 8 #7 Ice elemental
Spark Bomb 250 8 #7 Lightning elemental
---Stars-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Ninja (Throw)
PRICE ATK SHOP SPECIAL
Shuriken 50 4 #5
Fuma Shuriken 300 7 #11
Yagyu Darkrood 1000 10 #14
*******************************************************************************
XI. FINDING ITEMS
*******************************************************************************
%%%POACHED ITEMS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00poach
--List of Poached Items--------------------------------------------------------
Each monster can give you one of two items when you poach it. There's one you
get most of the time (the common one), and one (the rare one) you only get
occasionally -- about 15% of the time or so.
A place where the monster is commonly found has also been listed. Most
monsters show up in many locations, but there are certain locations where they
show up the most frequently. (Areas marked MD: are floors of Midlight's Deep,
the bonus dungeon.)
Note that poached items only cost half their usual retail price!
In the list below:
* indicates an item that can't be bought in regular stores -- but can also be
found other ways besides poaching
** indicates an item that can ONLY be found by poaching.
COMMON RARE COMMONLY FOUND
Ahriman Fuma Shuriken Air Knife Mount Bervenia
Behemoth Guardian Bracelet Pantherskin Bag MD: The Switchback
Behemoth King ** Cherche * Artemis Bow MD: The Switchback
Black Chocobo Eye Drops X-Potion Balias Swale
Black Goblin Hi-Potion Shoulder Cape The Siedge Weald
Blue Dragon Cashmere * Dragon Rod MD: The Switchback
Bomb Fire Ball Flame Rod The Siedge Weald
Bonesnatch Hi-Potion Partisan Tchigolith Fenlands
Chocobo Phoenix Down Hi-Potion Mandalia Plain
Cockatrice Gold Needle Featherweave Cloak MD: The Interstice
Coeurl Gold Needle Germinas Boots Mount Germinas
Dark Behemoth Wizard's Rod * Stoneshooter MD: The Switchback
Dragon Jade Armlet Hydrascale Bag MD: The Switchback
Dryad Eye Drops * Healing Staff MD: The Switchback
Elder Treant Protect Ring * Defender MD: The Oubliette
Exploder Spark Bomb Fire Shield Lake Poescas
Floating Eye Shuriken Platinum Dagger Lenalian Plateau
Ghast Snowmelt Bomb Main Gauche Araguay Woods
Ghoul Ether Kunai Araguay Woods
Gobbledygook Mage Masher Ancient Sword MD: The Oubliette
Goblin Potion Hi-Potion Mandalia Plain
Greater Hydra ** Septie`me ** Rubber Suit MD: The Switchback
Greater Malboro Elixir * Omnilex MD: The Catacombs
Grenade Hi-Potion Snowmelt Bomb Lake Poescas
Hydra * Blood Sword * Scorpion Tail MD: The Switchback
Jura Aevis Potion Rubber Boots Zeklaus Desert
Malboro Platinum Dagger Ice Shield Dorvauldar Marsh
Mindflayer Hi-Ether Vampire Cape Zeirchele Falls
Minotaur Coral Sword Slasher Balias Tor
Ochu Nu Khai Armband Chameleon Robe MD: The Catacombs
Pig Maiden's Kiss * Cachusha MD: Terminus
Piscodaemon Echo Grass Hi-Potion Zeirchele Falls
Plague Horror Yagyu Darkrood * Zwill Straightblade Mount Bervenia
Red Chocobo Remedy * Barette Finnath Creek
Red Dragon * Sortile'ge * Dragon Whisker Beddha Sandwaste
Red Panther Antidote Battle Boots Mandalia Plain
Revenant Hi-Ether Mythril Gun Lake Poescas
Sekhret * Holy Lance * Ivory Pole Zeklaus Desert
Skeletal Fiend Mage's Cloak Elven Cloak Zeklaus Desert
Skeleton Holy Water Ether Tchigolith Fenlands
Squidraken Shoulder Cape Sleep Blade Zeirchele Falls
Steelhawk Phoenix Down Hunting Bow Zeklaus Desert
Swine * Chantage * Nagnarok MD: Terminus
Tiamat ** Wyrmweave Silk * Whale Whisker MD: Terminus
Treant Golden Staff * Faerie Harp MD: The Switchback
Vampire Cat Holy Water Croakadile Bag MD: The Palings
Wild Boar ** Ribbon ** Fallingstar Bag Breeding only!
Wisenkin Battle Axe Giant's Axe Balias Tor
---Tips on Poaching------------------------------------------------------------
If you're trying to get a particular poachable item, it's pretty time-consuming
to keep tracking down the monster in the wild and poaching it until you get the
item you want. Instead, use Entice or Tame to recruit the monster to your
team. Then, after you've saved, get into a new battle. Deploy the monster,
have another character poach it, and finish the fight. Check the Poachers' Den
and if you didn't get the item you were looking for, you can simply reload from
your save and try poaching the same monster again.
If you've got some spare spaces on your roster, you can also breed multiple
copies of the monster. Just walk between two blue dots on the map and the
monster will keep producing eggs. Dismiss the monsters you don't want to poach
and poach the ones you do. (You can also use the "Preview Monster Eggs" trick
described under Various Tricks to try to get rid of eggs you don't want,
either.) Always keep one copy of the monster in your roster without poaching
it and you'll have no problem breeding further copies. Items that can be
particularly useful to "farm" in this way include the hair adornments,
perfumes, and Rubber Suit.
Breeding monsters is also a helpful way to obtain harder-to-find monsters like
Sekhret and the Greater Malboro, and the *only* way to get the Wild Boar. You
can breed Rank III monsters from a Rank II monster of the same family (e.g. a
Minotaur, Malboro, or Wild Boar) or from another copy of the Rank III monster.
Rank I monsters don't breed Rank III monsters, but you can first breed a Rank
II monster and use that to breed a Rank III.
You have the best odds of breeding the Rank III monsters from another copy of
the Rank III monster and not a Rank II, so once you get the Rank III monster,
hang on to one copy for breeding purposes.
%%%SHOP CHART%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00shop
---Where to Buy Items----------------------------------------------------------
The Outfitters in towns differ in the types of items and equipment they sell.
For example, one town will have Knives but not Crossbows; another will sell
Crossbows but not Knives.
There are actually only six different "catalogs" of item types available. The
Magick City of Gariland, Clockwork City of Goug, and Royal Capital of Lesalia
have unique catalogs. All the other towns can be divided into three types:
TRADE CITY:
Merchant City of Dorter
Port City of Warjilis
Trade City of Sal Ghidos
CASTLE:
Eagrose Castle
Lionel Castle
Riovanes Castle
Zeltennia Castle
Limberry Castle
TOWN:
Castled City of Zaland
Mining Town of Gollund
Walled City of Yardrow
Free City of Bervenia
The items available at each town type are:
TRADE CITY CASTLE TOWN GARILAND* GOUG LESALIA
Knives X X X X
Ninja Blades X
Swords* X X
Katanas X
Axes X
Rods X X X X
Staves X X X
Flails X X
Guns X
Crossbows X X
Bows X X
Instruments X
Books X
Polearms X X
Poles X X X
Bags X X X
Cloths X
Shields X X X
TRADE CITY CASTLE TOWN GARILAND GOUG LESALIA
Helms X X
Hats X X X
TRADE CITY CASTLE TOWN GARILAND GOUG LESALIA
Armor X X
Clothes X X X
Robes X X X
TRADE CITY CASTLE TOWN GARILAND GOUG LESALIA
Accessories X X X X X X
TRADE CITY CASTLE TOWN GARILAND GOUG LESALIA
Shuriken X X
Bombs X X X X
Items X X X X X X
Note: Knight's Swords, Hair Adornments, Perfumes, and Lip Rouge are never
available in stores.
* Note 2: In addition to the item types listed above, Gariland also sells the
Broadsword, but no other types of swords.
---When to Buy Items-----------------------------------------------------------
Within a particular category, the specific items that are available is
determined by how far in the story you've progressed. Reaching certain points
of the game adds new items to the stores. Once a new item appears in a shop,
it is always for sale and never goes away.
Note, however, that even after an item is "unlocked," it does not appear in
every shop. Instead, shops in different towns sell different types of items.
See the list above to see which shops sell which categories of items.
Some items NEVER become available in shops and can only be obtained by
stealing, poaching, the Treasure Hunter ability, or through the multiplayer
missions.
--#1: CHAPTER I - BEGINNING OF GAME--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
KNIFE: Dagger 100
SWORD: Broadsword 200
ROD: Rod 200
STAFF: Oak Staff 120
HAT: Leather Cap 150
CLOTHES: Clothing 150
ITEM: Potion 50
ITEM: Antidote 50
ITEM: Eye Drops 50
ITEM: Phoenix Down 300
--#2: CHAPTER I - AFTER REACHING EAGROSE CASTLE--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
KNIFE: Mythril Knife 500
SWORD: Longsword 500
CROSSBOW: Bowgun 400
SHIELD: Escutcheon 400
HELM: Leather Helm 200
HELM: Bronze Helm 500
HAT: Plumed Hat 350
ARMOR: Leather Armor 200
ARMOR: Linen Cuirass 600
CLOTHES: Leather Clothing 300
ACCESSORY: Battle Boots 1000
ITEM: Echo Herbs 50
ITEM: Maiden's Kiss 50
ITEM: Gold Needle 100
--#3: CHAPTER I - AFTER SAND RAT'S SIEVE--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
KNIFE: Blind Knife 800
SWORD: Iron Sword 900
ROD: Flame Rod 400
ROD: Ice Rod 400
ROD: Thunder Rod 400
STAFF: White Staff 800
BOW: Long Bow 800
SHIELD: Buckler 700
HELM: Iron Helm 1000
HAT: Red Hood 800
ARMOR: Bronze Armor 800
CLOTHES: Leather Plate 500
ROBE: Hempen Robe 1200
ACCESSORY: Shoulder Cape 300
ITEM: Hi-Potion 200
--#4: CHAPTER I - AFTER DEFEATING MILLEUDA AT LENALIAN PLATEAU--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
KNIFE: Mage Masher 1500
SWORD: Mythril Sword 1600
AXE: Battle Axe 1500
CROSSBOW: Knightslayer 1500
BOW: Silver Bow 1500
SHIELD: Bronze Shield 1200
ARMOR: Chainmail 1300
CLOTHES: Ringmail 900
ROBE: Silken Robe 2400
--#5: CHAPTER II - BEGINNING OF CHAPTER--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
BOW: Ice Bow 2000
POLEARM: Javelin 1000
SHIELD: Round Shield 1600
HELM: Barbut 1500
HAT: Headgear 1200
ARMOR: Mythril Armor 2000
CLOTHES: Mythril Vest 1500
ACCESSORY: Spiked Boots 1200
ACCESSORY: Leather Cloak 800
ITEM: Holy Water 2000
STAR: Shuriken 50
--#6: CHAPTER II - AFTER OVELIA AND AGRIAS JOIN AS GUESTS--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
KNIFE: Platinum Dagger 1800
SWORD: Coral Sword 3300
ROD: Poison Rod 500
STAFF: Serpent Staff 2200
POLE: Cypress Pole 1000
SHIELD: Mythril Shield 2500
HELM: Mythril Helm 2100
HAT: Wizard's Hat 1800
ARMOR: Plate Mail 3000
CLOTHES: Adamant Vest 1600
ACCESSORY: Power Gauntlet 5000
--#7: CHAPTER II - AFTER REACHING LIONEL CASTLE--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
KATANA: Kotetsu 1600
KATANA: Ashura 3000
AXE: Giant's Axe 4000
CROSSBOW: Crossbow 2000
BOW: Lightning Bow 3000
INSTRUMENT: Lamia's Harp 5000
BOOK: Battle Folio 3000
POLEARM: Spear 2000
POLE: Battle Bamboo 1400
SHIELD: Golden Shield 3500
HELM: Golden Helm 2800
HAT: Green Beret 3000
ARMOR: Golden Armor 3600
CLOTHES: Wizard Clothing 1900
ROBE: Wizard's Robe 4000
ACCESSORY: Rubber Boots 1500
ACCESSORY: Protect Ring 5000
ACCESSORY: Guardian Bracelet 7000
ACCESSORY: Mage's Cloak 2000
ITEM: Ether 200
ITEM: Remedy 350
BOMB: Flameburst Bomb 250
BOMB: Snowmelt Bomb 250
BOMB: Spark Bomb 250
--#8: CHAPTER II - AFTER REACHING GOUG--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
GUN: Romandan Pistol 5000
--#9: CHAPTER II - AFTER RESCUING AGRIAS AT BALIAS TOR--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
KATANA: Osafune 5000
STAFF: Mage's Staff 4000
FLAIL: Iron Flail 1200
CLOTHES: Brigandine 2500
ACCESSORY: Diamond Bracelet 5000
--#10: CHAPTER III - BEGINNING OF CHAPTER--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
NINJA BLADE: Ninja Blade 3000
SWORD: Ancient Sword 5000
KATANA: Murasame 7000
CROSSBOW: Poison Bow 4000
BOW: Mythril Bow 5000
POLEARM: Mythril Spear 4500
POLE: Musk Pole 2400
BAG: Croakadile Bag 53000
SHIELD: Ice Shield 6000
SHIELD: Flame Shield 6500
HELM: Close Helmet 4000
HAT: Headband 5000
ACCESSORY: Winged Boots 2500
ACCESSORY: Magepower Glove 20000
ACCESSORY: Reflect Ring 10000
ACCESSORY: Nu Khai Armband 10000
ITEM: X-Potion 700
--#11: CHAPTER III - AFTER ALMA JOINS AS GUEST--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
KNIFE: Main Gauche 3000
NINJA BLADE: Kunai 5000
SWORD: Sleep Blade 5000
KATANA: Ama-no-Murakumo 8000
AXE: Slasher 12000
FLAIL: Flame Mace 4000
GUN: Mythril Gun 15000
BOOK: Bestiary 6000
POLE: Iron Fan 4000
CLOTH: Damask Cloth 7000
SHIELD: Aegis Shield 10000
HELM: Diamond Helm 6000
HAT: Celebrant's Miter 6000
ARMOR: Diamond Armor 6000
CLOTHES: Jujitsu Gi 4000
ROBE: Chameleon Robe 5000
ACCESSORY: Germinas Boots 5000
ACCESSORY: Jade Armlet 10000
ACCESSORY: Elven Cloak 8000
STAR: Fuma Shuriken 300
--#12: CHAPTER III - AFTER BATTLES AT ORBONNE MONASTERY--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
KNIFE: Orichalcum Dirk 4000
NINJA BLADE: Kodachi 7000
SWORD: Diamond Sword 8000
ROD: Wizard's Rod 8000
STAFF: Golden Staff 7000
CROSSBOW: Hunting Bow 8000
BOW: Windslash Bow 8000
INSTRUMENT: Bloodstring Harp 10000
BOOK: Papyrus Codex 10000
POLE: Gokuu Pole 7500
POLEARM: Partisan 7000
BAG: Pantherskin Bag 52000
SHIELD: Diamond Shield 12000
HAT: Black Cowl 7000
CLOTHES: Power Garb 7000
ROBE: White Robe 9000
ACCESSORY: Magick Ring 10000
ACCESSORY: Japa Mala 15000
ITEM: Hi-Ether 600
--#13: CHAPTER III - AFTER RAPHA JOINS AS GUEST--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
KNIFE: Assassin's Dagger 5000
NINJA BLADE: Ninja Longblade 10000
SWORD: Platinum Sword 11000
KATANA: Kiyomori 10000
FLAIL: Morning Star 9000
CLOTH: Cashmere 15000
HELM: Platinum Helm 8000
HELM: Circlet 10000
HAT: Gold Hairpin 12000
ARMOR: Platinum Armor 9000
ROBE: Black Robe 13000
ACCESSORY: Hermes Shoes 7000
ACCESSORY: Bracer 50000
ACCESSORY: Vampire Cape 15000
--#14: CHAPTER IV - BEGINNING OF CHAPTER--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
NINJA BLADE: Spellbinder 16000
SWORD: Icebrand 14000
KATANA: Muramasa 15000
SHIELD: Platinum Shield 16000
ARMOR: Carabineer Mail 13000
CLOTHES: Gaia Gear 10000
ACCESSORY: Angel Ring 20000
STAR: Yagyu Darkrood 1000
--#15: CHAPTER IV - AFTER FORT BESSELAT--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
KNIFE: Air Knife 8000
SWORD: Runeblade 20000
KATANA: Kiku-ichimonji 22000
CROSSBOW: Gastrophetes 20000
POLEARM: Obelisk 10000
POLE: Eight-fluted Pole 20000
BAG: Hydrascale Bag 58000
SHIELD: Crystal Shield 21000
HELM: Crystal Helm 14000
HAT: Lambent Hat 16000
ARMOR: Crystal Mail 19000
ARMOR: Mirror Mail 18000
CLOTHES: Black Garb 12000
ROBE: Luminous Robe 30000
ACCESSORY: Red Shoes 10000
ACCESSORY: Featherweave Cloak 20000
--#16: CHAPTER IV - AFTER BATTLES AT LIMBERRY CASTLE--
ITEM TYPE ITEM PRICE
HAT: Thief's Cap 35000
%%%RARE ITEM LOCATIONS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00rare
This is a list of where you can find all the items that are Not Sold In Stores
but are otherwise available in the SINGLE-PLAYER game. Additional rare items
are available in the multiplayer mode -- I hope to add these to a future
version of the FAQ. (There may be other places to find some of these items --
please let me know if you know of any!)
I've also indicated whether or not there is a limited supply of each item.
For some rare items, there is only a limited number of them available in the
game, so if you miss the items, or if they get broken or stolen during battle,
you may not be able to find any more!
CAUTION: ALL rare items found with Treasure Hunter are better found with a low
Bravery. The higher your Bravery, the higher you'll get a crummy generic item
instead of the rare item. (The chance of getting the "bad" item is simply
equal to your Bravery.) If you pick up the bad item from a tile, note that you
can no longer get the good item there! The exception is the Materia Blade,
which you always get regardless of your Bravery.
MANY rare weapons can be caught from enemy Ninjas throwing them at you. To do
this, equip the reaction ability Sticky Fingers (Thief); when a Ninja throws
the item at you, you'll catch it and it will be added to your inventory. Rare
items are only thrown if the enemy Ninja has a very high level (90+); you can
find high-level Ninjas on the Midlight's Deep floor 9, The Interstice.
Items not listed here can be bought in shops. See the Shops List above for
when they become available. There is an unlimited supply of all shop items.
Since many rare items can be poached from monsters, stolen in random battles,
or caught with Sticky Fingers, there are actually not that many truly missable
items in the game. The items listed below are the only ones that (to my
knowledge) are actually missable:
WEAPONS: Rod of Faith, Zeus Mace, Staff of the Magi, Ras Algethi, Perseus Bow
SHIELDS: Kaiser Shield, Venetian Shield, Escutcheon (II)
HEADGEAR: Grand Helm
ARMOR: Genji Armor, Maximillian, Ninja Gear, Mirage Vest, Lordly Robe
ACCESSORIES: Invisibility Cloak, Cursed Ring, Tynar Rouge
ABILITIES: Ultima, Zodiark
---Weapons---------------------------------------------------------------------
Zwill Crossblade [knife]:
- Rare poach from Plague Horror. Plague Horrors are frequently found at
Mount Bervenia.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.
Sasuke's Blade [ninja blade]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter at Nelveska Temple. Sasuke's Blade is located
BEHIND the temple, in the grassy/dirt area. From the back left corner of
the map, it's one tile to the right and one tile towards the temple -- it's
a tile with height 4. (See the Nelveksa Temple battle strategy under
Subquest Battle Strategies for more specific details.) This can only be done
during the battle with Construct 7 here in the Nelveska Temple subquest, as
there are no later battles at the Temple.
- Steal from the enemy Ninja during the battle in the Disorder in the Order
subquest.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Iga Blade [ninja blade]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 5, The Oubliette.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Koga Blade [ninja blade]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 7, The Crossing.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see above).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Nagnarok [sword]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter at Nelveska Temple. It's inside the temple, in
the little nook where Construct 7 starts, at the far back of the nook. (See
the Nelveksa Temple battle strategy under Subquest Battle Strategies for
more specific details.) This can only be done during the battle with
Construct 7 here in the Nelveska Temple subquest, as there are no later
battles at the Temple.
- Rare poach from Swine. Swines appear in random battles on Midlight's Deep
floor 10, Terminus. Alternately, recruit a Pig earlier in the game during
Gollund Collier Battle 2 or the story battle at Finnath Creek and wait for it
to breed a Swine.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.
Blood Sword [sword]:
- Steal from Gaffgarion at Story Battle 18: Golgollada Gallows.
- Found using Treasure Hunter during Story Battle 49: Eagrose Castle Keep.
(See battle strategy for exact location.)
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 2, The Stair.
- Common poach from Hydra.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.
Materia Blade [sword]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on the highest tile at Mount Bervenia. Unlike
other Treasure Hunter items, you ALWAYS get this one regardless of Bravery.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy ninjas (see above).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Defender [knight's sword]:
- Steal from enemy boss in Story Battle 36: Bervenia.
- Steal from enemy boss during the first phase of Story Battle 49: Eagrose
Castle Keep. (NOT available during the second phase of the battle.)
- Rare poach from Elder Treant. These sometimes appear on Midlight's Deep
floors 5 (The Oubliette) or 8 (The Switchback).
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy ninjas (see above).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable and can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Save the Queen [knight's sword]:
- Meliadoul's initial equipment.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 2, The Stair.
- Steal from enemy boss in story battle 54: Monastery Vaults - Fifth Level, but
this is past the point of no return to the world map.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Excalibur [knight's sword]:
- Orlandeau's initial equipment.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 5, The Oubliette.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Ragnarok [knight's sword]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 8, The Switchback.
- Received as a Battle Trophy for completing Story Battle 57: Graveyard of
Airships, but this is past the point of no return to the world map.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Chaos Blade [knight's sword]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 10, Terminus.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Masamune [katana]:
- Stolen from one of the enemy Samurai during the second battle of the
Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest (Lionel Castle Oratory). It is only
available during the first phase of this battle, before you KO the boss.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Chirijiraden [katana]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 10, Terminus.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Dragon Rod [rod]:
- Steal from enemy boss during Story Battle 48: Dorter.
- Stolen from (or dropped in a chest by) enemy Summoner during Story Battle 50:
Mullonde Cathedral.
- Rare poach from Blue Dragon.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.
Rod of Faith [rod]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 4, The Catacombs.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Healing Staff [staff]:
- Alma's initial equipment in Chapter III; de-equip it from her before entering
Orbonne Monastery to keep it.
- Found using Treasure Hunter during the Chapter IV battle at Eagrose Castle;
it's sitting on one of the two height=10 "nubs" next to the bridge. Of the
two nubs, it's the one further from where you start. You'll have to climb up
all the stairs to reach it.
- Rare poach from Dryad.
- Equipped by the guest in the last battle, but you can't de-equip it and
this is past the point of no return to the world map anyway.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.
Zeus Mace [staff]:
- Received as a Battle Trophy for completing the second battle of the Lionel's
New Liege Lord quest (Lionel Castle Oratory). Note that you CANNOT start
this quest if Mustadio, Beowulf, or Reis is killed or departs the team and/or
if you choose not to buy the flower from Aerith when you first arrive in Sal
Ghidos.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 3, The Hollow.
- Steal from enemy boss at story battle 55: Necrohol of Mullonde, but this is
past the point of no return to the world map.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Staff of the Magi [staff]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Floor floor 7, The Crossing.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Scorpion Tail [flail]:
- Rare poach from Hydra.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable and can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Ras Algethi [gun]:
- Balthier's initial equipment. Complete the Recruiting Balthier subquest
after visiting the Free City of Bervenia in Chapter IV to get him.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Glacial Gun [gun]:
- Stolen from enemy boss in Story Battle 39: Beddha Sandwaste.
- Steal (or dropped in a chest by) the enemy Chemist in Gollund Colliery
subquest battle 2: Gollund Colliery Slope.
- Stolen from one of the enemy Squires during the battle in the Disorder in
the Order subquest.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 1, The Crevasse.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Chemists in random battles at
Mount Germinas.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can always be stolen/dropped in random battles.
Blaze Gun [gun]:
- Stolen from one of the enemy Squires during the battle in the Disorder in
the Order subquest.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 1, The Crevasse.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Chemists in random battles at
Mount Germinas.
- Stolen from enemy Chemist in Story Battle 56: Lost Halidom, but this is past
the point of no return to the world map.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can always be stolen/dropped in random battles.
Blaster [gun]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 6, The Palings.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Chemists in random battles at
Mount Germinas.
- Stolen from enemy boss in Story Battle 56: Lost Halidom, but this is past
the point of no return to the world map.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can always be stolen/dropped in random battles.
Stoneshooter [gun]:
- Steal from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Chemists during random battles at
Mount Germinas. You can tell if the Chemist is carrying the gun because
he/she will begin the battle turned to stone. Use a Gold Needle, Remedy, or
other ability to cure the petrification, then steal the gun. (See "The
Stoneshooter" under Various Tricks for more info.)
- Rare poach from Dark Behemoth.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached, and stolen/dropped in random battles.
Artemis Bow [bow]:
- Stolen from (or dropped in chest by) one of the enemy Archers in Story Battle
42: Mount Germinas.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) either enemy Archer in Story Battle 43:
Lake Poescas.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Archers in random battles later
in Chapter IV and in Midlight's Deep.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Archers in the first battle of
the Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest, Lionel Castle Gate.
- Rare poach from Behemoth King.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached, and stolen/dropped in random battles.
Yoichi Bow [bow]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 3, The Hollow.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) by high-level enemy Archers in random
Midlight's Deep encounters.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chest by) the Archer in story battle Battle 53:
Monaster Vaults - Fourth Level, but this is past the point of no return to
the world map.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be stolen/dropped in random battles.
Perseus Bow [bow]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 8, The Switchback.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Faerie Harp [instrument]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 4, The Catacombs.
- Rare poach from Treant.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.
Omnilex [book]:
- Rare poach from Greater Malboro. Greater Malboros are pretty uncommon, but
you can find them on Midlight's Deep floor 4, The Catacombs, or by recruiting
a weaker malboro and having it breed.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached or caught with Sticky Fingers.
Holy Lance [polearm]:
- Common poach from Sekhret. Sekhret shows up at Zeklaus Desert and sometimes
on Midlight's Deep floor 7, The Crossing, but is pretty rare. You can also
get a Minotaur on your team and wait for it to breed a Sekhret.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached or caught with Sticky Fingers.
Dragon Whisker [polearm]:
- Rare poach from Red Dragon.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached or caught with Sticky Fingers.
Javelin (II) [polearm]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter atop the right pillar during the Nelveksa Temple.
You need to use Construct 8, Reis, or another large monster as a stepping-
stone to climb up on top of the pillar. This can only be done during the
battle with Construct 7 here in the Nelveska Temple subquest, as there are
no later battles at the Temple.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.
Ivory Pole [pole]:
- Rare poach from Sekhret. Sekhret shows up at Zeklaus Desert and sometimes on
Midlight's Deep floor 7, The Crossing, but is pretty rare. You can also
get a Minotaur on your team and wait for it to breed a Sekhret.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached or caught with Sticky Fingers.
Whale Whisker [pole]:
- Rare poach from Tiamat. Tiamats are best found on the last floor of
Midlight's Deep, Terminus, in random battles after you defeat the boss there.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached or caught with Sticky Fingers.
Fallingstar Bag [bag]:
- Rare poach from Wild Boar. Wild Boars NEVER appear in the wild. The only
way to find one is to breed them from a Swine. Use Entice or Tame to recruit
a Pig or Swine during Gollund Colliery battle 2, the story battle at Finnath
Creek, or in random battles on Midlight's Deep floor 10, Terminus. Then,
move around the map and let your Swine produce eggs until one of them hatches
into a Wild Boar. Good luck :P (A Pig does not directly produce Wild Boars,
but it can give you a Swine, which can in turn give you the boar.)
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.
Wyrmweave Silk [cloth]:
- Common poach from Tiamat. Tiamats are best found on the last floor of
Midlight's Deep, Terminus, in random battles after you defeat the boss there.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.
---Shields---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaiser Shield:
- Steal from one of the enemy Knights during the battle in the Disorder in the
Order subquest.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 4, The Catacombs.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Venetian Shield:
- Steal from one of the enemy Knights during the battle in the Disorder in the
Order subquest.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 9, The Interstice.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Escutcheon (II):
- Found using Treasure Hunter atop the right pillar during the Nelveksa Temple.
You need to use Construct 8, Reis, or another large monster as a stepping-
stone to climb up on top of the pillar. You must get it during the battle
with Construct 7 here in the Nelveska Temple subquest, as there are no later
battles at the Temple. This is the ONLY place to find this shield in the
game!
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
---Headgear--------------------------------------------------------------------
Grand Helm [helm]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 9, The Interstice.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Cachusha [hair adornment]:
- Steal from Celia in Story Battle 34: Riovanes Castle Roof.
- Steal from the enemy Mystic on the boss's right in the second battle of the
Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest, Lionel Castle Oratory. (Only available
during the first phase of this battle, before you KO the boss.)
- Rare poach from Pig. You can find Pigs in the story battle at Finnath Creek,
in the second battle of the Gollund Colliery subquest, or in random battles
on Midlight's Deep floor 10, Terminus.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.
Barette [hair adornment]:
- Alma's initial equipment in Chapter III; de-equip it from her before entering
Orbonne Monastery to keep it.
- Steal from Lettie in Story Battle 34: Riovanes Castle Roof.
- Steal from the enemy Mystic on the boss's left in the second battle of the
Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest, Lionel Castle Oratory. (Only available
during the first phase of this battle, before you KO the boss.)
- Rare poach from Red Chocobo.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.
Ribbon [hair adornment]:
- Rare poach from Wild Boar. Wild Boars NEVER appear in the wild. The only
way to find one is to breed them from a Swine. Use Entice or Tame to recruit
a Pig or Swine during Gollund Colliery battle 2, the story battle at Finnath
Creek, or in random battles on Midlight's Deep floor 10, Terminus. Then,
move around the map and let your Swine produce eggs until one of them hatches
into a Wild Boar. Good luck :P (A Pig does not directly produce Wild Boars,
but it can give you a Swine, which can in turn give you the boar.)
- Equipped by the guest in the last battle, but you can't de-equip it and
this is past the point of no return to the world map anyway.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.
---Armor-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Genji Armor [armor]:
- Received as a Battle Trophy from completing the first battle of the New
Liege Lord of Lionel Castle subquest, Lionel Castle Gate. Note that you
CANNOT start this quest if Mustadio, Beowulf, or Reis is killed or departs
the team and/or if you choose not to buy the flower from Aerith when you
first arrive in Sal Ghidos ... and, so, you would not be able to get the
armor in the single-player mode.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Maximillian [armor]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 9, The Interstice.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Ninja Gear [clothes]:
- Steal from one of the enemy Monks during the battle in the Disorder in the
Order subquest.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 6, The Palings.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Mirage Vest [clothes]:
- Balthier's initial equipment. Complete the Recruiting Balthier subquest
after visiting the Free City of Bervenia in Chapter IV to get him.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Rubber Suit [clothes]:
- Rare poach from Greater Hydra. You can find Greater Hydras on the latter
floors of Midlight's Deep.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.
Lordly Robe [robe]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 6, The Switchback.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
---Accessories-----------------------------------------------------------------
Invisibility Cloak [cloak]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter atop Mount Germinas, either in the initial story
battle there or in a subsequent random battle. See "The Invisibility Cloak"
under Various Tricks for its exact location.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Cursed Ring [ring]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 6, The Switchback.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
Chantage [perfume]:
- Steal from enemy boss during Story Battle 36: Bervenia.
- Steal from the enemy Mystic on the boss's left in the second battle of the
Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest, Lionel Castle Oratory. (Only available
during the first phase of this battle, before you KO the boss.)
- Common poach from Swine. Swines appear in random battles on Midlight's Deep
floor 10, Terminus. Alternately, recruit a Pig earlier in the game during
Gollund Collier Battle 2 or the story battle at Finnath Creek and wait for it
to breed a Swine.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.
Cherche [perfume]:
- Common poach from Behemoth King.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.
Sortile'ge [perfume]:
- Received from Beowulf for completing the Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest.
- Steal from the enemy Mystic on the boss's right in the second battle of the
Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest, Lionel Castle Oratory. (Only available
during the first phase of this battle, before you KO the boss.)
- Common poach from Red Dragon.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.
Septie`me [perfume]:
- Common poach from Greater Hydra. Greater Hydras can be found on the lower
levels of Midlight's Deep.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.
Tynar Rouge [lip rouge]:
- Complete the Agrias's Birthday quest in Chapter IV. You must keep Mustadio,
Agrias, Alicia, and Lavian alive until Chapter IV to do this quest. See the
Agrias's Birthday section under Walkthrough - Subquests for complete details
on how to complete this event.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.
---Items-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Elixir [item]:
- Received as a Battle Trophy for completing Story Battle 52: Mullonde
Cathedral Sanctuary.
- Received using Treasure Hunter at Nelveska Temple, as the "bad" item in place
of the Nagnarok and Sasuke's Blade (i.e., if your Bravery is high).
- 14 found using Treasure Hunter at many locations in Midlight's Deep.
- Common poach from Greater Malboro. Greater Malboros are pretty uncommon, but
you can find them on Midlight's Deep floor 4, The Catacombs, or by recruiting
a weaker malboro and having it breed.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.
---Abilities-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ultima [Game Hunter/Squire (Ramza)]:
- Learned by having Celia or Lettie cast on Luso during Story Battle 34:
Riovanes Castle Roof; Luso must be in the Game Hunter job.
- Learned by having an enemy cast it on Ramza or Luso during Chapter IV; the
targeted character must be in the Game Hunter (Luso) or Squire (Ramza) job.
Enemies that cast Ultima include Celia and Lettie during Story Battles 44:
Limberry Castle Gate and 45: Limberry Castle Keep, and Ultima Demons during
Story Battle 45: Limberry Castle Keep, 46: Limberry Castle Inner Court, and
Story Battle 52: Mullonde Cathedral Sanctuary. See "Learning Ultima" under
Various Tricks for more information.
- Can also be learned as above from the Ultima Demons in the final battle, but
this is past the point of no return to the world map.
- Once Ramza or Luso has learned it, you can teach it to the other by casting
it on him when the target is in the Game Hunter (Luso) or Squire (Ramza) job.
MISSABLE?: Yes (in single-player mode), if no one has learned it by the time
you finish Story Battle 52.
Zodiark [Summoner]:
- Learned by having Elidibus cast it on a Summoner during the initial battle on
the tenth floor of Midlight's Deep (Terminus), if the Summoner survives.
Each time this happens, you have a high (but not 100%) chance of learning the
spell; you may need to have Elidibus cast it on you more than once if you
don't learn it the first time. Use Mana Shield to survive the spell, or see
the battle strategy for this battle for additional tips.
- Can be taught to other characters by first casting on an enemy Summoner, then
having the enemy Summoner cast it at the character whom you want to learn the
spell. Again, the target must be a Summoner when hit by the spell.
MISSABLE?: Yes, if you don't learn it during the battle with Elidibus.
%%%MISSABLE ITEMS AND EVENTS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00miss
This is a quick list of story events and unique items that you can "miss" over
the course of the game, and what you need to do to make sure you're able to
see every story events and collec every item. This is just a quick list of key
points; for a more detailed treatment, see the corresponding walkthrough
section.
Points marked ESSENTIAL *must* be completed to get an item or see an event.
Points marked GOOD IDEA are not strictly necessary, but will make the process
easier -- for example, stealing a rare item that otherwise can only be obtained
through poaching a hard-to-find enemy. Finally, I've pointed out some points
that seem like they might be needed but are actually NOT IMPORTANT, so that you
don't have to worry about them!
---CHAPTER I-------------------------------------------------------------------
Nothing in this chapter is missable, or affects your ability to complete
anything else later.
* GOOD IDEA: At the start of the battle at Mandalia Plains, you'll be given a
choice whether to help Argath or directly attack the enemy. Choose the first
option to make the battle easier and gain Bravery, since there aren't as many
ways to raise your Bravery early on. However, your choice here does not affect
anything else in Chapter I or later on.
---CHAPTER II------------------------------------------------------------------
* ESSENTIAL: At the very beginning of this chapter, you will be able to add
Alicia and Lavian to your roster. Add them to your roster, and do NOT let them
leave until you have completed the Agrias's Birthday sidequest in Chapter IV.
This means that you must not dismiss them, must not let them get turned into
crystals/chests, and must not let them abandon the party due to having a very
low Bravery or very high Faith.
* NOT IMPORTANT: At this time, you will also be able to add Ladd to your
roster. Ladd is basically just a generic male human. He doesn't have any
special abilities and isn't needed for any sidequests. So, you can take him or
leave him as you want.
* GOOD IDEA: At the start of the story battle at Araguay Woods, you'll be given
a choice whether to help Boco. Choose the second option to avoid losing
Bravery. However, your choice here does not affect anything else.
* NOT IMPORTANT: After the Araguay Woods battle, you will be able to add Boco
the chocobo to your roster. Boco is just a regular yellow Chocobo, so you
don't have to take him along.
* ESSENTIAL: After completing the story battle at the Clockwork City of Goug,
you will be able to add Mustadio to your roster. Mustadio is a unique story
character and is also needed for most of the sidequests in Chapter IV, so add
him to your roster and don't lose him.
* ESSENTIAL: After the battle at Balias Swale, you will be able to add Agrias
to your roster. Agrias is another unique story character and is needed for two
sidequests in Chapter IV, so add her to your team.
* ESSENTIAL: Deploying Agrias during the battle at Golgollada Gallows will
allow you to see some extra dialogue between her and Ramza. This dialogue is
not, however, needed to unlock anything else later.
---CHAPTER III-----------------------------------------------------------------
* GOOD IDEA: When Alma joins the party, it's a good idea de-equip her Healing
Staff and Barette (as well as her Red Shoes) before you go to the Orbonne
Monastery. This is not *required* as both these items can be poached later:
the Healing Staff is a rare poach from Dryads and the Barette is a rare poach
from Red Chocobos.
* NOT IMPORTANT: During a story event, you will be asked whether or not you
have read the Scriptures of Germonique. Your response here has no bearing on
anything, so don't worry about it :)
* GOOD IDEA: The story battle at Zeklaus Desert features all three types of
behemoths. All three types of behemoth yield rare items when poached. So, you
may want to poach them, or recruit one or more onto your team (with Entice or
Tame) to breed more behemoths for poaching. However, it is not necessary to
poach/recruit them here as there are plenty of behemoths in random battles
later in the game.
* ESSENTIAL: After the battle at Zeklaus Desert, you will be able to add Luso to
your roster. This is your only opportunity to get this unique character on
your team, so add him. (Luso is not needed to unlock any other events,
though.)
* ESSENTIAL: At the very end of Chapter III, you will be given a chance to add
Rapha and Marach to your roster. Both are unique story characters and each has
different abilities, so sign them up. (They are not, however, very useful :P.)
---CHAPTER IV------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gollund Colliery sidequest is available at the beginning of this chapter.
Assuming you still have Mustadio, Agrias, Alicia, and Lavian on your roster,
the Agrias's Birthday sidequest is also available at this time. Both of these
sidequests are available until completed and never disappear. (See Walkthrough
- Sidequests for the full walkthroughs for these quests.)
---Agrias's Birthday---
* ESSENTIAL: After completing the Agrias's Birthday sidequest, you will receive
the Tynar Rouge accessory. This is a one-of-a-kind item and cannot be
replaced, so don't throw it away, or let it get broken or stolen by an enemy.
After completing the Agrias's Birthday event, Alicia and Lavian are not
strictly needed for any other events, although they will appear in Disorder in
the Order if you still have them along.
---Gollund Colliery---
* ESSENTIAL: Near the beginning of this quest (at the Tavern in Lesalia),
Beowulf will ask you to team up. Choose the second option to agree to this.
Otherwise, Beowulf will leave and the quest cannot be completed.
* GOOD IDEA: In the third battle in this quest (Gollund Colliery Ridge), you
will encounter an enemy Pig. Entice or Tame the Pig so you can start breeding
monsters from the pig family. Some rare items can only be obtained by poaching
pig-family monsters -- including those from the Wild Boar monster, which can
ONLY be obtained by breeding! If you do miss the Pig here, though, you can get
others much later.
* ESSENTIAL: After completing the last battle of this quest, Beowulf and Holy
Dragon Reis will offer to join your team. Both are unique story characters and
both are needed for later quests, so sign them up.
* ESSENTIAL: Upon return to the Clockwork City of Goug, Construct 8 will also
be offered as another character. Construct 8 is another unique character, so
recruit it.
---Chapter IV Main Quest - Up to Bervenia Free City---
* GOOD IDEA: During the story battle at Bervenia Free City, you may want to
steal the Defender and Chantage from Meliadoul, especially since both are good
items. However, these can also be poached/stolen/caught later if you miss them.
After completing the story battle at the Free City of Bervenia, the Recruiting
Balthier sidequest is now available. It does not depend on any missable
factors.
---Recruiting Balthier Quest---
* ESSENTIAL: After you complete this quest, Balthier will offer to join.
Again, he is a unique story character, so sign him up. He is not needed for
any other quests.
* ESSENTIAL: Balthier's initial equipment includes the Ras Algethi gun and the
Mirage Vest body armor. Both of these are unique items, so, again, don't throw
them away or let them get broken. (Note that you must sign up Balthier to get
them.)
---Chapter IV Main Quest - Finnath Creek to Sal Ghidos---
* GOOD IDEA: During the story battle at Finnath Creek (NOT during the random
battles), there's a random chance of encountering one more enemy Pigs. If you
don't already have one, Entice or Tame a Pig so you can start breeding
monsters from the pig family. Some rare items can only be obtained by poaching
pig-family monsters -- including those from the Wild Boar monster, which can
ONLY be obtained by breeding! If you don't get any Pigs here, you can get
others later.
* GOOD IDEA: In the story battle at Beddha Sandwaste, you can steal a Glacial
Gun from Barich. This is a rare item that can't be bought in stores, but it's
not unique and you can get an infinite supply from random battles later.
* ESSENTIAL: After completing the battles at Fort Besselat, Orlandeau will
offer to join. Sign him up as he is another unique story character.
* GOOD IDEA: Orlandeau's initial equipment includes the Excalibur knight's
sword. The Excalibur isn't unique (an infinite supply can be caught from high-
level enemy Ninjas), but Excaliburs are hard to get, so hang on to it!
* ESSENTIAL: When you first visit the Trade City of Sal Ghidos, you will see a
cutscene in which Aerith offers you a flower. Choose the SECOND option to buy
the flower. If you do not buy the flower, you will NOT be able to complete the
Nelveska Temple & Recruiting Cloud subquests, and there is only ONE chance to
get it!!
Once you have the flower, you can complete the Nelveska Temple sidequest if you
also finished the Gollund Colliery quest and still have Beowulf and Reis on
your team.
---Nelveska Temple Quest---
* ESSENTIAL: Using the Treasure Hunter ability, move atop the left pillar to
find the Escutcheon (II) shield. You will need to use a large monster (such as
Reis or Construct 8) as a stepping-stone to get up on top of the pillar. You
may instead receive a crummy regular Escutcheon; the chance of getting this BAD
Escutcheon is equal to your Bravery. So, a lower Bravery is better! This is
the ONLY chance to get the Escutcheon II in the game and you CANNOT come back
to this map afterwards, so you must pick it up here to get every item.
* GOOD IDEA: The Javelin II, Sasuke's Blade, and Nagnarok weapons can also be
found with Treasure Hunter and low Bravery here. These, however, are not
unique; Sasuke's Blade and the Javelin II can be caught from enemy Ninjas and
the Nagnarok can be poached from Swine.
* ESSENTIAL: After completing the events in this quest, Reis's new version will
offer to rejoin your party. She is another unique story character and needed
for the Lionel's New Liege Lord quest, so sign her up.
---Chapter IV Main Quest - Mount Germinas to Limberry---
* ESSENTIAL: The Mount Germinas map contains a one-of-a-kind item, the
Invisibility Cloak, found using Treasure Hunter atop the mountain. (See
Various Tricks for a map to its location.) Again, the lower your Bravery, the
better chance of getting the Invisibility Cloak instead of just an Ether. You
only get to pick up ONE of these items, so if you end up with the Ether, the
Invisibility Cloak is gone for good! Unlike with the Nelveska Temple items,
however, there's absolutely no need to get this during the story battle here --
you can come back and get it in a random battle at any time.
* GOOD IDEA: You may encounter another Pig in the story battle at Finnath
Creek. (It's random whether or not you'll see it.) If you missed the Pig in
the Gollund Colliery, try to recruit this one. If you don't get one here, you
can still find an infinite supply in the last floor of Midlight's Deep.
* GOOD IDEA: At Limberry, you'll face a series of four battles. In the first
three battles, you'll want to learn Ultima by having one of the Assassins or
Ultima Demons cast it on either Ramza in his Squire job, or Luso in his Game
Hunter job. It is easiest by far to learn it in the first battle (at the
gate).
* NOT IMPORTANT: You can't steal Elmdore's equipment in this version of the
game, so don't even try.
* ESSENTIAL: After winning all the battles at Limberry, Meliadoul will offer to
join you. Sign her up; she is a unique character and is needed for another
couple story events.
* GOOD IDEA: Meliadoul comes with a Save The Queen sword. Again, the supply of
these is actually unlimited (since they can be caught from enemy Ninjas), but
keeping this one as a good idea!
The Recruiting Cloud quest is now available.
---Recruiting Cloud Quest---
* ESSENTIAL: When given the chance to sign up Cloud, add him. He isn't needed
for anything else, but IS a unique story character.
* GOOD IDEA: Cloud's Materia Blade is found atop Mount Bervenia using Treasure
Hunter. Bravery is NOT important. Try to hang onto it since Cloud needs it
for his Limit command, but if you lose it, you CAN get more from enemy Ninjas.
---Chapter IV Main Quest - Eagrose to End---
* ESSENTIAL: After Limberry, you will be directed back to Eagrose. On your way
back to Eagrose, enter Dorter Trade City for an optional battle. (This battle
will only trigger if you have Meliadoul on your roster.) If you visit Eagrose
before activated this battle, it will disappear.
* GOOD IDEA: In the aforementioned Dorter battle, you can steal a Dragon Rod
from Cletienne. This weapon can also be found as a rare poach from Blue
Dragons, but it's easiest to steal.
* GOOD IDEA: The boss at Eagrose has a Defender sword you can steal, if you
missed the one at Bervenia or want a second one. Again, there's actually an
unlimited supply of Defenders (from poaching Elder Treants), so you don't
*have* to get this one.
* GOOD IDEA: Once you get to Mullonde, you'll face a series of three battles.
In the first battle, the enemy Summoner has another Dragon Rod if you missed
the prior one.
* ESSENTIAL: For the second battle at Mullonde, deploy Meliadoul for some
additional mid-battle dialogue. (This is not needed to unlock anything else,
however.)
* ESSENTIAL: If you have not yet learned the Ultima spell, the third battle at
Mullonde is your last chance to learn it, if Ultima Demons cast it on either
Ramza in his Squire job, or Luso in his Game Hunter job.
Once you complete the battles at Mullonde, you will be able to complete the
last set of sidequests, as well as the last set of story battles. You must
still have Beowulf, Reis, and Agrias to complete this final set of sidequests.
* ESSENTIAL: After entering Orbonne Monastery for the final sequence of
battles, SAVE YOUR GAME IN A DIFFERENT SLOT. You will NOT be able to get out
to the world map again. So, if you want to be able to roam the map at all, you
must keep a separate save from BEFORE you went into the Monastery.
---Lionel's New Liege Lord Quest---
* NOT IMPORANT: Aliste has Safeguard, so you can't steal any of his Genji gear.
Sorry.
* ESSENTIAL: After completing the first battle of this quest, you will receive
the Genji Armor as a battle trophy. This is a unique item, so do not let get
it stolen or broken.
* GOOD IDEA: You can steal the Masamune from one of the enemy samurai in the
second battle of this quest. The Masamune can only be otherwise obtained by
catching it from enemy Ninjas, so it's good to get here. (Be careful using the
Masamune for Iaido; if it breaks, you'll have to catch a replacement!)
* GOOD IDEA: You can also steal a Cachusha and Barette from the enemy Mystics
in the same battle. These are also available from poaching.
* ESSENTIAL: You will receive a Zeus Mace as a battle trophy after the second
battle. Keep it; this is one of only two in the game.
---Disorder in the Order Quest---
* GOOD IDEA: If you still have Alicia and Lavian in your roster, the story
event at Zeltennia Castle will include them in the background. However, having
them here doesn't affect the actual event, nor your ability to do anything else
later. Note that once you've completed this event, Alicia and Lavian aren't
used for anything else, so you could dismiss them if you want since they're
otherwise just generic characters.
* ESSENTIAL: If you bring Orlandeau to the battle in this quest, you can see a
little extra dialogue. But, it's not needed for anything else.
* ESSENTIAL: In the battle in this quest, you can steal Venetian and Kaiser
Shields from the two Knights, and Ninja Gear from the enemy Monk. There is
only other one copy of each of these items, so be sure to snag them.
* GOOD IDEA: You can also steal a Sasuke's Blade, Barette, Blaze Gun, and
Glacial Gun in the same battle, although none of these are strictly necessary.
---Midlight's Deep---
All the floors of Midlight's Deep have items you can find with Treasure Hunter.
Again, a lower Bravery increases your chance is needed to get these items;
otherwise, you just get a Phoenix Down. If you get the Phoenix Down, the
"good" item disappears, even if you leave the battle and re-enter.
* GOOD IDEA: Good Treasure Hunter pickups on The Crevasse: Glacial Gun and
Blaze Gun. (Both also obtainable in random battles, however.)
* GOOD IDEA: Good Treasure Hunter pickups on The Stair: Save The Queen and
Blood Sword.
* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Hollow: Zeus Mace. There are only
two of these available in the game; the other comes from the Lionel's New Liege
Lord quest.
* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Hollow: Yoichi Bow.
* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Catacombs: Rod of Faith. Only
available here.
* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Catacombs: Kaiser Shield. One of
only two; the other comes from Disorder in the Order.
* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Catacombs: Faerie Harp.
* GOOD IDEA: Good Treasure Hunter pickups on The Oubliette: Excalibur and Iga
Blade.
* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Palings: Cursed Ring (only one in
the game).
* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Palings: Ninja Gear (1 of 2 in the
game; the other from Disorder in the Order).
* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Palings: Blaster gun.
* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Crossing: Staff of the Magi (only
one in the game).
* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Crossing: Koga Blade.
* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickups on The Switchback: Perseus Bow and Lordly
Robe (both only available here).
* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Switchback: Excalibur.
* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickups on The Interstice: Maximillian and Grand
Helm (both unique), and Venetian Shield (1 of 2 in the game; the other is from
Disorder in the Order)
* ESSENTIAL: The first time you enter floor 10 (Terminus), you'll fight a story
battle. This is your only chance to obtain the Zodiark summon, by having it
the boss cast it on a character using the Summoner job. Use Mana Shield to
survive the spell.
* ESSENTIAL: After defeating Elidibus, you will be able to sign up the Byblos.
This is a unique monster/character, so add it.
* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickups on Terminus: Chaos Blade and Chirijiraden.
(Be careful using the Chirijiraden for Iaido; if it breaks, you'll have to
catch a replacement!)
*******************************************************************************
XII. ERRANDS 00err
*******************************************************************************
New errands appear in the Taverns as you progress through the game. Each
town has its own set of Errands.
Occasionally, the characters sent on an errand may fail to complete it. If
this happens, let the calendar advance a month and the errand should re-appear
in the Tavern.
As listed below, some errands will yield Artefact or Wonder of the World when
you complete them. The specific artefact or wonder you receive is random, but
the errands that give you them are fixed.
[ This section needs some updating and expanding; I'll get to it a future
revision of the FAQ! ]
---Chapter II------------------------------------------------------------------
Mount Gulg Mother Lode
Chapter: 2 Days: 15-16 Location: Eagrose Castle
Cost: 3100 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Bandits
Chapter: 2 Days: 11-13 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
Cost: 600 Reward: Gil, JP
Shoreline Defense
Chapter: 2 Days: 8-9 Location: Magick City of Gariland
Cost: 3050 Reward: Gil, JP
Miner's Tale
Chapter: 2 Days: 8-11 Location: Magick City of Gariland
Cost: 600 Reward: Gil, JP
The Hindenburg
Chapter: 2 Days: 8-15 Location: Castled City of Zaland
Cost: 100 Reward: Gil, JP
Zaland Embassy Antiques
Chapter: 2 Days: 10-12 Location: Castled City of Zaland
Cost: 6000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
My Little Carrot
Chapter: 2 Days: 15-16 Location: Lionel Castle
Cost: 100 Reward: Gil, JP
Miner Shortage
Chapter: 2 Days: 7-9 Location: Clockwork City of Goug
Cost: 100 Reward: Gil, JP
The Highwind
Chapter: 2 Days: 5-8 Location: Port City of Warjilis
Cost: 1050 Reward: Gil, JP
---Chapter III-----------------------------------------------------------------
Frontier Marathon
Chapter: 3 Days: 14-16 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Second Frontier Marathon
Chapter: 3 Days: 14-16 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Note: Must complete above errand first
Third Frontier Marathon
Chapter: 3 Days: 14-16 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Note: Must complete above errand first
Stolen Tomes
Chapter: 3 Days: 12-16 Location: Magick City of Gariland
Cost: 11000 Reward: Gil, JP
Minstrel in Distress
Chapter: 3 Days: 13-16 Location: Eagrose Castle
Cost: 50 Reward: Gil, JP
Mameco the Minstrel
Chapter: 3 Days: 15-16 Location: Eagrose Castle
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Use Dancers for this errand, must complete above errand first
Lorraide Mine
Chapter: 3 Days: 10-14 Location: Castled City of Zaland
Cost: 1100 Reward: Gil, JP
The Dawn Queen
Chapter: 3 Days: 8-12 Location: Lionel Castle
Cost: 100 Reward: Gil, JP
Zerro's Challenge
Chapter: 3 Days: 8-9 Location: Lionel Castle
Cost: 50 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Clockwork Faire
Chapter: * Days: 11-13 Location: Clockwork City of Goug
Cost: 100 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Use Chemists for this errand
Mesa's Legacy
Chapter: 3 Days: 10-13 Location: Clockwork City of Goug
Cost: 10000 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: This errand is a rip-off.
Merchant's Regret
Chapter: 3 Days: 14-15 Location: Port City of Warjilis
Cost: 2000 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Old Toppa's Will
Chapter: 3 Days: 11-13 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
Cost: 8000 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Send Chemists on this errand.
Salvage Expedition
Chapter: 3 Days: 10-14 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
Cost: 3000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Abandoned Mine
Chapter: 3 Days: 10-14 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
Cost: 1000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Errands below only appear after completing the battles at Orbonne Monastery.
Guard Duty
Chapter: 3+ Days: 11-13 Location: Eagrose Castle
Cost: 2000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
The Siedge Weald
Chapter: 3+ Days: 11-13 Location: Castled City of Zaland
Cost: 1100 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Trick of the Light
Chapter: 3+ Days: 14-15 Location: Lionel Castle
Cost: 1050 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Fenland Mystery
Chapter: 3+ Days: 13-14 Location: Lionel Castle
Cost: 1100 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Diving Expedition
Chapter: 3+ Days: 10-14 Location: Walled City of Yardrow
Cost: 5000 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Use Archers for this errand
---Chapter IV------------------------------------------------------------------
Gleddia Isle
Chapter: 4 Days: 9-11 Location: Riovanes Castle
Cost: 4000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Foundered Vessel
Chapter: 4 Days: 8-13 Location: Riovanes Castle
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Must complete above errand first
Fia's Wish
Chapter: 4 Days: 12-14 Location: Riovanes Castle
Cost: 3000 Reward: Gil, JP
Secret Society
Chapter: 4 Days: 2-3 Location: Riovanes Castle
Cost: 600 Reward: Gil, JP
Lettre d'amour
Chapter: 4 Days: 10-12 Location: Riovanes Castle
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Arithmeticks Tutor Wanted
Chapter: 4 Days: 10-13 Location: Magick City of Gariland
Cost: 50 Reward: Gil, JP
Hellspawned Beast
Chapter: 4 Days: 14-15 Location: Eagrose Castle
Cost: 1000 Reward: Gil, JP
Metamorphosed Misery
Chapter: 4 Days: 15-16 Location: Eagrose Castle
Cost: 1100 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Must completed above errand first
Count Minimas
Chapter: 4 Days: 12-14 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
Cost: 600 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Count Minimas
Chapter: 4 Days: 12-15 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
Cost: 1000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Must complete above errand first
Count Minimas
Chapter: 4 Days: 11-12 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
Cost: 600 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Must complete above errand first
Father's Nightmare
Chapter: 4 Days: 15-16 Location: Lionel Castle
Cost: 1500 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Use Chemists for this errand
The Durga
Chapter: 4 Days: 11-14 Location: Clockwork City of Goug
Cost: 100 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Devil in the Dark
Chapter: 4 Days: 8-10 Location: Clockwork City of Goug
Cost: 3050 Reward: Gil, JP
Rain-Swept Slopes
Chapter: 4 Days: 13-16 Location: Port City of Warjilis
Cost: 600 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
True Romance
Chapter: 4 Days: 8-12 Location: Port City of Warjilis
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Must complete "Lettre d'amour" errand at Riovanes Castle first
In the Darkness
Chapter: 4 Days: 12-14 Location: Port City of Warjilis
Cost: 1500 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Use White Mages for this errand
Wandering Gambler
Chapter: 4 Days: 9-12 Location: Port City of Warjilis
Cost: 15000 Reward: Gil, JP
Coal Miners Wanted
Chapter: 4 Days: 4-6 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
Cost: 50 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Use Archers for this errand
More Coal Miners Wanted
Chapter: 4 Days: 4-6 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
Cost: 150 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Most complete above errand first, use Archers for this errand
Lamzen the Adventurer
Chapter: 4 Days: 12-16 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
Cost: 1100 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Frontier Expedition
Chapter: 4 Days: 10-14 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
Cost: 5000 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
The Falcon
Chapter: 4 Days: 7-9 Location: Walled City of Yardrow
Cost: 3500 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Use Archers for this errand
Endless Caverns
Chapter: 4 Days: 12-14 Location: Free City of Bervenia
Cost: 8000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Past Glory
Chapter: 4 Days: 7-15 Location: Free City of Bervenia
Cost: 500 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Use Geomancers for this errand
Beddha Sandwaste
Chapter: 4 Days: 11-15 Location: Free City of Bervenia
Cost: 550 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Adventurers Wanted
Chapter: 4 Days: 8-12 Location: Free City of Bervenia
Cost: 100 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Shadows from the Past
Chapter: 4 Days: 12-15 Location: Free City of Bervenia
Cost: 3050 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Rhana Strait
Chapter: 4 Days: 9-13 Location: Zeltennia Castle
Cost: 3100 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Zerro Strikes
Chapter: 4 Days: 8-9 Location: Zeltennia Castle
Cost: 100 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Must complete errand "Zerro's Challenge" in Lionel Castle first,
use Chemists for this errand
Nightwalker
Chapter: 4 Days: 8-12 Location: Zeltennia Castle
Cost: 3050 Reward: Gil, JP
Zerro's Return
Chapter: 4 Days: 8-9 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
Cost: 500 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Must complete errand "Zerro Strikes" at Zeltennia Castle first
Thief Zerro Reborn!
Chapter: 4 Days: 8-9 Location: Eagrose Castle
Cost: 5000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Must complete above errand first
Himca Cliffs
Chapter: 4 Days: 8-12 Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
Cost: 1500 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Ore of the Gods
Chapter: 4 Days: 9-11 Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
Cost: 13000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Lake Poescas Depths
Chapter: 4 Days: 12-14 Location: Limberry Castle
Cost: 1500 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Cellar Dungeon
Chapter: 4 Days: 11-13 Location: Limberry Castle
Cost: 3000 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Uninvited Guests
Chapter: 4 Days: 8-13 Location: Limberry Castle
Cost: 3050 Reward: Gil, JP
Gysahl Greens
Chapter: 4 Days: 2-4 Location: Limberry Castle
Cost: 100 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Wandering Gambler
Chapter: 4 Days: 11-13 Location: Limberry Castle
Cost: 15000 Reward: Gil, JP
Zerro's Final Heist
Chapter: 4 Days: 8-9 Location: Limberry Castle
Cost: 10000 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Must complete errand "Thief Zerro Reborn!" at Eagrose Castle first
Errands below only appear after defeating Zalera.
Ancient Wonder
Chapter: 4+ Days: 13-14 Location: Eagrose Castle
Cost: 200 Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
Cattedona
Chapter: 4+ Days: 14-15 Location: Castled City of Zaland
Cost: 500 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Use Orators for this errand
Lionel Emissary
Chapter: 4+ Days: 14-15 Location: Lionel Castle
Cost: 4000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Twilight Gustkov
Chapter: 4+ Days: 14-15 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
Cost: 1000 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Use Thieves for this errand
Terror's Maw
Chapter: 4+ Days: 13-14 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
Cost: 1500 Reward: Gil, JP
Miner's Dream
Chapter: 4+ Days: 12-14 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
Cost: 150 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Must complete above errand first
Ducal Disaster
Chapter: 4+ Days: 15-16 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
Cost: 6000 Reward: Gil, JP
Young Lord Pappal
Chapter: 4+ Days: 12-15 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
Cost: 3000 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Must complete above errand first
Cries in the Dark
Chapter: 4+ Days: 8-11 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
Cost: 3050 Reward: Gil, JP
Salvage Work
Chapter: 4+ Days: 9-14 Location: Walled City of Yardrow
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, JP
Coal Mining Expedition
Chapter: 4+ Days: 10-14 Location: Walled City of Yardrow
Cost: 1000 Reward: Gil, JP
Second Coal Mining Expedition
Chapter: 4+ Days: 10-14 Location: Walled City of Yardrow
Cost: 1000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Must complete above errand first
Historic Revolt
Chapter: 4+ Days: 8-10 Location: Riovanes Castle
Cost: 3050 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Tutoring
Chapter: 4+ Days: 8-12 Location: Riovanes Castle
Cost: 200 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Use magick-users for this errand
The Behemoth
Chapter: 4+ Days: 13-15 Location: Free City of Bervenia
Cost: 500 Reward: Gil, JP
Dredge Work
Chapter: 4+ Days: 6-10 Location: Zeltennia Castle
Cost: 1000 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Use Archers for this errand
Missing Boy
Chapter: 4+ Days: 15-16 Location: Zeltennia Castle
Cost: 3500 Reward: Gil, JP
Appraisal
Chapter: 4+ Days: 8-9 Location: Zeltennia Castle
Cost: 550 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Use Chemists for this errand
Death's Gorge
Chapter: 4+ Days: 9-14 Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
Cost: 13000 Reward: Gil, JP
The Typhoon
Chapter: 4+ Days: 10-13 Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
Cost: 11000 Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Use Chemists for this errand
Beastly Trail
Chapter: 4+ Days: 11-13 Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
Cost: 10000 Reward: Gil, JP
Memories
Chapter: 4+ Days: 10-12 Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
Cost: 100 Reward: Gil, JP
---Contest Errands-------------------------------------------------------------
The following "contest" errands don't seem to be associated with any particular
chapter. Instead, they only show up at certain times of the year:
Arteficer's Contest
Chapter: * Days: 14-16 Location: Clockwork City of Goug
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, JP
Note: Only during month of Sagittarius, use Chemists for this errand
The Yardrow Melee
Chapter: * Days: 14-16 Location: Walled City of Yardrow
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Only during month of Cancer
Gariland Magick Melee
Chapter: * Days: 14-16 Location: Magick City of Gariland
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
Note: Only during month of Virgo, use magick-users for this errand
The Zaland Melee
Chapter: * Days: 14-16 Location: Castled City of Zaland
Cost: Free Reward: Gil, JP
Notes: Only during month of Aries, use Monks for this errand
*******************************************************************************
XIII. OTHER GAME INFORMATION
*******************************************************************************
%%%IVALICIAN CALENDAR%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00calendar
Aries 30 days [Mar. 21 to Apr. 19] Dry month
Taurus 31 days [Apr. 20 to May 20] Dry month
Gemini 32 days [May 21 to June 21] Wet month
Cancer 31 days [June 22 to July 22] Wet month
Leo 31 days [July 23 to Aug. 22] Dry month
Virgo 31 days [Aug. 23 to Sep. 22] Dry month
Libra 31 days [Sep. 23 to Oct. 23] Dry month
Scorpio 30 days [Oct. 24 to Nov. 22] Dry month
Sagittarius 30 days [Nov. 23 to Dec. 22] Wet month
Capricorn 28 days [Dec. 23 to Jan. 19] Wet month
Aquarius 30 days [Jan. 20 to Feb. 18] Wet month
Pisces 30 days [Feb. 19 to Mar. 20] Dry month
Thunderstorms are more common during wet months than dry months.
%%%ZODIAC COMPATIBILITY%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00zodiac
Ar T G Cn Le V Li Sc Sa Cp Aq P
Aries X O ? O X
Taurus X O ? O X
Gemini X O ? O X
Cancer X X O ? O
Leo O X X O ?
Virgo O X X O ?
Libra ? O X X O
Scorpio ? O X X O
Sagittarius O ? O X X
Capricorn X O ? O X
Aquarius X O ? O X
Pisces X O ? O X
O: Good X: Bad
?: Worst (same sex), Best (opposite sex)
Monsters are considered to have the same sex as other monsters, but to differ
in sex from both male & female humans.
%%%PARTY & BOSS ZODIAC SIGNS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00boss
While generic units (even those in story battles) have random Zodiac signs,
most story characters have predefined Zodiac signs. Those for your party
members and enemy bosses are listed below. Temporary party members are
indicated by (parentheses).
--PARTY MEMBERS--
Aries : Lavian, Boco
Taurus : (Ovelia)
Gemini : Marach, Construct 8
Cancer : Agrias, Luso, (Orran), (Zalbaag)
Leo : Balthier, (Alma)
Virgo : (Argath), (Gaffgarion)
Libra : Mustadio, Beowulf
Scorpio : Orlandeau
Sagittarius : (Delita)
Capricorn : Ladd, Meliadoul
Aquarius : Cloud
Pisces : Alicia, Rapha, Reis
random : The Byblos
user-entered: Ramza
Note that no permanent story characters have Taurus, Virgo, or Sagittarius as
their Zodiac sign. If you want a complete set of Zodiac signs, you could give
Ramza one of these signs. (See the Calendar above for which sign corresponds
to which dates.) On the other hand, due to the proliferation of Gemini and
Virgo bosses, you're probably better off making him a Capricorn to give him
good compatibility with those bosses.
--ENEMY BOSSES - BY BATTLE--
This chart details when you'll encounter enemy bosses with each Zodiac sign.
For each Zodiac sign, the numbers indicate a story battle where a boss has that
sign (e.g. the 25 for Gemini means that battle #25 has a Gemini boss). See the
chart above for which Zodiac signs will be effective against each boss.
Some battles are listed more than once in this chart because some battles have
more than one boss. If a numbers doesn't appear anywhere in the chart, that's
because there's no boss in that battle!
Aries : 8
Taurus : none
Gemini : 25, 29, 32, 34, 45, 47, 48, 51, 55, Lionel's New Liege Lord #2
Cancer : 52
Leo : 51, 57
Virgo : 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 18, 19, 26, 33, 34, 44, 45, 46, 58
Libra : none
Scorpio : 21, 49, Lionel's New Liege Lord #1
Sagittarius : 23, 34, 38, 39, 44, 45, 56
Capricorn : 36, 51, 54
Aquarius : none
Pisces : none
Serpentarius: Midlight's Deep floor 10
random : Gollund Colliery #4, Nelveska Temple
Note that Zodiac signs are NOT evenly distributed across bosses -- most bosses
are Geminis and Virgos, with a few Sagittariuses and Capricorns. So, you might
want to adjust your party line-up accordingly:
- Against Gemini bosses, Virgos, Capricorns, and especially opposite-gender
Scorpios are effective
- Against Virgo bosses, Tauruses, Capricorns, and especially opposite-gender
Pisces are effective
Since Capricorn is good against BOTH Gemini and Virgo bosses, it's a
particularly helpful Zodiac sign to have!
--ENEMY BOSSES - BY CHARACTER--
The chart below details which enemy boss characters have which Zodiac signs.
Don't peek if you don't want to know all the boss names!
!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!
Aries : Boco
Taurus : none
Gemini : Isilud, Marach, Elmdore, Zalera, Cletienne, Bremondt
Cancer : Zalbaag
Leo : Folmarv, Hashmal
Virgo : Milleuda, Wiegraf, Argath, Gaffgarion, Belias*, Celia, Ultima
Libra : none
Scorpio : Cuchulainn, Dycedarg, Adrammelech, Aliste
Sagittarius : Zalmour, Lettie, Barich
Capricorn : Meliadoul, Loffrey
Aquarius : none
Pisces : none
Serpentarius: Elidibus
random : Syneugh, Construct 7
* Note: While Belias is ostensibly the Lucavi of Aries, its actual in-game
zodiac sign during the battle is Virgo, because it transforms from Wiegraf.
!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!
%%%STATUS CHANGES (QUICK REFERENCE)%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00status1
---Status Related to Game Mechanics---
APPEARANCE EFFECT
Charging Gold "C" Charging up spell; increases physical damage
received
Performing Sing / dance Charging up song or dance
Defending Crossed arms Doubles evade rate (both physical & magickal)
Critical Kneeling None; just indicates that you're low on HP.
(Some reaction abilities trigger only when
Critical.)
KO Lying down Character dies after counter gone
Chicken Becomes a chicken Character cannot be controlled and will only
flee into corner
---Positive Status Changes---
APPEARANCE EFFECT
Float Floats in air Move over water as if land; immune to earth
attacks; character's height is 1 unit higher
Reraise Angel icon Revived on next turn after being KOed
Invisible Transparent Can't be attacked until you Act
Regen Blue tint HP increases after each of character's turns
Protect Triangle icon Lowers physical damage received
Shell Square icon Lowers magick damage received
Haste Fast animation CT gauge fills faster
---Negative Status Changes---
APPEARANCE EFFECT
Sleep "Zzz" Can't do anything; receive more damage from
physical attacks
Poison Green tint, HP decreases after each of character's turns
skull icon
Blind Sunglasses icon Doubles enemy's chance to evade your attacks
Oil Black tint, oil Receive double damage from fire attacks
spill icon
Stone Turns gray Can't do anything or take damage. Game Over if
all units KOed or Stone
Silence "..." Can't use magick or Speechcraft
Toad Becomes a toad Can't use any abilities except Attack and Toad
magick. Stats down.
Slow Slow animation CT gauge fills more slowly
Stop No animation CT gauge doesn't fill at all; can't do anything
Immobilize Gold arrow icon Can't "Move"
Disable Hand icon Can't "Act" or use Reaction Abilities
Doom Countdown KOed when countdown expired
Vampire Bat icon Character is undead AND confused
Undead Purple tint Healing spells damage character; drain attacks
restore HP
Charm Heart icon Character temporarily fights on enemy's side
Traitor none Character has permanently joined enemy team
Berserk Red tint, angry Attack power up; character cannot be controlled
face icon and only performs physical attacks
Confuse Weird animation, Character performs random actions
"?" icon
---Neutral Status Changes---
APPEARANCE EFFECT
Reflect none Magicks bounce off target onto another tile
Atheist Ankh & down arrow Faith temporarily changed to 0
Faith Ankh & up arrow Faith temporarily changed to 100
%%%STATUS CHANGES (DETAIL)%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00status2
---Status Related to Game Mechanics--------------------------------------------
---CHARGING---
Appearance: Gold "C" icon appears over character's head
Effect : Character is charging up an ability or magick
Character receives 50% more damage from physical attacks
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Using any ability with The ability is cast n/a
"speed" listed Character is KOed or loses
ability to perform actions
---PERFORMING---
Appearance: Character is seen singing or dancing
Effect : Character uses the chosen Sing or Dance ability at each new turn
until a new action is chosen
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Using Dance or Sing Taking another action n/a
command Character is KOed or loses
ability to perform actions
---DEFENDING---
Appearance: Crossed arms
Effect : Physical and magickal evade rates are doubled
Granted by: Remove with: Permanently granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Defend [Squire & most Character's next turn n/a
special jobs] Character is KOed or loses
Vigilance [Thief] ability to perform actions
---CRITICAL---
Appearance: Critical is kneeling or crouching
Effect : Some Reaction Abilities activate only when in critical HP.
Monsters in critical HP after a physical attack can be Tamed.
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Lowering character's HP Restore character's HP n/a
below 20% of max above 20% of max
---KO---
Appearance: Character lying on the ground
Effect : Character cannot do anything; all other attacks miss character.
Counter over character's head decreases by 1 each turn; when it
goes past 0, the character permanently dies and turns into a
crystal or chest
If all characters KOed and turned to Stone, battle is lost
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by*:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Reduce HP to 0 Phoenix Down [Chemist] Barette [hair adornment]
Death [Black Mage] Revive [Monk] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Magma Surge [Geomancer] Raise, Arise [White Mage, Chameleon Robe [robe]
Northswain's Strike [Holy Celebrant, Sorceror] Onion Gloves [gauntlets]
Knight, Sword Saint, Squeak [Pig] Angel Ring [ring]
White Knt., Rune Knt.] Reraise status
Compress [Automaton]
Valhalla [fell sword]
Heave [Behemoth family]
Dark Whisper [Tiamat]
Doom status
Bioga [The Impure, Reaver,
Rune Knight]
Suffocate [Assassin]
* These items only grant immunity to instant-KO attacks, not to being KOed from
losing all your HP.
---CHICKEN---
Appearance: Character becomes a chicken.
Effect : Character cannot be controlled, and simply flees towards a corner.
1 Bravery point is restored per turn.
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Lower character's Bravery Increase character's nothing
below 10 Bravery to 10
---Positive Status-------------------------------------------------------------
These are status changes that are beneficial for your characters. Some of
these can be granted during battle, and will last only for the duration of the
battle (or shorter). These positive status effects can also be removed by
certain other abilities -- so if you see an enemy with a positive status effect
and want to get rid of it, you can.
Some pieces of equipment will also grant a permanent positive status effect as
long as the character has the item equipped. These effects CANNOT be directly
removed by any abilities, only by stealing or rending the relevant piece of
equipment.
Note that while the Bard's Nameless Song ability can bestow most positive
status, it only gives each ally one status change, and the particular status
given is random. If you definitely want a specific status change, you'll
probably want to use a different ability to bestow it, if possible.
---FLOAT---
Appearance: Character hovers in air
Effect : Character can move over water as if it was land.
Character is immune to Earth-elemental attacks.
Character's vertical position is increased by 1 over the actual
height of the panel on which he or she is standing.
Granted by: Remove with: Permanently granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Float [Time Mage] Harmony [Mystic] Levitate [Time Mage]
Dispel [Templar] Winged Boots [shoes]
Dischord [Squidraken] Cherche [perfume]
Dispelja [Arch Seraph] Bomb family
Ghost family
---RERAISE---
Appearance: Angel hovers next to character
Effect : Next time character is KOed, s/he automatically revives on his/her
next turn. Or, immediately cancels next KO due to Doom status.
Granted by: Remove with: Permanently granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Reraise [White Mage] After used once Chantage [perfume] *
Dragonheart [Dragoon] Harmony [Mystic] Grand Armor [armor] *
Nameless Song [Bard] Dispel [Templar] Onion Armor [armor] *
Aegis [Princess/Cleric] Dischord [Squidraken] Brave Suit [clothes] *
Angel Ring [ring] Dispelja [Arch Seraph]
* Note: Reraise normally wears off after one revival, but the Reraise from
these items is PERMANENT and allows you to revive an infinite number of times
per battle. The Angel Ring item only gives you Reraise per battle.
---INVISIBLE---
Appearance: Character looks partially transparent
Effect : Character cannot be targeted by enemy units
Granted by: Remove with: Permanently granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Vanish [Ninja] Character takes any action nothing
Ninja Gear [clothes] besides moving
Invisibility Cloak [cloak] Character loses HP
Septie`me [perfume] Harmony [Mystic]
Dispel [Templar]
Dischord [Squidraken]
Dispelja [Arch Seraph]
---REGEN---
Appearance: Character glows blue
Effect : HP is restored at end of each of character's turns
Granted by: Remove with: Permanently granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Regen [White Mage] After time elapses Chaos Blade [knigt's swd]
Regenerate [White Mage] Harmony [Mystic] Pantherskin Bag [bag]
Masamune [Samurai] Dispel [Templar] Grand Armor [armor]
Nameless Song [Bard] Dischord [Squidraken] Onion Armor [armor]
Aegis [Princess/Cleric] Dispelja [Arch Seraph] Brave Suit [clothes]
Chantage [perfume]
---PROTECT---
Appearance: Triangle icon
Effect : Decreases physical damage received by character
Granted by: Remove with: Permanently granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Protect [White Mage] After time elapses Save the Queen [knt. sd]
Protectja [White Mage] Harmony [Mystic] Durandal [knight's sword]
Wall [White Mage] Dispel [Templar] Onion Armor [armor]
Kiyomori [Samurai] Dischord [Squidraken] Lordly Robe [robe]
Nameless Song [Bard] Dispelja [Arch Seraph] Sortile'ge [perfume]
Aegis [Princess/Cleric] Tynar Rouge [lip rouge]
Guardian Nymph [Dryad/
Elder Treant]
---SHELL---
Appearance: Square icon
Effect : Decreases magick damage received by character
Granted by: Remove with: Permanently granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Shell [White Mage] After time elapses Ragnarok [knight's sword]
Shellja [White Mage] Harmony [Mystic] Durandal [knight's sword]
Wall [White Mage] Dispel [Templar] Onion Armor [armor]
Kiyomori [Samurai] Dischord [Squidraken] Lordly Robe [robe]
Nameless Song [Bard] Dispelja [Arch Seraph] Sortile'ge [perfume]
Aegis [Princess/Cleric] Tynar Rouge [lip rouge]
Shell Nymph [Treant/
Elder Treant]
---HASTE---
Appearance: Character animates quickly
Effect : CT gauge fills more quickly
Granted by: Remove with: Permanently granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Haste [Time Mage] After time elapses Moonblade [sword]
Hasteja [Time Mage] Harmony [Mystic] Excalibur [knight sword]
Masamune [Samurai] Dispel [Templar] Brigand's Gloves [gloves]
Nameless Song [Bard] Dischord [Squidraken] Septie`me [perfume]
Aegis [Princess/Cleric] Dispelja [Arch Seraph] Tynar Rouge [lip rouge]
---Negative Status-------------------------------------------------------------
Some abilities and weapons will inflict one of several negative status changes
on a target. As with positive status changes, there are also abilities that
can remove this bad status. In addition, some pieces of equipment render a
character immune to a particular status change -- it can't even be inflicted on
the character to begin with.
Note that while Dragon's Gift can remove many status ailments, it only works
on monsters from the dragon and hydra families.
A few abilities can inflict several different status changes. In most cases,
the ability inflicts only ONE status change per target, and this particular
status effect is random. These abilities include Forbidden Dance, Celestial
and Corporeal Void, Finishing Touch, and Nightmare. NOT included in this list
are Bad Breath, Parasite, Grand Cross, and Poisonous Frog, which can all
inflict multiple status changes per target, making them particularly vicious!
All negative status effects except Traitor are removed at the end of a battle,
and many wear off sooner.
---SLEEP---
Appearance: Character kneels, "Zzz" icon
Effect : Character cannot do anything
Character receives additional damage received from physical
attacks
Chance to steal from character increases
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Mimic Darlavon [Orator] Any HP damage Grand Helm [helm]
Repose [Mystic] After time elapses Barette [hair adornment]
Will-o'-the-Wisp [Geom.] Character is KOed Ribbon [hair adornment]
Forbiddn Dance [Dancer] Remedy [Chemist] Mirage Vest [clothes]
Celestial Void [Skyseer] Purification [Monk] Protect Ring [ring]
Corporeal Void [Nethersr.] Esuna [White Mage/Celebrant]
Sleep [Templar/Celebrant] Dispelna [Princess/Cleric]
Parasite [Byblos] Dragon's Gift [Dragonkin]
Zwill Straightblade [knife]
Sleep Blade [sword]
Sleep Touch [Ghoul]
Bad Breath [Malboro/
Greater Malboro]
Dark Whisper [Tiamat]
Toot [Swine]
Nightmare [The Impure/Death
Seraph]
Grand Cross [High/Arch Seraph]
---POISON---
Appearance: Skull icon; character glows green
Effect : Character's HP decreases after each turn
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Poison [Black Mage] After time elapses Cachusha [hair adornment]
Forbidden Dance [Dancer] Salve [Squire/Game Hunter] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Celestial Void [Skyseer] Antidote, Remedy [Chemist] Onion Gloves [gauntlets]
Corporeal Void [Nethersr.] Purification [Monk] Japa Mala [armlet]
Parasite [Byblos] Esuna [White Mage/Celebrant]
Poison Rod [rod] Dispelna [Princess/Cleric]
Poison Bow [crossbow] Dragon's Gift [Dragonkin]
Venom Fang [Red Panther, Eight-fluted Pole [pole]
Coeurl] Choco Esuna [Chocobo,
Bad Breath [Malboro, Black Chocobo]
Greater Malboro]
Bio [The Impure/Reaver]
Grand Cross [High/Arch Seraph]
Poisonous Frog [Serpentarius]
---BLIND---
Appearance: Sunglasses icon
Effects : Doubles enemy evade rate when you use physical attacks
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Umbra [Mystic] Salve [Squire/Game Hntr] Grand Helm [helm]
Sandstorm [Geomancer] Eye Drops [Chemist] Cachusha [hair adornment]
Blind [Templar] Remedy [Chemist] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Eye Gouge [Goblin, Purification [Monk] Onion Gloves [gauntlets]
Gobbledygook] Esuna [White Mage/Celeb.] Japa Mala [armlet]
Ink [Mindflayer family] Dragon's Gift [Dragonkin]
Blind Knife [knife] Eight-fluted Pole [pole]
Chaosbringer [fell sword] Choco Esuna [Chocobo,
Knightslayer [crossbow] Black Chocobo]
Bio [The Impure/Reaver]
Darkness [Death Seraph]
Blindja [Death Seraph]
Grand Cross [High/Arch Seraph]
---OIL---
Appearance: Character turns gray, oil drop icon
Effect : Receive double damage from next fire-elemental attack
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Parasite [Byblos] Any fire attack nothing
Self-Destruct [Bomb family]Remedy [Chemist]
Oily Touch [Ghoul/Ghast] Dragon's Gift [Dragonkin]
Bad Breath [Malboro, Eight-fluted Pole [pole]
Greater Malboro]
Bio [The Impure/Reaver]
---STONE---
Appearance: Character turns completely gray and stops moving
Effect : Character cannot do anything or take damage
If all characters KOed and turned to Stone, battle is lost
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Induration [Mystic/Loffry] Gold Needle [Chemist] Barette [hair adornment]
Contortion [Geomancer] Remedy [Chemist] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Seal Evil* [Machinist, Purification [Monk] Mirage Vest [clothes]
Sky Pirate] Esuna [White Mage/Celeb.] Onion Gloves [gauntlets]
Break [Templar] Dispelna [Princess/Cleric] Jade Armlet [armlet]
Finishing Touch [Soldier] Choco Esuna [Chocobo,
Parasite [Byblos] Black Chocobo]
Chaos Blade [knight's sword]
Stoneshooter# [gun]
Blaster [Coeurl,
Vampire Cat]
Bewitching Gaze [Ahriman,
Plague Horror]
Beak [Steelhawk,
Cockatrice]
Bad Breath [Malboro,
Greater Malboro
Biora [The Impure/Reaver]
Bioga [The Impure/Reaver]
Petrify [Gigas/Assassin/The Wroth]
Grand Cross [High/Arch Seraph]
* Note 1: Seal Evil is only effective against undead targets.
# Note 2: The Stoneshooter inflicts Stone on targets, but it also causes the
user to begin the battle with Stone status.
---SILENCE---
Appearance: "..." word balloon
Effect : Cannot use Magick, Summons, Speechcraft, or Ultima. (Arithmeticks
and Spellblade are unaffected!)
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Sylph [Summoner] Salve [Squire/Game Huntr] Brass Coronet [hat]
Quiescence [Mystic/Loffry] Echo Herbs [Chemist] Gold Hairpin [hat]
Snowstorm [Geomancer] Remedy [Chemist] Cachusha [hair adornment]
Forbidden Dance [Dancer] Purification [Monk] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Hallowed Bolt [Holy Esuna [White Mage, Magick Ring [ring]
Knight, Sword Saint, Celebrant]
White Knight, Rune Knt] Choco Esuna [Chocobo,
Celestial Void [Skyseer] Black Chocobo]
Corporeal Void [Nethersr.] Dispelna [Princess/Cleric]
Silence [Templar/Celebrant]
Parasite [Byblos]
Mage Masher [knife]
Bewitching Gaze [Ahriman,
Plague Horror]
Bad Breath [Malboro,
Greater Malboro]
Biora [The Impure/Reaver]
Aphony [Gigas/The Wroth]
Grand Cross [High/Arch Seraph]
---TOAD---
Appearance: Character is a small toad
Effect : Can't use any abilities except regular attacks and the Toad magick.
Stats down.
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Toad [Black Mage] Maiden's Kiss [Chemist] Cachusha [hair adornment]
Torrent [Geomancer] Remedy [Chemist] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Forbidden Dance [Dancer] Purification [Monk] Onion Gloves [gauntlets]
Celestial Void [Skyseer] Esuna [White Mage/Celeb.] Japa Mala [armlet]
Corporeal Void [Nethersr.] Toad [Black Mage]
Parasite [Byblos] Dragon's Gift [Dragonkin]
Nagnarok [sword] Eight-fluted Pole [pole]
Bad Breath [Malboro, Dispelna [Princess/Cleric]
Greater Malboro]
Toadja [Death Seraph]
Grand Cross [High/Arch Seraph]
Poisonous Frog [Serpentarius]
---SLOW---
Appearance: Character animates slowly
Effect : CT gauge charges more slowly
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Slow, Slowja [Time Mage] After time elapses Cachusha [hair adorment]
Ama-no-Murakumo [Samurai] Eight-flued Pole [pole] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Unholy Sacrifice [Dark Knt.] Onion Gloves [gauntles]
Wind Blast [Geomancer] Diamond Bracelet [armlet]
Forbidden Dance [Dancer] Empyreal Armband [armlet]
Celestial Void [Skyseer]
Corporeal Void [Nethersr.]
Arondight [fell sword]
Slasher [axe]
Ague [The Impure]
Biora [The Impure/Reaver]
Grand Cross [High/Arch Seraph]
---STOP---
Appearance: Character stops animating
Effect : CT gauge does not charge; character cannot do anything
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Stop [Time Mage] After time elapses Barette [hair adornment]
Tanglevine [Geomancer] Dragon's Gift [Dragonkin] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Forbidden Dance [Dancer] Eight-fluted Pole [pole] Black Garb [clothes]
Crushing Blow [Dark Knt.] Dispelna [Princess/Cleric] Onion Gloves [gauntlets]
Judgment Blade [Holy Choco Esuna [Chocobo, Jade Armlet [armlet]
Knight, Sword Saint, Black Chocobo] Empyreal Armband [armlet]
White Knt., Rune Knt.]
Finishing Touch [Soldier]
Celestial Stasis [Astrol.]
Balmung [fell sword]
Blaster [Coeurl/Vampire Cat]
Shadowbind [Assassin]
Bind [Death Seraph, Bringer of Order]
---IMMOBILIZE---
Appearance: Gold arrow plus red X
Effect : Cannot use "Move" menu to move around the battlefield, but can
still take actions while standing in place
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Immobilize [Time Mage] After time elapses Thief's Cap [hat]
Sinkhole [Geomancer] Purification [Monk] Cachusha [hair adornment]
Leg Shot [Machinist, Sky Esuna [White Mage/Celeb.] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Pirate] Dragon's Gift [Dragonkin] Onion Gloves [gauntlet]
Ancient Sword [sword] Eight-fluted Pole [pole] Rubber Boots [shoes]
Bewitching Gaze [Ahriman, Choco Esuna [Chocobo, Guardian Bracelet [armlt]
Plague Horror] Black Chocobo] Empyreal Armband [armlet]
Goo [Ochu] Dispelna [Princess/Cleric]
Celestial Stasis [Astrol.]
--DISABLE---
Appearance: Hand plus red X
Effect : Cannot perform any actions under "Act" menu or use Reaction
Abilities, but can still move around battlefield
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Hesitation [Mystic] After time elapses Thief's Cap [hat]
Wind Slash [Geomancer] Purification [Monk] Cachusha [hair adornment]
Disable [Templar/Celebr.] Esuna [White Mage/Celeb.] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Arm Shot [Machinist, Sky Dragon's Gift [Dragonkin] Onion Gloves [gauntlet]
Pirate] Eight-fluted Pole [pole] Guardian Bracelet [armlt]
Spellbinder [ninja blade] Choco Esuna [Chocobo,
Bewitching Gaze [Ahriman, Black Chocobo]
Plague Horror] Dispelna [Princess/Cleric]
Celestial Stasis [Astrol.]
Fowlheart [The Impure,
Death Seraph, The Wroth]
---DOOM---
Apperance : Countdown over character's head
Effect : Count decreases from 3 each time the character gets a turn; when
it hits 0, the character is KOed (before s/he can act)
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Doom Fist [Monk] When character is KOed Cachusha [hair adornment]
Condemn [Orator] White Staff [staff] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Quicksand [Geomancer] Reraise activation Onion Gloves [gauntlets]
Muramasa [Samurai] Protect Ring [ring]
Cleaning Strike [Holy
Knight, Sword Saint,
White Knt., Rune Knt.]
Assassin's Dagger [knife]
Deathbringer [fell sword]
Doom [Ahriman, Plague Horror]
Nightmare [The Impure/Death Seraph]
---VAMPIRE---
Appearance : Bat icon
Effect : Character is undead (see below) AND confused
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Vampire [Vampire Cat, Holy Water [Chemist] Barette [hair adornment]
Ark Knight] Dispelna [Princess/Cleric] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Onion Gloves [gloves]
Japa Mala [armlet]
---CHARM---
Appearance: Heart icon.
Effect : Character cannot be controlled, and temporarily fights as if on the
other team.
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Steal Heart* [Thief] Any HP damage Acacia Hat [hat]
Plunder Heart* [Sky Pirate] After time elapses Barette [hair adornment]
Pirate]
Faerie Harp [instrument] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Snort# [Swine, Wild Boar] Onion Gloves [gloves]
Allure* [Assassin] Nu Khai Armband [armlet]
* Only effective on humans of the opposite sex and on monsters.
# Only effective on humans (of either sex); not effective on monsters.
(Note that the Faerie Harp is effective against all targets!)
---TRAITOR---
Appearance: Character's portrait box displays "Guest" (if recruited to your
side) or "Enemy" (if recruited to enemy side)
Effect : Character has switched sides, and now fights as a member of the
other team. If the character has joined your team, you will have
the option of permanently recruiting the character after the
battle.
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Entice [Orator] Inflict Traitor on target Barette [hair adornment]
Tame [Orator, Dragonkin] again before end of Ribbon [hair adornment]
Dragon's Charm* [Dragonkin] battle Onion Gloves [gloves]
Cursed Ring [ring]
* Note: Dragon's Charm is only effective on dragons and hydras.
---BERSERK---
Appearance: Character is tinted red
Effect : Character's attack strength increases, but character can only use
physical attacks and cannot be controlled
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Insult [Orator] Purification [Monk] Acacia Hat [hat]
Fervor [Mystic] Esuna [White Mage/Celeb.] Barette [hair adornment]
Berserk [Templar] Dragon's Gift [Dragonkin] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Mind Blast [Squidraken, Onion Gloves [gloves]
Mindflayer] Magick Ring [ring]
Grand Cross [High/Arch Seraph]
---CONFUSE---
Appearance: Weird animation patterns, "?" icon
Effect : Character performs random movements & abilities, which may include
attacking allies and/or enemies.
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Delirium [Mystic/Loffrey] Physical attack Acacia Hat [hat]
Tremor [Geomancer] Remedy [Chemist] Barette [hair adornment]
Muramasa [Samurai] Purification [Monk] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Forbidden Dance [Dancer] Esuna [White Mage/Celeb.] Onion Gloves [gloves]
Divine Ruination [Holy Dispelna [Princess/Cleric] Nu Khai Armband [armlet]
Knight, Sword Saint, Dragon's Gift [Dragonkin]
White Knt., Rune Knt.]
Celestial Void [Skyseer]
Corporeal Void [Nethersr.]
Confuse [Templar/Celebr.]
Parasite [Byblos]
Lamia's Harp [instrument]
Mind Blast [Squidraken,
Mindflayer]
Bad Breath [Malboro,
Greater Malboro]
Toot [Swine]
Befuddle [Gigas/The Wroth]
Confuseja [Death Seraph]
Grand Cross [High/Arch Seraph]
---Neutral Status--------------------------------------------------------------
These are status conditions that aren't necessarily good or necessarily bad.
---REFLECT---
Appearance: No visible change
Effect : Most magick bounces off character and strikes another tile instead.
See ability lists for which magicks can be Reflected.
Granted by: Remove with: Permanently granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Reflect [Time Mage] Harmony [Mystic] Mirror Mail [armor]
Carbuncle [Summoner] Dispel [Templar] Reflect Ring [ring]
Lick [Ochu, Malboro] Dischord [Squidraken] Cherche [perfume]
Dispelja [Arch Seraph]
---UNDEAD---
Appearance: Character is tinted purple
Effect : All abilities that normally restore HP instead cause HP loss.
Abilities that normally remove KO instead cause instant KO.
Attacks that normally drain HP from you instead restore HP to you
and cause the user to lose HP.
Inflicted with: Remove with: Immunity granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Corruption [Mystic] Holy Water [Chemist] Cachusha [hair adornment]
Zombie [Templar] Ribbon [hair adornment]
Zombie Touch [Revenant] Onion Gloves [gloves]
Bioga [The Impure/Reaver] Japa Mala [armlet]
Permanently granted by:
-------------------------
Skeleton family
Ghost family
Cursed Ring [ring]
---ATHEIST---
Appearance: Ankh down icon
Effect : Character temporarily has 0 Faith, preventing him/her from using
magick and also rendering him/her immune to magick.
Also causes any Nether Manta abilities used by or targeting the
character to do 0 damage, even though these normally do more damage
when Faith is low.
Granted by: Remove with: Permanently granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Disbelief [Mystic] After time elapses Automaton monster job
Doubt [Templar]
Gokuu Pole [pole]
---FAITH---
Appearance: Ankh up icon
Effect : Character temporarily has 100 Faith, increasing both the damage
dealt by magick and the damage received by magick
Also causes any Nether Manta abilities used by or targeting the
character to do high damage, even though these normally do less
damage when Faith is high.
Granted by: Remove with: Permanently granted by:
------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
Belief [Mystic] After time elapses Rod of Faith [rod]
Faith [Templar] Harmony [Mystic]
Rod of Faith [rod] Dispel [Templar]
Dischord [Squidraken]
Dispelja [Arch Seraph]
%%%ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00elem
Many abilities and a few weapons have one of eight elemental affinities: Fire,
Lightning, Ice, Wind, Earth, Water, Holy, or Dark. By paying attention to
these elemental affinities, you can increase the power of your attacks and
decrease the damage from enemy abilities!
Elemental affinities can increase damage in two ways. First, many monsters are
weak to a particular element. An attack of this element will do DOUBLE its
usual damage! A few pieces of equipment will also make a character weak to an
element.
Second, some equipment "boosts" one or more elements. When you have such an
item equipped, any attacks you use of that element are 25% stronger. This is
in addition to any weakness effect. For example, if Luso has the Gaia Gear
(which Boosts: Earth) equipped, any earth attack he executes does 25% more
damage. The Boost effect does NOT "stack" -- equipping more than one boost for
the same element has no additional effect. For example, equipping both a Flame
Rod and a Japa Mala (both of which boost Fire) is the same as equipping just
the Flame Rod.
Elemental effects can be defended against in three main ways. Some equipment
will HALVE the damage you taken from a given element. Other equipment grants
you IMMUNITY to a particular element, which means that you take NO damage at
all from that element. Finally, some equipment ABSORBS an element, which means
that damage from that element is converted into a HP *gain*. (So, absorbing
water means that a water attack that normally does 200 HP damage will instead
restore 200 HP!) Many monsters also have some innate elemental defenses.
Finally, elemental affinities come into a play in a few other ways:
- The Oil status doubles damage received from fire attacks.
- The Float status makes a character immune to earth attacks.
- During a thunderstorm, fire attacks are 25% weaker and lightning attacks are
25% stronger. (A light rain has no effect on elemental damage.)
- During a snowstorm, ice attacks are 25% stronger. Note that there are only
snowstorms during specific story battles and never during random battles.
For each of the eight elements, the chart below lists which attacks carry that
element, and what is weak or strong against that element.
---Fire------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABILITIES WITH FIRE AFFINITY:
Fire [Black Mage, Flame Rod] Nether Ashura [Netherseer]
Fira [Black Mage, Flame Mace] Fire Breath [Holy Dragon, Dragonkin,
Firaga [Black Mage] Red Dragon]
Firaja [Black Mage] Flame Attack [Grenade]
Ifrit [Summoner] Spark [Exploder]
Salamander [Summoner] Breathe Fire [Minotaur, Sekhret]
Will-o'-the-Wisp [Geomancer] Tri-Flame [Greater Hydra, Tiamat]
Magma Surge [Geomancer] Meltdown [Bringer of Order]
Ashura [Skyseer]
WEAPONS WITH FIRE AFFINITY:
Flame Rod [rod] Blaze Gun [gun]
Flame Mace [flail] Flameburst Bomb [bomb]
Boosted by : Flame Rod, Kaiser Shield, Black Robe, Sage's Ring, Japa Mala
Weakness : Skeleton family, Ghost family, Treant family, Blue Dragon
Halved by : Ice Shield, Venetian Shield, Reverie Shield, White Robe
Immunity : Minerva Bustier, Automaton
Absorbed by : Flame Shield, Sage's Ring, Bomb family, Red Dragon
Any unit with the Oil status change receives double damage from fire attacks.
After being struck with a fire attack, the Oil status disappears.
During a thunderstorm, damage from fire attacks is decreased by 25%.
---Lightning-------------------------------------------------------------------
ABILITIES WITH LIGHTNING AFFINITY:
Thunder [Black Mage, Thunder Rod] Hell's Wrath [Netherseer]
Thundara [Black Mage] Thunder Breath [Holy Dragon, Dragonkin,
Thundaga [Black Mage, Lightning Bow] Red Dragon, Blue Dragon]
Thundaja [Black Mage] Thunder Anima [Skeleton]
Ramuh [Summoner] Tri-Thunder [Greater Hydra, Tiamat]
Heaven's Wrath [Skyseer]
WEAPONS WITH LIGHTNING AFFINITY:
Coral Sword [sword] Lightning Bow [bow]
Thunder Rod [rod] Gungnir [polearm]
Blaster [gun] Spark Bomb [bomb]
Boosted by : Thunder Rod, Kaiser Shield, Black Robe, Sage's Ring, Japa Mala
Weakness : Ice Shield, Mindflayer family, Automaton
Halved by : Venetian Shield, Reverie Shield, White Robe, Sage's Robe
Immunity : Minerva Bustier, Rubber Suit, Rubber Boots
Absorbed by : Sage's Ring
During a thunderstorm, damage from lightning attacks is increased by 25%. This
is in addition to any increase from Boosts and/or enemy Weaknesses.
---Ice-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABILITIES WITH ICE AFFINITY:
Blizzard [Black Mage, Ice Rod] Snowstorm [Geomancer]
Blizzara [Black Mage] Ice Breath [Holy Dragon, Dragonkin, Blue
Blizzaga [Black Mage, Icebrand] Dragon]
Blizzaja [Black Mage] Ice Anima [Bonesnatch, Skeletal Fiend]
Shiva [Summoner]
WEAPONS WITH ICE AFFINITY:
Icebrand [sword] Glacial Gun [gun]
Ice Rod [rod] Ice Bow [bow]
Boosted by : Ice Rod, Kaiser Shield, Black Robe, Sage's Ring, Japa Mala
Weakness : Goblin family, Ahriman family, Malboro family, Hydra family,
Red Dragon
Halved by : Flame Shield, Venetian Shield, Reverie Shield, Minerva Bustier,
White Robe, Sage's Robe, Bomb family
Immunity : Automaton
Absorbed by : Ice Shield, Sage's Ring, Blue Dragon
During a snowstorm, damage from ice attacks is increased by 25%.
---Wind------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABILITIES WITH WIND FAMILY:
Wind Slash [Geomancer] Nether Blade [Skyseer]
Sandstorm [Geomancer] Wind Anima [Skeletal Fiend]
Wind Blast [Geomancer] Twister [Behemoth King, Ultima Demon]
Adamantine Blade [Skyseer] Tornado [Bringer of Order]
WEAPONS WITH WIND AFFINITY:
Air Knife [knife] Windslash Bow [bow]
Boosted by : Sage's Ring, Japa Mala
Weakness : Hydra family
Halved by : Reverie Shield, Sage's Robe, Ahriman family, Aevis family
Immunity : Minerva Bustier, Automaton
Absorbed by : Sage's Ring
---Earth-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ABILITIES WITH EARTH AFFINITY:
Shockwave [Monk] Impiety [Netherseer]
Titan [Summoner] Earthsplitter [Sekhret]
Tremor [Geomancer] Quake [Bringer of Order]
Divinity [Skyseer]
WEAPONS WITH EARTH AFFINITY:
none
Boosted by : Gaia Gear, Sage's Ring, Japa Mala
Weakness : Panther family, Aevis family
Halved by : Reverie Shield, Minerva Bustier, Sage's Robe
Immunity : Float status, Automaton
Absorbed by : Gaia Gear, Sage's Ring, Treant family
---Water-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ABILITIES WITH WATER AFFINITY:
Leviathan [Summoner] Maelstrom [Skyseer]
Torrent [Geomancer] Nether Maelstrom [Netherseer]
Quicksand [Geomancer] Water Anima [Skeleton, Bonesnatch]
WEAPONS WITH WATER AFFINITY:
none
Boosted by : Sage's Ring, Japa Mala
Weakness : Flame Shield, Bomb family, Minotaur family
Halved by : Reverie Shield, Minerva Bustier, Sage's Robe
Immunity : Automaton
Absorbed by : Sage's Ring, Mindflayer family
---Holy------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABILITIES WITH HOLY AFFINITY:
Holy [White Mage, Holy Lance] Holy Breath [Dragonkin]
WEAPONS WITH HOLY AFFINITY:
Durandal [knight's sword] Holy Lance [polearm]
Nirvana [staff]
Boosted by : Excalibur, Tynar Rouge, Sage's Ring, Japa Mala
Weakness : Skeleton family, Ghost family
Halved by : Reverie Shield, Minerva Bustier, Sage's Robe
Immunity : Automaton
Absorbed by : Excalibur, Chameleon Robe, Sage's Ring
---Dark------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABILITIES WITH DARK AFFINITY:
Lich [Summoner] Dark Whisper [Tiamat]
Unholy Sacrifice [Dark Knight] Unholy Darkness [Sorceror, Archaoedemon,
Ultima Demon]
WEAPONS WITH DARK AFFINITY:
ALL fell swords
Boosted by : Sage's Ring
Halved by : Reverie Shield, Sage's Robe, Nu Khai Armband
Immunity : Minerva Bustier, Automaton
Absorbed by : Sage's Ring, Skeleton family, Ghost family
%%%ARITHMETICKS CHART%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00arith
The chart below is a quick reference as to which numbers can be targeted by
each multiple when using Arithmetician. For example, characters at height = 3
will be hit by a Height Multiple of 3 or Height Prime spell, but not Height
Multiple of 4 or 5. You might find this chart handy when using Arithmeticks,
or trying to avoid enemy Arithmeticks attacks.
Some numbers, such as 34, can't be hit by ANY Arithmeticks multiple. (These
are numbers that are not prime but do not have 3, 4, or 5 as a factor.) These
numbers are indicated in the table by a solid horizonal line. If you expect to
face enemy Arithmeticians, you can use these numbers to help avoid their
attacks in two ways:
- As long as you stand on tiles with height of 0, 1, or any fractional number
(e.g. 2.5), you cannot be hit by Height-based Arithmeticks.
- If you have level 99 characters, you may want to level them down using a
Degenerator trap (e.g. at Zeklaus Desert) so that they can't be hit by Level
Multiple of 3.
That said, enemy Arithmeticians appear only very rarely.
QUICK LIST OF PRIME NUMBERS (ONLY DIVISIBLE BY THEMSELVES AND 1):
2 3 5 7 11 13 17
19 23 29 31 37 41 43
47 53 59 61 67 71 73
79 83 89 97
QUICK LIST OF NUMBERS NOT TARGETABLE:
0 1 14 22 26 34 38
46 49 58 62 74 77 82
86 91 94 98
All fractional height numbers (e.g. height = 2.5)
---FULL ARITHMETICKS CHART---
# MULT.3 MULT.4 MULT.5 PRIME | # MULT.3 MULT.4 MULT.5 PRIME
0 ------------------------------------ | 25 X
1 ------------------------------------ | 26 ----------------------------------
2 X | 27 X
3 X X | 28 X
4 X | 29 X
5 X X | 30 X X
6 X | 31 X
7 X | 32 X
8 X | 33 X
9 X | 34 ----------------------------------
10 X | 35 X
11 X | 36 X X
12 X X | 37 X
13 X | 38 ----------------------------------
14 ----------------------------------- | 39 X
15 X X | 40 X X
16 X | 41 X
17 X | 42 X
18 X | 43 X
19 X | 44 X
20 X X | 45 X X
21 X | 46 ----------------------------------
22 ----------------------------------- | 47 X
23 X | 48 X X
24 X X | 49 ----------------------------------
# MULT.3 MULT.4 MULT.5 PRIME | # MULT.3 MULT.4 MULT.5 PRIME
50 X | 75 X X
51 X | 76 X
52 X | 77 ----------------------------------
53 X | 78 X
54 X | 79 X
55 X | 80 X X
56 X | 81 X
57 X | 82 ----------------------------------
58 ----------------------------------- | 83 X
59 X | 84 X X
60 X X X | 85 X
61 X | 86 ----------------------------------
62 ----------------------------------- | 87 X
63 X | 88 X
64 X | 89 X
65 X | 90 X X
66 X | 91 ----------------------------------
67 X | 92 X
68 X | 93 X
69 X | 94 ----------------------------------
70 X | 95 X
71 X | 96 X X
72 X X | 97 X
73 X | 98 ----------------------------------
74 ----------------------------------- | 99 X
All fractional numbers ----------------------------------
%%%RANDOM BATTLES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00rb
For now, I'm just listing the categories of monsters that appear in each
location; I'll update this with more details soon.
Mandalia Plain: Chocobo, Goblin, Panther
The Siedge Weald: Goblin, Bomb, Skeleton, Minotaur
Zeklaus Desert: Bomb, Avis, Minotaur, Skeleton
Lenalian Plataeu: Panther
Fovoham Windflats: Mindflayer, Avis, Minotaur, Goblin
Araguay Woods: Ghost, Skeleton, Dryad, Panther, Aevis, Malboro, Goblin
Zeirchele Falls: Mindflayer, Panther, Chocobo, Skeleton, Ahriman, Minotaur
Balias Tor: Chocobo, Bomb, Minotaur, Panther, Aevis
Tchigolith Fenlands: Panther, Ghost, Ahriman, Minotaur, Skeleton, Malboro, Bomb
Balias Swale: Chocobo, Goblin, Mindflayer, Panther
Grogh Heights: Chocobo, Bomb, Ahriman, Dragon
The Yuguewood: Ghost, Dryad, Panther
Mount Bervenia: Ahriman, Chocobo, Ghost, Behemoth, Bomb
Dugeura Pass: Chocobo, Panther, Avis, Minotaur, Behemoth
Finnath Creek: Chocobo, Mindflayer, Dragon
Beddha Sandwaste: Bomb, Panther, Skeleton, Aevis, Ahriman, Behemoth, Dragon
Mount Germinas: Chocobo, Panther, Minotaur, Aevis, Dragon
Lake Poescas: Bomb, Ghost, Skeleton, Behemoth
Dorvauldar Marsh: Goblin, Mindflayer, Dragon, Skeleton, Minotaur, Malboro
%%%VARIOUS TRICKS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00tricks
---PAUSE BATTLES---
If you push Triangle while the enemies are moving, the game will pause after
the current enemy stops moving. (When you press Triangle, you'll hear a chime
sound indicating the pause was activated.) Once paused, you can check out
everyone's status. When you're done, just click on any character and choose
Done to resume.
---EVASION RATES---
You've probably noticed that the status screen features three numbers for each
character's evade rate. The first number, C-Ev, comes from the character's
current class/job. It's effective only against attacks from the FRONT. The
second number, S-Ev, comes from the character's shield; it's effective against
attacks from the front and side, but NOT from the back. The final number,
A-Ev, comes from the character's accessory (i.e., cloaks) and is effective
against ALL attacks.
And, of course, there are separate evade rates for both physical and magick
attacks. No job actually has a magick C-Ev greater than 0, so magick can be
evaded only with a shield or cloak.
You can plan your attacks with these evade rates in mind. If an enemy has a
shield, attack him or her from behind. (Note that if an enemy doesn't have a
shield, attacking from the side or behind are equally effective.) If an enemy
has a high overall physical evade rate, use magick -- or guns, which ignore
evade rates completely. Finally, equipping the Archer's Concentration ability
completely prevents your physical attacks from being evaded. And, of course,
positioning your own characters so that their backs/sides can't be attacked
helps you evade enemy attacks.
Note that the Shirahadori, First Strike, and Archer's Bane reaction abilities
stop attacks outright and are independent of evade rate.
---SHOOT ENEMIES NEXT TO YOU---
Normally, you can't shoot enemies close to you with a bow or gun, but all you
have to do is target a square in a straight line behind the enemy you want to
hit (there doesn't even have to be anybody in the square). You'll end up
hitting the enemy in front of you.
---2ENEMIES1TURN.COM---
The Shoot Enemies Next To You trick above can be combined with Balthier's
Barrage ability to attack two or more different enemies in one turn. This only
works if Balthier has a weapon with a range of 2 or more, and if the enemies
are both in a line from Balthier (and within range of his weapon). Target the
enemy that's further back with Barrage. Balthier will use a series of four
attacks; of course, the initial strikes will actually hit the enemy closer to
Balthier. However, once that first enemy is KOed, Balthier will continue
attacking and hit his "original" target -- the enemy in back! This way, you
can divide your damage between two targets instead of wasting a lot of damage
finishing off an enemy that was already low on HP. This trick works with guns,
bows, polearms, and any other weapon with a range of 2 or more.
---CURING & DRAINING THE UNDEAD---
As per Final Fantasy standards, undead enemies take damage when hit with Cure
spells, and the Arise spell works like an instant KO attack! (Raise will also
do damage equal to 1/2 of the enemy's max HP -- thus KOing if it's at half HP
or below.) On the other hand, undead characters are also *immune* to attacks
that drain HP to the user, like the Blood Sword or the Mystic's Invigoration.
These attacks backfire if used against an undead monster! (The undead monster
gains HP, and you lose HP!)
Undead characters include monsters from the Skeleton and Ghost families, as
well as human enemies in a few story battles, units who have had the Mystic
spell Corruption cast on them, and any ally equipped with the Cursed Ring.
Note that the Chakra ability actually restores HP to undead monsters and does
not damage them.
---STOP UNDEAD REVIVAL---
Normally, KOed units disappear and turn into a crystal or chest when their
countdown hits 0. Undead monsters or humans, however, may instead resurrect
themselves with full HP! Fortunately, there's two easy ways to stop this:
First, you can turn the undead unit to stone, so it's never actually KOed.
The Seal Evil ability used by Mustadio and Balthier works great for this.
Second, for undead monsters, you can Poach or Tame them. Poached monsters
disappear from the map completely (and hence can't resurrect), and Tamed
monsters will actually fight on your side!
---CRYSTAL LOOT---
When you collect a crystal from a defeated enemy human and select Acquire
Abilities, you can point the cursor to any of several abilities. Don't be
fooled! You're not making a choice here, you actually learn ALL the abilities
listed. This makes collecting crystals a great way to learn abilities quickly!
---FRIENDLY (AND UNFRIENDLY) FIRE)---
Most magicks affect not just the targeted character or tile, but also the
surrounding panels. (The radius of this effect varies from magick to magick.)
Geomancy, Iaido, and a number of sword techniques and monster abilities also
have this effect. This area effect can of course be used to hit multiple
enemies, but you can also exploit it in a number of other ways. If an enemy
is a little too far out of range to target directly with the magick, you may
still be able to target a somewhat closer tile and catch the enemy in the
wider effect radius. (This is a good tactic for hitting more distant enemies.)
The same is true for using White Magick or Time Magick to assist distant
allies.
Of course, you also need to watch out for a "friendly fire" effect when casting
magicks -- you don't want to hit your own characters in the effect radius! If
one of your allies is standing close to an enemy, you'll hurt him or her if you
target the enemy directly. So, one solution is to target a more remote panel
that will catch the enemy in the effect radius of your spell, but leave your
ally out of range. (Of course, this also works in reverse for when you want to
heal an ally, but not an enemy.) Just make sure the enemy won't be able to
move before the magick is cast.
Note that Summons and Iaido abilities ONLY target the "correct" units. They
won't hurt allies, or heal enemies.
---IMPROVE STEALING ODDS---
You can boost the success rate of the Steal command in a number of ways:
- Put the enemy to Sleep - using a Sleep Blade weapon, Mimic Darlavon
(Orator), Repose (Mystic), etc.
- Target the enemy from behind or to the side, so the move will be harder to
evade.
- Putting Disable status on the enemy (e.g. with Arm Shot) will also prevent
the enemy from evading, although the steal may still fail.
- Equip Concentration (Archer) or Brawler (Monk) as a support ability. (If
you're using Concentration, then there's no need to try to steal from behind
as the enemy can't evade anyway.)
- Increase your Speed statistic, or decrease the enemy's Speed. Or, switch
your stealing character to a job that has a high speed rating (e.g. Thief or
Ninja)
- Use Balthier's Plunder abilities, which have a somewhat higher success rate
than the regular Steal command
- Surround the character from whom you're trying to steal with both your main
thief and a Mime; the Mime will duplicate all of your Steal attempts
- And, of course, stealing using a character who has good Zodiac compatibility
with the target will improve your success, though you often don't have a lot
of options here...
It's helpful to use one or more of these tactics if you're interested in
stealing enemy gear, as the Steal command has a pretty low success rate
otherwise.
---AUTO-X-POTION---
The Auto-Potion reaction ability normally causes you to (sometimes) use a
Potion when attacked. However, if there aren't any Potions in your inventory,
you'll use a Hi-Potion instead, and if there aren't any Hi-Potions, you'll use
an X-Potion. Once you start getting Hi-Potions and X-Potions, then, it's
actually a great idea to throw out your weaker potions so Auto-Potion will
only use Hi-Potions or X-Potions -- you can heal yourself for a lot more HP
that way! (This trick is particularly important in the Wiegraf battle in
Chapter III.)
---REVIVE THE LIVING---
Annoyed by long charge times for Raise spells? Well, who says you can't start
charging the spell before the target dies? If somebody's low on life and you
know they're going to die, start charging up Raise or (preferably) Arise.
And if they fail to die for Arise, kill them and the Arise will bring them
back to full health! (why waste the spell?)
---THUNDERSTORM AND SNOWSTORMS---
During a thunderstorm, lightning-elemental attacks do 125% normal damage and
fire-elemental attacks do 75% normal damage. Movement through swamp tiles is
also slowed during a storm. These effects occur only during a thunderstorm
(when the screen occasionally flashes) and not during a light rain.
During a snowstorm, ice-elemental attacks do 125% normal damage. Snowstorms
only occur during a handful of story battles and never during random battles.
---LAST-SECOND SILENCE CURE---
Silence status prevents you from casting magick or summons, but all that
matters is whether or not you're Silenced at the time the magick is actually
cast, not when you start charging. It's possible to start casting magick while
you're Silenced and *then* have someone else remove the Silence effect, as long
as you do so before the magick finishes charging. This can come in handy if
your magick-user happens to get his/her turn before the character who can
remove Silence. It's also useful if you get Silenced while in the middle of
charging a spell -- if you quickly cure the Silence, you can still use your
spell.
You can also use the timing of Silence in dealing with enemy magicks -- e.g.,
casting Silence on an enemyshortly before his or her magick activates will
cancel the spell.
Note that Silence also prevents the use of Speechcraft, but since Speechcraft
abilities all activate instanteously, these timing effects don't come into
play.
---TIME OF THE SEASONS---
As in Final Fantasy XII, Ivalice alternates between wet and dry seasons. Each
year has two wet seasons (Gemini/Cancer and Sagittarius/Capricon/Aquarius) and
two dry ones (Leo/Virgo/Libra/Scorpio and Pisces/Aries/Taurus). Thunderstorms
(see above) are more common during the "Wet" months than the "Dry" ones.
---MONSTER EGG PREVIEW---
Trying to breed a particular kind of monster? You can actually take a "sneak
peek" as to what an egg will hatch into. Open your party roster, position
the cursor over the egg in question, and move the cursor back and forth to
another party member to the left or right. When you move over the egg, the
future monster's portrait will display for a fraction of a second, and if you
can move back and forth quickly, you can get a decent glimpse of what the
monster is going to be. You can identify the monster family by its portrait,
and from the color scheme, you might even be able to tell which monster it is
within that family. (See the Monsters list for the color scheme of each
monster type.) If the monster in the egg is not what you want, you can go
ahead and dismiss the egg.
---LEARNING ULTIMA---
Luso's Game Hunter job and Ramza's Chapter IV Squire job both have an extra
ability that can't be learned with JP: Ultima! This ability can only be
learned by having Ramza or Luso be hit with the spell while he is in the
relevant job. In the main game, the best time to learn this ability is the
Limberry Castle Gate, where Celia and Lettie will cast the spell on you. You
can also learn it from them in the subsequent Limberry Castle Keep, and Luso
can also learn it on the roof of Riovanes Castle at the end of Chapter III.
Ultima Demons also cast the spell, but more rarely; these appear in the third
battle at Limberry Castle and the third battle at Mullonde Cathedral.
Once you've acquired the spell, you can have Ramza and Luso cast it on the
other to learn it that way. You can even learn Ultima in the multiplayer mode
by having one of the other player's character cast it on you. (Note that only
Ramza's "Chapter IV" version can learn Ultima.) This is a great way to still
get the spell in case you miss it during the main quest.
During the final battle, Alma can also learn Ultima if Ramza or Luso casts it
on her, and all three can learn Ultima from the Ultima Demons present.
---LEARNING ZODIARK---
Similar to Ultima, the strongest summon magick also can't be learned with JP.
This one can only be learned from the boss at the end of Midlight's Deep, the
bonus dungeon. You only have a single chance to learn this one. Like Ultima,
the magick is learned by having the boss cast it on a character currently in
the Summoner job. If you take at least 1 HP or MP damage and survive the
magick, you'll be given a 90% chance of learning Zodiark. (If you don't learn
it the first time, you'll be given another chance each time the boss casts the
magick.) The easiest way to survive Zodiark is to use the Mana Shield reaction
ability (Time Mage); for additional tactics, check the Midlight's Deep battle
strategies.
After learning Zodiark from the boss, you can also teach it other allies, but
only through a rather roundabout manner. Since you can't cast summons directly
on allies, you'll have to first cast Zodiark onto an enemy Summoner, and then
have the enemy Summoner cast it onto the intended ally. Use Magic Break on
your Zodiark caster first to make sure s/he doesn't accidentally kill the enemy
Summoner. Since Zodiark costs 99 MP, you'll also need to make sure the enemy
Summoner's MP stays above 99 (using Ethers or Chakra) or s/he won't ever cast
Zodiark.
Alternately, if you KO the enemy Summoner after s/he has learned Zodiark and
let him turn into a crystal, you can also learn Zodiark that way. Of course,
there's no guarantee that the enemy will turn into a crystal (or that the
crystal will contain Zodiark), but this tactic can be good if you're having
trouble getting the enemy Summoner to cast Zodiark.
---LEARNING MAGICK FROM BEING HIT---
In addition to Ultima and Zodiark, there are a few other magicks that can be
learned from being hit with the magick (see list below). In all cases, the
character learning the magick must be in the appropriate job -- for example,
you can only learn Blizzaja this way if you're currently a Black Mage. The
character must lose or gain at least 1 HP or MP in damage/healing from the
spell, and must not be KOed or otherwise incapacitated (e.g. Stopped).
The odds of learning magicks this way is much lower for other magicks besides
Ultima and Zodiark.
Since summons can only be cast on enemy units, they can only be learned from
enemy Summoners. Other magicks can be learned by having one friendly unit cast
it on another.
A list of the magicks learnable this way and the chance of learning them per
cast:
Curaja (White Mage) - 40% chance
Protectja (White Mage) - 10% chance
Shellja (White Mage) - 10% chance
Firaja (Black Mage) - 30% chance
Thundaja (Black Mage) - 30% chance
Blizzaja (Black Mage) - 30% chance
Hasteja (Time Mage) - 20% chance
Slowja (Time Mage) - 20% chance
Bahamut (Summoner) - 20% chance
Odin (Summoner) - 20% chance
Leviathan (Summoner) - 40% chance
Salamander (Summoner) - 30% chance
Lich (Summoner) - 20% chance
Cyclops (Summoner) - 10% chance
Zodiark (Summoner) - 90% chance (see "Learning Zodiark" above)
Ultima (Squire [Ramza]- 100% chance (see "Learning Ultima" above)
Game Hunter
Cleric)
Magicks that are not on the above list *cannot* be learned in this way.
Teaching your characters the -ja attack spells this way can be particularly
helpful if you're trying to have multiple characters master Black Mage to
unlock Dark Knight.
---RARE RANDOM BATTLES---
There are a number of "special" random battles at particular wilderness
locations. If you enter these location heading the correct direction, there's
a chance you'll sometimes get into an unusual random battle. (They don't
ALWAYS show up.) Nothing tells you explicitly that you're in one of these
battles, but they feature novel enemy parties.
For instance, you can enter a battle against a large team of enemy Monks if
entering Grogh Heights from the south, and one against a team of enemy Samurai
entering the Yuguewood from the east. Mount Germinas has a rare battle against
some gun-wielding Chemists and Orators, where you can steal additional copies
of the magick guns, and sometimes the Stoneshooter (see below). Mandalia
Plains has a battle against a large set of enemy dragons.
---THE STONESHOOTER---
The Stoneshooter is an unusual weapon ... it's the strongest gun without a
"magical" effect, but it's not without some drawbacks. If you equip it, you're
turned to stone at the start of the battle! If you de-stone the character with
an item or spell, he or she can then fight normally, but the gun isn't all
that strong and doesn't have any special effects. It's not worth the hassle,
in my opinion.
Where to find the Stoneshooter? Occasionally, at Mount Germinas, you'll get
into a random battle where you'll see one of the enemy Chemists turned into
stone at the start of the battle. That's because he's equipped with the
Stoneshooter. Use a Remedy or Esuna to de-stone him and then you can steal the
Stoneshooter. (You can also get the Stoneshooter by poaching a Dark Behemoth,
although this is the "rare" poach.)
---THE INVISIBILITY CLOAK---
Also found at Mount Germinas is the Invisibility Cloak, an accessory that gives
a character an automatic Invisibilty at the start of every battle. The Cloak
can be found during the initial story battle, or later during a random battle.
To get the cloak, put the Treasure Hunter ability and move to the very top of
the peak. The top of the peak forms sort of an "L" shape; the tile holding the
Cloak is the one between the two "legs" of the L:
___
/ \
/ X \
--/ \--
When you land on this tile, you'll receive either an Ether or the Cloak; your
chance of getting the Cloak goes up the lower your Bravery. You only get to
pick up the item once, so if you get the Ether, you can no longer get the
Cloak.
---SOUND TEST---
To access a "sound test" where you can listen to all the game's music, select
New Game on the title screen and then enter your name as PolkaPolka . You'll
immediately be brought to the sound test. Just turn the game off when you're
done.
---STEPPING STONES---
You can use Construct 8 as a stepping stone to reach high places -- another
character can move onto its head as it were a normal panel, and move from there
to somewhere else. You can't END your move on top of Construct 8, but you can
use it for a mid-move boost. In addition, Holy Dragon Reis, malboros, dragons,
and hydras can all be used the same way... even enemy ones!
---RIDING CHOCOBOS---
It's actually not too useful, but you can ride Chocobos. Move a character onto
the same tile as a friendly chocobo (of any color). The character will mount
the chocobo and they'll move and act as a single unit. Basically, this allows
you to have a human character with the movement range of a Chocobo. All
Chocobos have a nice movement range (6), and Black Chocobos can fly ... but, in
most cases, it's probably not worth taking up a whole slot on your battle team
with a Chocobo.
---CATCH RARE WEAPONS---
Rare weapons like the Excalibur and Whale Whisker can't be bought in stores ...
but there's a way to get an infinite supply of them! They're thrown by high-
level (90+) enemy Ninjas, and if you equip the Thief's Sticky Fingers reaction
ability, you can catch the thrown weapons and add them to your inventory. You
can find lots of enemy Ninjas on level 9 of Midlight's Deep, The Interstice,
but you'll have to raise your own levels until you start seeing level 90+
Ninjas. Unfortunately, rare weapons that can't be thrown, like staves and
rods, can't be attainable in this way, so they're one (or two) of a kind.
---MONSTER COMPATIBILITY---
When it comes to calculating Zodiac compatibility, monsters are actually
considered a third sex. All monsters are considered to be the same sex as
each other (maybe that explains why they all lay eggs), but they're all
considered to be "different sex" vs. any human.
---ROD OF FAITH---
The Rod of Faith, found on the fourth floor (The Catacombs) of the Midlight's
Deep bonus dungeon, has an interesting effect. While equipped with the Rod,
a character has permanent Faith status, giving him or her 100 Faith. Of
course, this is good simply for making your own magick maximally powerful, but
it also allows you to make a more versatile character. Whenever the Rod is
removed, the character's Faith reverts back to its "normal" value. So, if you
want a flexible character who can also defend well against enemy magick, lower
his or her Faith very low (as close to 03 as you can). Without the Rod
equipped, the character is virtually invulnerable to enemy magick and makes a
good fighter. But *with* the Rod equipped, s/he is now a high-Faith magick
user! Using the Reequip ability, you could even make this change mid-battle,
although it costs you a turn.
The Rod of Faith can also be particularly useful for Marach. Normally, his
Nether Mantra abilities require LOW Faith while other magicks require HIGH
Faith, meaning he can't really effectively use both. However, the Faith effect
maximizes the damage from both regular magick and Nether Mantra, allowing him
to use both types of abilities effectively.
Since there's only one Rod of Faith available, though, you can only use this
tactic with a single character at a time.
---QUICK UNEQUIP---
When removing characters' equipment, if you select Remove and then tap left on
the D-pad, all of the character's item slots will be highlighted. You can then
equip all of the character's gear in a single click. This is handy when you're
stripping a character you won't be using for a while, or when you're
transferring one character's set of equipment to another equipment.
---ALL 9 FEVER--
Once you max out at level 99 and 99 experience, you can easily cast healing or
defensive magicks to your whole party using Arithmeticks and Level Multiple of
3 or Exp Multiple of 3. (Of course, you might hit a few enemies too.)
---BONUS COIN---
The amount of bonus gil you receive at the end of the battle is equal to the
combined level of the enemies times 100.
---DISMISSAL VIA CRYSTAL---
If you have a character you're going to dismiss anyway, you can instead send
him or her into a battle, get him or her killed, and have one of your other
characters pick up the crystal. This will allow the other character to at
least learn some of the "dismissed" character's abilities, and you were going
to remove him/her from your roster anyway. (There's only a random chance of
getting a crystal, but you can keep trying this until you get a crystal.)
Of course, doing this will count as a Casualty on your Chronicle screen, so if
you want a spotless save file, you won't want to use this tactic.
---SWORD TECHNIQUES WITHOUT A SWORD---
Here's an unusual bug to beware of: Normally, you need to have a sword equipped
to use any of the "sword technique" commands possessed by many of the special
characters. However, there's a bug where enemies (or Charmed allies) can
sometimes use sword techniques even without a sword! This seems to happen if
an enemy is first put in an abnormal status condition such as Sleep that
prevents him or her from acting normally (including allies being Charmed), and
you then steal or rend that enemy's sword. In this case, the sword techniques
don't get "switched off" and the enemy will still be able to use the
techniques. Unfortunately, this only works for enemy characters, not your own
characters, so it's less a trick and more something to watch out for!
*******************************************************************************
XIV. MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE
*******************************************************************************
%%%ZODIAC STONE LOCATIONS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00stones
!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!
Aries -- Get when you beat Wiegraf in Riovanes Castle.
Taurus -- In Mustadio's possession; you receive it after the battle in Goug
Machine City. Re-obtained in Riovanes Castle.
Gemini -- Received after defeating Elmdore.
Cancer -- Received after defeating Construct 7. [optional]
Libra -- T.G. Cid (Orlandeau) has it; you'll get it when he joins
Scorpio -- Received after you defeat Delacroix. Re-obtained in Riovanes
Castle.
Sagittarius -- Meliadoul has it; you'll get it when she joins.
Capricorn -- Obtained after killing Adrammelech.
Aquarius -- Given by Beowulf when he joins. [optional]
Pisces -- Received from Isilud in Riovanes Castle.
Leo -- You never get this one, Folmarv has it.
Virgo -- As above; Folmarv also has this one.
Serpentarius -- Receive after you defeat Elidibus in Midlight's Deep.
[optional]
!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!
%%%FMV MOVIE LIST%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00fmv
!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!
This is a list of the FMV cutscenes (found only in the PSP release).
#1: Title Screen
#2: New game -- Delita escapes with Ovelia captive
--Chapter I--
#3: Ramza thinks about Argath's words. Whistling with a blade of grass.
#4: Ziekden Fortress explodes; Ramza disappears in the snow.
--Chapter II--
#5: Ramza and Delita speak at Zeirchele Falls; Delita leaves Ovelia in Ramza's
care. Flashback to Tietra's demise.
#6: Ramza and Delita meet again in Warjilis Port City.
--Chapter III--
#7: At Zeltennia, Ovelia and Delita discuss their personal histories. Delita
pledges to build a new Ivalice.
#8: Luso is pursued by Behemoths across Zeklaus Desert; Ramza throws a sword
to rescue him.
--Chapter IV--
#9: Delita's reveals the Church's plans to Ramza at a church in Zeltennia.
Zalmour arrives and surrounds the church.
#10: Thieves ambush Ramza in Dorter; Balthier appears on the scene. [optional;
only seen if you complete the Recruiting Balthier subquest]
#11: Ending. Account of Alazlam discovering Orran's papers. Ramza and Alma
ride off into the sunset.
#12: End credits.
!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!
%%%FF REFERENCES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00ffr
I haven't included FF series mainstays like the classes, summon monster gang,
Chocobos and other monsters, Cid, etc. just the references to specific games.
Final Fantasy I:
Wonders: Mirage Tower, Fortress of Trials, Matoya Cave, Shrine of Chaos
Artefacts: Rat's Tail
Final Fantasy II:
Wonders: Pandaemonium, Semitt Falls, Shrine of Chaos (Jade)
Artefacts: Minwu Orb
Final Fantasy III:
Wonders: Forbidden Land Eureka, Crystal Tower, Falgabard, Tozus Village
Errands: Enterprise, Yggdrasil (World Tree), Chocobo Restaurant Gisahl
Other: Salonia (Materia), Unei (in proposition "Endless Caverns")
Final Fantasy IV:
Wonders: Tower of Babel, Castle of Trials, Chocobo Forest
Artefacts: Lugae, Calcobrena, Rat's Tail
Errands: Enterprise, Anna and Gilbert [Edward], Assault
Door ("Minimum's Melancholy")
Final Fantasy V:
Wonders: Ronkan Ruins
Artefacts: Excalipoor
Other: Almagest spell, Boco, Byblos, Apanda, Mossfungus (Mossfungus
is an enemy in the last dungeon)
Final Fantasy VI:
Wonders: Phantom Train, Floating Continent
Errands: Setzer, Blackjack
Final Fantasy VII:
Artefacts: Materia, St. Elmo's Fire [attack used by Ghost Ships]
Errands: Black-caped man ("Nightwalker"), Highwind
Multiplayer Missions: Teioh the chocobo
Other: Cloud and Aerith (duhhh.....), Adamantainmai (mentioned
in a work history, it's an enemy near Wutai)
Ogre Battle:
Other: Zodiac Stones, Zeltennia
*******************************************************************************
XV. PSONE->PSP CHANGES
*******************************************************************************
%%%GAME CHANGES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00psone
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions was originally released in 1997
(Japan) and 1998 (North America) as Final Fantasy Tactics on the PSone.
Here's a list of the known changes between the 2007 PSP version and the
original 1997/1998 PSone version:
* Two new crossover characters have been added as party members: Balthier, from
Final Fantasy XII, and Luso, from the forthcoming Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
2 (try saying that two times fast!).
* Additional subquests and accompanying battles have been added to Chapter IV.
In addition to the mission to recruit Balthier, there are also the new Agrias's
Birthday, Disorder in the Order, and Lionel's New Liege Lord quests.
* Two new jobs are available for all characters: Dark Knight and Onion Knight.
* Two multiplayer modes have been added. One allows you to compete against
other player's team. The other has you team up with another player to clear a
variety of special missions. Both are playable only over an "Ad Hoc" (i.e.:
local) connection -- no Internet play, sadly.
* Key story scenes are now illustrated with cel-shaded animated cutscenes and
(in the English version) voice acting, instead of the in-game cutscenes and CG
movies of the original.
* There are a number of new story scenes and battles added to the main
storyline, including:
- Loffrey recruiting Wiegraf near the end of Chapter II.
- Delita traveling with Ovelia at Zeirchele Falls, also near the end of
Chapter II. (This scene also involves a new story battle!)
- Ramza's meeting with Luso in Chapter III and the battle to rescue him.
- As assasination attempt against Ovelia near the end of Chapter III.
(There's a new Delita battle here as well.)
- Delita demonstrating the blade-of-grass whistle to Ovelia soon after the
beginning of Chapter IV.
- A battle against Argath at Limberry Castle in Chapter IV.
- An additional battle against Cletienne in Dorter on the way back to Eagrose
in Chapter IV.
* The maximum roster size has been increased by 8 (from 16 to 24), to allow
you to add Luso and Balthier to your crew without having to kick out any of the
other story characters.
* Many abilities now cost more JP to learn.
* Job prerequisites have been changed--specifically, some jobs now require the
prerequisite jobs to be leveled up to a higher level. Additionally, the amount
of each JP to reach each job level (except job level 2) has also been
increased. In other words, jobs require much more JP to unlock.
* The Speed of some abilities has also been changed. Some abilities (mostly
Summons, plus a few Time Mage abilities and the Mystic's Petrify/Induration)
now take longer to charge.
* The sword techniques used by Meliadoul and Orlandeau can now still damage
enemies even if they don't have the relevant piece of equipment. This means
that these abilities can now damage monsters as well.
In fact, using these abilities against a character not equipped with the
relevant item (including monsters) *increases* the damage dealt. The specific
amount varies by ability:
- Crush Armor - bonus is user's Physical Attack stat times 5
- Crush Helm - bonus is user's Physical Attack stat times 4
- Crush Weapon - bonus is user's Physical Attack stat times 3
- Crush Accessory - bonus is user's Physical Attack stat times 2
* New pieces of equipment have been added. A few are obtainable in the single-
player game as Balthier's initial equipment and from the Agrias's Birthday
quest; the rest can only be found by completing the multiplayer missions.
* The quest to recruit Cloud is immediately after completing Fort Besselat (and
the other prerequisite subquests). In the PSone version, this quest could not
be done until substantially later--after defeating Adrammelech.
* It's no longer possible to steal any of Elmdore's equipment. Actually, this
is consistent with the original Japanese PSone release, where you couldn't
steal his equipment either--the ability to steal his gear is unique to the
North American PSone version.
* Rapha and Marach's Mantra abilities (a/k/a Truth and Un-Truth) have been
upgraded. Each use of one of these abilities results in 1 to 10 "strikes"
instead of 1 to 6 in the PSone version. They also seem to be more accurate and
are more likely to hit the targeted panel/unit rather than the adjoining
tables. Similarly, Reis's Holy Breath ability also has now 1-10 strikes
instead of 1-6.
* The "item duplication" trick/glitch (which allowed you to buy extra copies of
some weapons that you couldn't normally buy) has been removed from the game, as
has the glitch that allowed you to earn infinite JP via a bug in the ability-
learning menu.
* Instead of using the Gregorian Calendar (January to December), dates are now
displayed in Zodiac format (e.g. 3 Capricorn). The year also now alternates
between "Wet months" (in which storms are more likely) and "Dry months,"
similar to the cycle on Final Fantasy XII's Giza Plains.
* Victory conditions for the Bethla Garrison/Fort Besselat sluice battle in
Chapter IV have changed. In the PSone version, you had to throw a pair of
switches to finish the battle. This meant that you could hang around even
after you'd killed all the enemies to have your characters hit each other and
easily level up. In the PSP version, the battle ends as soon as you defeat all
the enemies.
* All of Rapha's skills are now learnable as soon as she joins the party. In
the PSone version, many did not appear until Chapter IV.
* The Oil status effect, which did not do anything in the PSone version (even
though it was supposed to), now actually works -- it doubles the damage from
the next fire attack.
* In the PSP version, when a summon spell is cast, the name of that summon's
special attack is displayed (e.g. Shiva casts "Glacial Shards"), as in most
Final Fantasy games. The PSone version simply displayed the name of the
summoned creature itself (e.g. "Shiva"). Similarly, each Iaido ability now has
a special name when being cast, rather than simply the name of the katana.
* In the PSone version, the game would cycle through various "attract" movies--
a trailer for the game and videos demonstrating all the jobs--if left on the
title screen for a while. These movies do not exist in the PSP version; the
title sequence just repeats over and over if the game is left running on the
title menu.
* The icons for some of the status conditions have been changed -- probably to
be more visible on a smaller screen.
* Some other visual display elements have also been changed. For example, the
party roster screen now has more characters per row (to fit the widescreen
format), the victory condition and battle clear screens are different, and the
text map on the map screen is printed in a different & bigger font.
* On the bad side of things, the game runs somewhat slower than the original
PSone version.
* Also on the bad sides, some of the sound effects (e.g. some ability effects,
and the "death screams" when characters are KOed) also sound different (and
poorer) on the PSP hardware. To be honest, I have such a tin ear for these
kinds of differences that it's hard for me to tell exactly what has and hasn't
changed, but it's been widely reported that they do sound different :)
* And, of course, the game has been retitled Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of
the Lions, given a new logo, and rebranded as part of Square Enix's new Ivalice
Alliance franchise.
In addition, the North American, European, and Australian releases boast some
further changes:
* The game has been completely retranslated, with the Engrish-y awkwardness
from the original version being replaced with a "medieval" style similar to the
English version of Final Fantasy XII. If you're familiar with the old 1998
PSone translation and want to get up to speed with the new one, check out the
name conversion guide below.
* The slowdown in the North American and European releases is not as bad as it
was in the Japanese PSP release (or so I'm told).
* Voice-acting has been added to the cutscenes. In the Japanese version, the
dialogue is only displayed in subtitles, with no voice-over.
* In the PSone version, using a spell or special technique would occasionally
cause the character to shout out a special quote (e.g. "Life is short...Bury!
Steady Sword!"). These quotes have been removed from the English PSP version.
* The X and O button mappings are reversed from the North American PSone
release -- X now selects things in menus and O cancels, as in almost all North
American releases. (Explanation: In Japanese versions of games, using O to
select and X to cancel is actually the standard. In North America, the
reverse is true; usually X selects and O cancels. Games being localized from
Japan generally have the X and O buttons swapped -- in fact, this is a Sony-
mandated change. The original PSone translation of FF Tactics apparently
slipped through the cracks, in keeping with the general kookiness of its
localization, and ended up with the O button to confirm. The PSP localization
brings things back in life with the North American standard.)
%%%NAME CONVERSION CHART%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00names
The new English translation has changed quite a few names from the much-
maligned 1998 translation seen in the PSone version, so I've provided this
chart to help FF Tactics veterans get up to speed with the new translation.
---Game Mechanics--------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation] [2007 PSP translation]
Brave Bravery
Propositions Errands
Treasure (from Prop.s) Artefacts
Unexplored Land Wonders of the Ancient World
Strengthen: (equipment) Boosts:
Cancel: (equipment) Immune:
Always: (equipment) Equip:
Bonus Money Bonus Coin
War Trophies Battle Trophies
STATUS CONDITIONS
Transparent Invisible
Darkness Blind
Petrify Stone
Frog Toad
Don't Move Immobilize
Don't Act Disable
Blood Suck Vampire
Death Sentence Doom
Invitation Traitor
Innocent Atheist
---Story-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation] [2007 PSP translation]
CHARACTERS
Adramelk Adrammelech
Alazlam J.D. Arazlam Durai
Algus Sadalfas Argath Thadalfus
Alphons Draclau Alphonse Delacroix
Altima Ultima
Balbanes Beoulve Barbaneth Beoulve
Balk Fenzol Barich Fendsor
Balmafula Lanandu Valmafra Lenande
Besrodio Bunanza Besrudio Bunansa
Bestrada Larg Bestrald Larg
Beowulf Kadmus Beowulf Cadmus
Buremonda Bremondt
Cidolfas Orlandu Cidolfus Orlandeau
Delita Hyral Delita Heiral
Druksmald Goltana Druksmald Goltanna
Elidibs Elidibus
Gaff Gafgarion Goffard Gaffgarion
Gelkanis Barinten Gerrith Barrington
Golagros Levine Gragoroth Levigne
Gustav Margueriff Gustav Margriff
Hashmalum Hashmal
Izlude Tingle Isilud Tengille
Kletian Drowa Cletienne Duroi
Lede Lettie
Malak Galthana Marach Galthena
Marge Funeral Marcel Funebris
Mesdoram Elmdor Messam Elmdore
Miluda Folles Milleuda Folles
Mustadio Bunanza Mustadio Bunansa
Olan Durai Orran Durai
Omdolia Atkascha Ondoria Atkascha
Orinas Atkascha Orinus Atkascha
Professor Bordam Daravon Master Darlavon
Queklain Cuchulainn
Rad Ladd
Rafa Galthana Rapha Galthena
Reis Dular Reis Duelar
Rofel Wodring Loffrey Wodring
Rudvich Bart Ludovich Baert
Ruvelia Atkascha Louveria Atkascha
Simon Pen Rakshu Simon Penn-Lachish
Sinogue Syneugh
Teta Hyral Tietra Heiral
Velius Belias
Vicks Biggs
Vormav Tingel Folmarv Tengille
Worker 8 Construct 8
Zalbag Beoulve Zalbaag Beoulve
Zalmo Rusnada Zalmour Lucianada
TERMS
Hokuten Knights Order of the Northern Sky
Nanten Knights Order of the Southern Sky
Death Corps Corpse Brigade
Bart Company Baert Company
Temple Knights Knights Templar
Black Sheep Knights Blackram Knights
Lion's War War of the Lions
Mosfungus Mossfungus
CHAPTER TITLES
The Manipulator & the The Manipulative & the
Subservient Subservient
Somebody to Love In the Name of Love
---Places----------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation] [2007 PSP translation]
OVERWORLD
Ygros Castle Eagrose Castle
Sweegy Woods The Siedge Weald
Sand Rat Cellar Sand Rat's Sietch
Thieves' Fort Brigands' Den
Lenalia Plateau Lenalian Plateau
Fovoham Plains Fovoham Windflats
Fort Zeakden Ziekden Fortress
Zirekile Falls Zeirchele Falls
Fort City Zaland Castled City of Zaland
Bariaus Hill Balias Tor
Zigolis Swamp Tchigolith Fenlands
Goug Machine City Clockwork City of Goug
Warjilis Trade City Port City of Warjilis
Bariaus Valley Balias Swale
Golgorand Execution Site Golgollada Gallows
Goland Coal City Mining Town of Gollund
Lesalia Imperial Capital Royal City of Lesalia
Grog Hill Grogh Heights
Yardow Fort City Walled City of Yardrow
Yuguo Woods The Yuguewood
Doguola Pass Dugeura Pass
Bervenia Volcano Mount Bervenia
Finath River Finnath Creek
Bed Desert Beddha Sandwaste
Bethla Garrison Fort Besselat
Zarghidas Trade City Trade City of Sal Ghidos
Germinas Peak Mount Germinas
Dolbodar Swamp Dorvauldar Marsh
Murond Holy Place Mullonde
DEEP DUNGEON/MIDLIGHT'S DEEP
Deep Dungeon Midlight's Deep
NOGIAS The Crevasse
TERMINATE The Stair
DELTA The Hollow
VALKYRIES The Catacombs
MLAPAN The Oubliette
TIGER The Palings
BRIDGE The Switchback
HORROR The Interstice
END Terminus
---Jobs------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation] [2007 PSP translation]
Priest White Mage
Wizard Black Mage
Mediator Orator
Oracle Mystic
Lancer Dragoon
Calculator Arithmetician
SPECIAL JOBS
Delita's Sis Commoner
Dark Knight Fell Knight
Engineer Machinist
Heaven Knight Skyseer
Hell Knight Netherseer
Holy Swordsman Sword Saint
Arc Knight Ark Knight
Temple Knight Templar
Steel Giant Automaton
Dragoner Dragonkin
ENEMY JOBS
Impure King The Impure
Holy Priest Celebrant
Warlock Gigas
Angel of Death Death Seraph
Lune Knight Rune Knight
Ghost of Fury The Wroth
Regulator Bringer of Order
Holy Angel High Seraph
Arch Angel Arch Seraph
---Monsters--------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation] [2007 PSP translation]
Gobbledeguk Gobbledygook
Cuar Coeurl
Vampire Vampire Cat
Explosion Exploder
Living Bone Skeletal Fiend
Bull Demon Wisenkin
Minitaurus Minotaur
Sacred Sekhret
Gust Ghast
Pisco Demon Piscodaemon
Squidlarkin Squidraken
Mindflare Mindflayer
Flotiball Floating Eye
Plague Plague Horror
Juravis Jura Aevis
Woodman Dryad
Taiju Elder Treant
Morbol Malboro
Hyudra Hydra
Hydra Greater Hydra
Uribo Pig
Porky Swine
Wildbow Wild Boar
Apanda Reaver
Archaic Demon Archaeodaemon
---Abilities-------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation] [2007 PSP translation]
SQUIRE
Basic Skill Fundaments
Accumulate Focus
Dash Rush
Throw Stone Stone
Heal Salve
Monster Skill Beastmaster
Gained Jp UP JP Boost
CHEMIST
Throw Item Throw Items
Maintenance Safeguard
Equip Change Reequip
Move-Find Item Treasure Hunter
KNIGHT
Battle Skill Arts of War
* Break Rend *
Magic Break Rend MP
Mind Break Rend Magick
Weapon Guard Parry
Equip Armor Equip Heavy Armor
ARCHER
Charge+x Aim +x
Speed Save Adrenaline Rush
Arrow Guard Archer's Bane
Concentrate Concentration
MONK
Punch Art Martial Arts
Spin Fist Cyclone
Repeating Fist Pummel
Wave Fist Aurablast
Earth Slash Shockwave
Secret Fist Doom Fist
Stigma Magic Purification
HP Restore Critical: Recover HP
Hamedo First Strike
Martial Arts Brawler
Move-HP UP Lifefont
WHITE MAGE/PRIEST
White Magic White Magicks
Cure 2 Cura
Cure 3 Curaga
Cure 4 Curaja
Raise 2 Arise
Protect 2 Protectja
Shell 2 Shellja
Regenerator Regenerate
Magic DefendUP Arcane Defense
BLACK MAGE/WIZARD
Black Magic Black Magicks
Fire 2 Fira
Fire 3 Firaga
Fire 4 Firaja
Bolt Thunder
Bolt 2 Thundara
Bolt 3 Thundaga
Bolt 4 Thundaja
Ice Blizzard
Ice 2 Blizzara
Ice 3 Blizzaga
Ice 4 Blizzaja
Frog Toad
Magic AttackUP Arcane Strength
TIME MAGIC
Time Magic Time Magicks
Haste 2 Hasteja
Slow 2 Slowja
Don't Move Immobilize
Demi Gravity
Demi 2 Graviga
MP Switch Mana Shield
Short Charge Swiftness
Float [movement ability] Levitate
SUMMONER
Summon Magic Summon
Silf Sylph
Fairy Faerie
Zodiac Zodiark
MP Restore Critical: Recover MP
Half of MP Halve MP
THIEF
Gil Taking Steal
Caution Vigilance
Gilgame Heart Gil Snapper
Catch Sticky Fingers
Secret Hunt Poach
ORATOR/MEDIATOR
Talk Skill Speechcraft
Invitation Entice
Persuade Stall
Threaten Intimidate
Solution Enlighten
Death Sentence Condemn
Negotiate Beg
Finger Guard Earplug
Train Tame
Monster Talk Beast Tongue
MYSTIC/ORACLE
Yin-Yang Magic Mystic Arts
Blind Umbra
Spell Absorb Empowerment
Life Absorb Invigoration
Pray Faith Belief
Doubt Faith Disbelief
Zombie Corruption
Silence Song Quiescence
Blind Rage Fervor
Foxbird Trepidation
Confusion Song Delirium
Dispel Magic Harmony
Paralyze Hesitation
Sleep Repose
Petrify Induration
Absorb Used MP Absorb MP
Defense UP Defense Boost
Any Weather Ignore Weather
Move-MP Up |
Before Microsoft and Sony do something regarding their future in the video game business, I wanted to write, and I've wanted it for a long time now, but other things kept getting in my way, and fearing that tomorrow might be too late, today will have to do.
Months ago,...