0
Fire Cavern
Accompany Quistis to the Classroom. Once class has been dismissed, talk to
Quistis and meet her at the Front Gate. Locate the Fire Cavern (east of Balamb
Garden), talk to the Garden Faculty, and select a time limit. Find and defeat
Ifrit within the chosen time limit and return to Balamb Garden.
STRATEGY
Ifrit: 10 minutes should be more than enough time to complete your objective.
Enter the cavern and proceed along the path. Ignore branches deviating from the
main path and defeat any enemies you encounter as quickly as possible. Try to
reach the opposite end of the path with at least 5 minutes to spare. Ifrit is
weak against Ice. Dedicate one character to summoning Shiva repeatedly. In the
meantime, have the other member of your party stock magic or draw and cast Cure
as needed. If time is running short, have this character join the attack by
casting Blizzard. [IFRIT joins your party + IFRIT CARD + 20 AP]
NOTES
Quezacotl and Shiva: Before you leave the Classroom, return to your seat and
turn
on the Study Panel. Select Tutorial and Guardian Forces QUEZACOTL and SHIVA will
be added to your party. If you forego this opportunity, Quistis will add them to
your party when you meet her at the Front Gate.
Free cards: Talk to the person standing near the elevator in the 2F Hallway and
he'll give you seven cards.
ITEMS
Occult Fan I: B-Garden Library (Examine the near end of the right-most of the
bookshelves against the far wall.)
MiniMog Card: Junior Classman (jogging in B-Garden Hall)
Quistis Card: Trepe Groupie #1 (sitting in the B-Garden Cafeteria)
Ifrit Card: (see STRATEGY, Ifrit)
First Mission
Meet by the Front Gate. After the meeting, talk to Cid and travel to Balamb.
Approach the Station Staff standing at the entrance to Balamb Station, purchase
a
train ticket, and board the train to Timber. Pass through the security door,
enter SeeD's private cabin, and approach Zell.
Find the vehicle in Timber Forest and get in. After you arrive in Deling City,
locate the Hotel and go into the Club. Talk to the hostess and ask for your
usual
table. Approach Julia and return to your table. Go to the front desk, ask the
Receptionist about Julia's room, and talk to Julia.
Approach the person on the foot of the steps to the train platform and give the
password. Follow him aboard another train and enter the last room toward the
front of the train. Once the princess is awake, talk to her and follow her to
the
rear of the train and into the briefing room. After the strategy meeting, exit
the room and talk to Watts. Seize the President's car within the 5-minute time
limit. Talk to Rinoa and defeat the Fake President/Gerogero.
STRATEGY
Fake President/Gerogero: Gerogero is an undead monster weak against Fire.
Junction Fire magic to Elem-Atk. Begin by drawing Cure from the Fake President
and casting it on members of your party until everyone has their maximum HP.
Stock Cure if you need to then attack using your GFs (try to time it so Ifrit
arrives last). Boost the first GF and it should be able to strike down the Fake
President. The other GFs will arrive almost as soon as Gerogero reveals itself.
Their attacks should lower the creature's HP to the point where a single boosted
attack from Ifrit will win the battle (a precaution taken in case you get into
trouble and need to end the fight quickly). Begin stocking magic, stopping
immediately to draw Esuna and cast it on party members victimized by Gerogero's
status attacks. When you're ready, summon Ifrit to put the abomination out of
its
misery. You may also consider attacking with curative magic to effect serious
damage or using a life-restoring item to bring victory in a single turn. [20 AP]
NOTES
Seizing the President: Approach Rinoa, go to the end of the dummy car, and jump
onto the 2nd escort car. Proceed across the roof of the 2nd escort car and
approach Rinoa to jump onto the President's car. Uncouple the 1st escort car:
successfully enter three codes and cross to the President's car. Uncouple the
2nd
escort car: successfully enter five codes and return to the President's car.
Diablos: Make sure Selphie is in your party when you use the Magical Lamp and
enter the dimension where Diablos dwells to engage it in battle. Her Limit Break
will be a crucial part of winning this fight. Diablos will attack you with two
types of magic. Demi depletes 1/4 of one character's HP and Gravija lowers the
HP
of every member of your party by 3/4. Neither attack will KO your characters
directly, but Diablos can easily finish the job with very strong physical
attacks. Begin the battle by having everyone stock Demi. This magic will
probably
be the strongest attack available to you and there are two good reasons to hang
onto it instead of casting it. Firstly, it's very difficult to draw and your
attempts may frequently fail. The advantage of stocking is each successful draw
should yield several Demi.
Secondly, each time you cast Demi from your own personal stock, Diablos will
counter by casting Curaga on you! When your HP run low, cast Demi and Diablos
will fully restore you. If a character in jeopardy hasn't managed to stock any
Demi, summon a GF for protection. Each GF should be able to handle Diablos'
physical attack and Demi and Gravija do damage based on the character's HP not
the GF's (meaning low character HP equals minor damage to the GF). While you
wait
for the GF, select a character to stand by with a full ATB gauge. When the GF's
attack begins, cast Cure on the ravaged summoner (doing so any sooner risks
increasing the damage taken by the GF). Once out of danger, you should have your
character continue the healing process or resume stocking Demi. If Diablos uses
Gravija to bring down everyone's HP simultaneously, there won't be a character
healthy enough to stand by and assist a party member stranded without Demi.
Instead, wait for Selphie's ATB gauge to fill and skip to a character that can
cast Demi. Selphie should be within Limit Break range. Use the time it takes for
Demi to take effect to get her Full-cure magic. Keep a watchful eye on Diablos'
HP. When victory is in reach, shift into assault mode and use physical attack to
finish the battle. [DIABLOS joins your party + DIABLOS CARD + 20 AP]
ITEMS
Weapons Mon Apr: Dormitory Single (on the desk the morning after Squall gets his
new dorm room)
Pet Pals Vol.1: Train [to Timber] (Enter SeeD's private cabin, approach Zell and
he'll find it.)
Pet Pals Vol.2: Forest Owls' Base (on the sofa bed in Rinoa's room after the
strategy meeting)
Diablos Card: (see NOTES, Diablos)
Angelo Card: Watts (in the Forest Owls' Base)
Tomb of the Unknown King
Go to Galbadia Far East Station (west of Galbadia Garden). Talk to the Station
Staff and board the train to Deling City. Attempt to exit the train, follow
Irvine through the security door, and return to the first compartment. After the
train arrives, go to the top of the Galbadia Station escalator. Talk to a member
of your party and head for Caraway's Mansion. Talk to Caraway's Guard standing
outside the Mansion and leave Deling City.
Retrieve the lost student's ID number: Locate the Tomb of the Unknown King
(northeast of Deling City). Enter the Tomb and proceed until you find a sword
lying on the ground. Examine it and return to Deling City. Talk to Caraway's
Guard and give him the ID number.
NOTES
Brothers: Before you leave the Tomb of the Unknown King, you'll have an
opportunity to expand your roster of GFs. After you've obtained the ID number,
make your way to Sacred's chamber. Go right, left, right, left, right and
straight. Examine the statue and battle Sacred. Sacred is weak against Wind.
Junction Wind magic to Elem-Atk. Sacred uses physical attacks and will regularly
regenerate HP as long as it's in contact with the ground. Begin by drawing
Protect from Sacred and casting it on every member of your party to reduce the
damage of its attacks. Stock up on magic and for the moment ignore the fact that
the creature is recovering. When you're ready to attack cast Float on Sacred to
cut it off from its source of strength. Sacred will run away when it receives
significant damage. You won't get the full reward for defeating the beast unless
you completely drain its HP. Summon your two strongest GFs and plan their
arrival
to be nearly simultaneous. Leave the first GF unboosted. Your objective will be
to bring Sacred just within range for your second and fully-boosted GF to finish
the job. [20 AP] Leave Sacred's chamber, go straight, right, left, right, left,
right and straight. Unhook the chain across the floodgate from the right side to
fill the moat around the inner tomb. Leave the chamber, go straight, right,
left,
right, left, right and straight. Remove the cog from the left side of the
doorway
to drop the drawbridge. Leave the chamber, go straight twice, right and left
twice. Enter the inner tomb and approach Sacred to engage the Brothers. Use
tactics similar to those employed during the previous battle. Draw and cast
protect on your party, draw magic, and cast Float on Sacred and Minotaur.
Barrage
them with GF attacks to win the fight. [Brothers join your party + SACRED CARD +
MINOTAUR CARD + 40 AP]
ITEMS
Sacred Card: (see NOTES, Brothers)
Minotaur Card: (see NOTES, Brothers)
Timber Maniacs: Deling City Hotel (Pay 100 Gil to stay in the guestroom and
you'll see it on the floor under the far corner of the middle bed.)
Galbadia Missile Base
Drive the Galbadian Army vehicle to Galbadia Missile Base (west of Galbadia D-
District Prison). Enter the building and examine the ID card reader to the right
of Door 3. Go to Area M-7 and talk to the Maintenance Soldier on the left. Go to
Area M-6, enter the missile launcher bay, and deliver the message to the far
soldier. Return to Area M-7 and deliver the response to the soldier on the left.
Go to Area M-3, enter the circuit room, approach the control panel, and cause a
power failure. Find the Guard outside the launcher bay, play it cool and offer
to
help*. Get between the two soldiers and push the launcher into place. Find the
missile control panel outside the launcher bay and log in. Select 'Target',
select 'Set error ratio', set the error ratio to maximum, select 'Data upload',
upload the data and log out. Go to the control room and defeat the Base Leader
and two Base Soldiers. Examine either of the control panels on the far and right
sides of the room and talk to the party member at the launch control mechanism
on
the left side of the room. Enter the far room, find the self-destruct mechanism
on the panel on the left side of the room and set a time limit. Head for the
front gate and defeat the BGH251F2 and its crew within the time limit. Head
toward the gate, toward the building and back toward the gate.
STRATEGY
BGH251F2: If you made it to the control room without being detected, you
shouldn't need to set the self-destruct mechanism to greater than 10 minutes. If
you blew your cover, consider tacking on an extra 10 minutes. The Iron Clad is a
machine weak against Thunder and Water. Junction Thunder magic or Water to ST-
Atk. Your biggest challenge won't be destroying the tank, rather bringing its HP
to 0 before its crew loses control of it. If you fail to do so, you won't
receive
any AP at the end of the battle. The BGH251F2 uses very powerful physical
attacks. Begin by drawing Protect and casting it on your entire party. Summon
and
boost Quezacotl to maximum and have the remaining members of your party use
physical attacks. Carefully note the amount of damage inflicted by each attack
as
you'll need the information later. Cast Scan to learn the BGH251F2's current and
maximum HP. The tank will explode and careen out of control when its HP fall to
approximately 20% of maximum. Your goal should be to reduce the Iron Clad to
just
under 25%. Use Quezacotl to hack off large chunks of HP and have your other
party
members stock magic. When you're close to your objective, use physical attacks
to
fine tune the BGH251F2's HP (keeping in mind the potential for a critical hit).
The tank should be within range of Quezacotl's attack. If you have significant
time remaining, draw and stock magic before calling the Thunder GF. Have your
other characters begin summoning their strongest GFs in preparation for the
upcoming battle with the crew, taking care to ensure their arrival doesn't
precede Quezacotl's. There will be little margin for error as you boost
Quezacotl. One mistake will cost you your reward. When the crew bails out
aflame,
they'll be greeted by a hasty doom courtesy of your other two GFs. [WEAPONS MON
JUN + 20 AP]
NOTES
* Remaining undiscovered: As long as you refrain from fighting the Maintenance
Team and help the Guard, you should be able to keep your identity secret. If the
temptation to do violence or run away gets the best of you and you're found out,
you'll have to go about your remaining objectives in a slightly different order.
Bypass the launcher bay and head directly to the control room. Defeat the
enemies, find the launch control mechanism and set the self-destruct mechanism.
Head for the exit until Selphie decides to go back. Make your way to Area M-6
and
talk to the Wounded Soldier lying at the foot of the stairs to the control room.
Go to the missile control panel and enter the password. Change the error ratio,
upload the data and head for the front gate.
ITEMS
Weapons Mon Jun: (see STRATEGY, BGH251F2)
Occupied Balamb
Report to the bridge in the Headmaster's Office, talk to Nida, and tell him
you're ready to go. Pilot the Garden to Balamb (north of Fishermans Horizon),
disembark, and enter the town. Talk to the Galbadian Soldier standing near the
gas station and walk around nearby until he questions you. Go to The Dincht's
and
enter the room on the right. Head for the Hotel, talk to the Galbadian Soldiers
standing outside, and find the Captain. Return to the Hotel, defeat Raijin and
two G-Soldiers outside, and defeat Fujin & Raijin inside.
STRATEGY
Fujin & Raijin: Both are weak against Poison and vulnerable to Sleep. Junction
Bio to Elem-Atk and Sleep to ST-Atk. In the first part of this battle, Raijin
will attack you with two G-Soldiers in support. Begin by putting Raijin to
sleep.
Eliminate one of the G-Soldiers and consider putting the other to sleep, sparing
him in case you need to draw curative magic to restore your HP. Consider drawing
Protect from Raijin and casting it on your entire party as a precautionary
measure against any attacks should Raijin unexpectedly wake up. Summon your
strongest GFs (excepting Quezacotl as Raijin absorbs Thunder) and you should be
able to win without waking anyone up. The second phase of this battle moves
inside the Hotel, where Raijin is joined by his Wondertwin buddy Fujin. Begin by
afflicting both with Sleep. Immediately draw Pandemona from Fujin. Draw from
Raijin and cast Reflect on your party. Stock up on magic and mug them both
before
you send in your GFs to win the fight. [Pandemona joins your party + COMBAT KING
002 + 20 AP]
NOTES:
Finding the Captain: The soldiers outside the Hotel will tell you the Captain is
currently on patrol. Head for the docks at the end of the Harbor and talk to the
crouching soldier. He'll tell you he's looking for a scent for the dog to go by.
Talk to the soldier with the dog and he'll tell you the Captain was just fishing
there and was eager to eat his catch. Go to the only kitchen in town, at The
Dincht's. Talk to Ma Dincht and she'll tell you the whole room smells of fish.
Return to the end of the Harbor and give the scent to the dog. Follow the dog to
the Station Yard and the Captain will run out of the train.
Big Bad Rascal: Before you confront Fujin and Raijin, go to the Residence
neighboring The Dincht's and talk to the Hotel Owner's daughter. During one of
your visits to The Dincht's, talk to Big Bad Rascal twice and he'll go next door
to check on her. Return to the Hotel Owner's Residence during your search for
the
Captain and talk to Big Bad Rascal. Follow him to the gate and distract the
soldier while Big Bad Rascal talks to the Hotel Owner. Meet Big Bad Rascal
outside the Hotel Owner's Residence and talk to him. Talk to him again and he'll
offer to create a diversion at the gate if you want to sneak out of town.
ITEMS
Combat King 002: Hotel (Defeat Fujin and Raijin.)
Pandemona Card: Residence [Hotel Owner] (If you help Big Bad Rascal at the gate
and return to the Hotel Owner's Residence, you can win this card from the Hotel
Owner's daughter.)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins
White SeeD Ship
Leave Balamb Garden and head for Edea's House (at the tip of the Cape of Good
Hope southwest of the forest). Enter the house, take the doorway on the right to
the Backyard, and approach Cid and Edea. After Edea speaks, talk to her and
attempt to leave the area. After Squall's announcement, go to the recovery room
in the Infirmary.
Escape from the Ruby Dragon. When Kiros arrives, engage and defeat the Ruby
Dragon.
Leave Balamb Garden and go to Edea's House. Find Edea in the Backyard and talk
to
her. Return to the Garden and locate the White SeeD Ship (in an inlet in the
western half of Centra Crater north of Edea's House). Head for the ship's stern
and find the White SeeD Leader in the cabin below deck. After you give him
Edea's
introduction letter, talk to him.
STRATEGY
Ruby Dragon: Ruby Dragons are weak against Ice and vulnerable to Sleep. Junction
Ice magic to Elem-Atk and Sleep to ST-Atk. Begin by afflicting the dragon with
Sleep and stocking up on magic. When you're finished, attack with Ice magic,
Shiva and Alexander. Use a Sleep-junctioned attack whenever the dragon wakes up.
[14 AP]
ITEMS
Weapons Mon Jul: B-Garden Training Center (Take the left paddock gate and head
left. You'll see it on the ground on the far side of the second log.)
Edea Card: Edea (in the Backyard at her house)
Shiva Card: Zone (Talk to him at the helm of the White SeeD Ship and give him
your copy of The Girl Next Door for free. In thanks, he'll give you a RENAME
CARD
and the SHIVA CARD.)
Timber Maniacs (2): Edea's House (in the Bedroom on the floor in the near-right
corner) and White SeeD Ship (on the floor on the left side of the ship's helm)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins, CC Group, Balamb
Rinoa
Talk to the person standing near the door and pick up Rinoa. Follow Piet to the
Medical Room and carry Rinoa into the far room. Follow Piet to the Control Room
and examine the monitor in the far-right corner. Go to the Residential Zone on
the second floor, talk to Ellone, and head for the passageway outside the
Medical
Room. Follow Rinoa to the Control Room, talk to her, and examine the monitor in
the far-right corner again. Go to the Locker Room on the second floor and
approach the airlock. Open the compartment second from the right, put on the
space suit, and follow Rinoa into the Dock. Return to the airlock, head for the
Control Room, and talk to Piet. Talk to Ellone and follow her into the Escape
Pod. Talk to her again and enter the empty chamber. After Ellone collapses, talk
to her and rescue Rinoa.
Once you're inside the Ragnarok, approach the control panel on the left side of
the Air Room and pass through the far door. Eliminate the Propagators and head
for the Cockpit.
Board the Ragnarok, go to the passenger area, and head for the Cockpit. Pilot
the
Ragnarok to Esthar and go to the Sorceress Memorial (southwest of Lunar Gate).
Go
up the steps, approach the Sentry, and enter the building. Approach the
engineers, go left, and approach Rinoa. Leave the Sorceress Memorial, pilot the
Ragnarok to southwestern Centra, and go to Edea's House. Follow Angelo to the
Flower Field and talk to him. Talk to Rinoa, leave Edea's house, and board the
Ragnarok.
NOTES
Eliminating the Propagators: If you examine the terminal in the passenger area
of
the ship, you'll find a report left by the Ragnarok's former crew. You'll
discover you must defeat the Propagators systematically or they'll be able to
revive each other. After reading the complicated explanation, Rinoa will
summarize the report by suggesting you 'kill them in pairs that have the same
colors.' The order in which you defeat the coupled creatures is unimportant.
ITEMS
Alexander Card: Piet (Challenge him at the Lunar Base before you evacuate. If
you
miss this opportunity, you'll be able to find him at the Lunar Base Escape Pod
crash site near the southern tip of the eastern peninsula of Abadan Plains in
Esthar. It won't be visible from the World Map so you'll have to search the area
to locate it.)
Laguna Card: Ellone (Challenge her at the Lunar Base before you evacuate.)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins, CC Group, Balamb, Obel Lake, UFO?, Queen of
Cards,
Cactuar Island, Deep Sea Research Center
Ultimecia Castle
Once you've reached the castle, the only things you're required to do are locate
the Master Room and defeat Ultimecia. However, as soon as you enter you'll
discover the majority of your powers have been sealed and will remain so whilst
you're within the castle walls until you challenge and defeat Ultimecia's
servants. Where you go, what you do, and in what order are completely up to you.
For each of Ultimecia's pets, you'll find an explanation of the steps you must
take to challenge it and a strategy for defeating it. It would be unwise to face
Ultimecia without releasing at least a few of your powers. Release all of them
and capitalize on your opportunity to draw powerful magic and obtain rare items
and you'll greatly increase your chances of victory.
Recommended course of action: Challenge Sphinx in the front Hall and release the
seal on Magic. Head for the Wine Cellar, challenge Tri-Point, and release the
seal on Limit Break. Return to the front Hall and switch to your support party.
Depress the lever on the lower level of the Grand Hall and switch back to your
primary party. Challenge Krysta on the Terrace and release the seal on Draw.
Head
for the Art Gallery, challenge Trauma, and release the seal on GF. Take the far
doors and switch to your support party. Find the Treasure Vault Key in the
Courtyard, pick up the Armory Key on the bridge at the top of the Chapel steps,
go to the Elevator Hall, and switch back to your primary party. Challenge Red
Giant in the Prison Cell, release the seal on Item, challenge Gargantua in the
Armory, release the seal on Save, head for the Elevator Hall, and switch to your
support party. Pick up the Floodgate Key in the Storage Room, return to the
Elevator Hall, and switch back to your primary party. Head for the Treasure
Room,
challenge Catoblepas, and release the seal on Resurrection. Go to the Courtyard
and switch to your support party. Close the floodgate, head for the Stairway
Hall
between the Art Gallery and the front Hall, and switch back to your primary
party. Go to the Chapel, play the organ to lower the Waterway gate, and pick up
the Rosetta Stone. (Omega Weapon: Head for the lowest level of the Clock Tower
and Save. Go to the Courtyard and switch to your support party. Ring the bell
and
switch back to your primary party. Challenge Omega Weapon in the Chapel.) Climb
the Clock Tower, challenge Tiamat, and release the seal on Command Ability. Head
for the promenade outside the Master Room and Save. Proceed to the Master Room
and confront Ultimecia.
Sphinx
Tri-Point
Krysta
Trauma
Red Giant
Gargantua
Catoblepas
Tiamat
Rosetta Stone
Omega Weapon
Ultimecia
SPHINX
Sphinx stands proud, greeting you from atop the staircase in the front Hall as
you enter the castle. Climb the stairs to challenge it.
[Preparation] Both of Sphinx's forms are weak against Holy (as are the creatures
Sphinxara can summon). Junction Holy to Elem-Atk. Sphinxaur can attack with
Fire,
Ice and Thunder. Junction Firaga, Blizzaga and/or Thundaga to Elem-Def. [Battle]
Sphinxaur and Sphinxara have an embarrassing 10,000 HP each regardless of Level.
Attack immediately and without relent and you'll swiftly topple the beast.
Sphinxara will pose a fleeting threat as it may afflict members of your party
with status effects while you're temporarily unable to remove them. Don't panic
should this happen. Once Sphinxara has collapsed, release the seal on one of
several means to cure yourself or take a brief repose outside the castle where
your powers are unaffected by Ultimecia's servants. [30 AP]
TRI-POINT
Tri-Point patrols the Wine Cellar, safeguarding Ultimecia's stash of Cabernet
and
Pinot Noir. The hatch leading to the cellar is located in the Grand Hall (beyond
the doors left of the foot of the staircase in the front Hall and through the
doors at the opposite end of the passageway). Unfortunately, the demand for red
wine in the castle has been non-existent for so long the hatch is rusted and
can't be opened. Head for the upper level of the front Hall and take the doors
on
the far side of Sphinx's post. Load your entire party onto the Grand Hall's
great
chandelier and the whole thing will come crashing to the floor below. Open the
now-broken hatch and proceed down the stairs to challenge Tri-Point.
[Preparation] Tri-Point has an extreme elemental weakness that alternates
between
Fire and Ice. Junction Firaga and Blizzaga to Elem-Atk on the two strongest
members of your party and either on the third. Tri-Point also has a strong
Thunder-based counterattack called Mega Spark. Junction Thundaga to Elem-Def to
absorb the damage. [Battle] Tri-Point has a devastating physical attack called
Onrush. Be prepared by keeping your party's HP at full strength (although this
battle probably won't last long enough for Tri-Point to use it). Begin by
attacking with two characters of opposing Elem-Atk junctions. An attack that
fails to prompt a counterattack indicates Tri-Point's elemental weakness (if
you've released the Magic ability you may consider casting Scan to assess Tri-
Point's vulnerability but you'll most likely find it a waste of your time). Each
time Tri-Point receives such a hit, its weakness will switch to the other
element. Continue to exploit this knowledge until Tri-Point falls. [ROCKET
ENGINE
+ 30 AP]
KRYSTA
Krysta awaits you on the Terrace, located beyond the doors on the far side of
the
upper level of the Grand Hall. This means finding a way to negotiate the
hazardous chandelier. Send your support party to the lower level of the Grand
Hall either via the passageway beyond the doors left of the foot of the
staircase
in the front Hall or by taking a quick thrill-ride on the light fixture itself.
Stand in the Party Switch Point on the right side of the room to depress the
lever and switch back to your primary party. Head for the upper level of the
Grand Hall, cross the chandelier sans plunge, and challenge Krysta on the other
side of the doors.
[Preparation] Release the seal on GF (optional: Item, Magic or Command Ability).
Krysta has a very high Magic stat and when defeated will cast Ultima as a
departing gesture. Don't engage it without the means to recover HP during battle
unless your entire party is at or near full strength. Krysta is a flying monster
immune to Ice. Junction any element other than Ice and Earth to Elem-Atk.
[Battle] Krysta's primary threat is its strong non-elemental counterattack. Your
goal should be to minimize the number of attacks and maximize their damage.
Krysta has a very high resistance to physical attacks. Assaulting it in such a
way would elicit numerous counterattacks. Its resistance to Magic is quite low
but it would still take several attacks to defeat the creature. The only option
that avoids counterattack altogether is summoning GFs. Begin by summoning
Doomtrain to cripple Krysta's defenses. Follow up with a barrage of strong GF
attacks (excepting Shiva and Brothers) and your semi-precious foe should have
few
if any chances to harm you. [ELEM GUARD + 30 AP]
TRAUMA
Trauma is the curator of Ultimecia's extensive art collection. To reach the Art
Gallery from the front Hall, climb the stairs, head right, take the doors in the
near-right corner, go down the stairs, and pass through the doors on the far
side
of the Party Switch Point. You'll find numerous paintings adorning the walls but
no sign of Trauma. Since you bothered to come all this way, you might as well
take in a few of the exquisite works. Examine the large canvas hanging on the
left side of the lower level and you'll discover the title is too faint to read.
By this time you may have the sneaking suspicion solving this mystery will be
the
key to finding Trauma. Begin by examining all the paintings, paying particular
attention to their titles. On the lower level, you'll find to the left of the
staircase from left to right IGNUS, INANDANTIA and IUDICIUM and to the right of
the staircase INTERVIGILIUM. On the upper level in the area at the top of the
stairs, you'll find from left to right VENUS, VIATOR and VIGIL. Go left from
this
area and you'll find from left to right INAUDAX, XYSTUS, XERAMPELINAE and
XIPHIAS
or go right and you'll find VIVIDARIUM. After admiring this last piece, take a
moment to glance over the railing and study the clock face hewn into the floor
below. The time itself is meaningless but the straightforward numbers indicated
by the hands provide a critical clue. Each number represents a set of letters
found in the title of one of the paintings. Return to the lower level and re-
examine the still-nameless image. You'll be presented with a list of the pieces
you've inspected and an opportunity to decipher the obscured title. Input the
titles corresponding to the numbers shown on the clock in order as you'd
normally
read the hands: hour (VIII = VIVIDARIUM), minute (IIII = INTERVIGILIUM), second
(VI = VIATOR). Solving the puzzle will summon Trauma to the staircase behind
you.
Climb the stairs to challenge it.
[Preparation] Trauma is weak against Wind and vulnerable to Drain (as are its
offspring, the Dromas). Junction Tornado to Elem-Atk and Drain to ST-Atk.
[Battle] Trauma uses physical attacks and a strong non-elemental attack that
targets your entire party called Mega Pulse Cannon. Trauma can also produce
Dromas, small support machines that use similar attacks. Fortunately, as you
siphon HP with each strike, your recovery should easily outpace your injury.
Attack continuously with all members of your party. Eliminate the Dromas as
they're born (you may wish to Mug them for Meteor Stones first). If any are
still
about when Trauma's HP reach 0 the progenitor will eat it's young, casting Drain
to survive. [ELEM ATK + 30 AP]
RED GIANT
Red Giant polices the Prison Cell, located beyond the far doors on the lower
level of the Art Gallery, down the steps on the far side of the Party Switch
Point, and through the doorway on the left. When you reach the gulag, you'll
find
a corpse holding a key in its conspicuously outstretched hand and Red Giant
temporarily out of the office. As soon as you set foot in the cell, the door
will
slam shut and lock behind you. With the only other door closed from the other
side, you'll have no choice but to grab the Prison Key. Doing so will
immediately
summon Red Giant and thrust you into combat.
[Preparation] Release the seal on GF or Magic. [Battle] Red Giant is virtually
impervious to almost every attack. Its only weakness is its deathly fear of
Diablos. Repeatedly summon the Dark Messenger and/or use Cactuar's defense-
ignoring attack and you'll gradually bring the brute to its knees. You may wish
to expand your options by summoning Doomtrain or casting Meltdown to crush Red
Giant's defenses, rendering it vulnerable to physical attacks and a wider array
of GFs. [DIAMOND ARMOR + 30 AP]
GARGANTUA
Gargantua is lurking at the rear of the Armory behind a locked door. The Armory
Key can be found lying on the wooden bridge spanning the gap between the Chapel
and the Clock Tower. To get to the bridge, head for the lower level of the Grand
Hall, take the far doors, go through the doors on the far side of the Courtyard,
and climb the Chapel steps. Walk when you go to pick up the key, running will
shake the bridge and cause the item to slip off the edge. Don't panic should
this
happen. There's a waterway below and the key will be washed to the area
immediately outside the Armory (unless you've closed the Floodgate, in which
case
the key will fall just out of reach behind a grate in the area below and remain
there until you open the Floodgate again). To reach the Armory, head for the
lower level of the Art Gallery, take the far doors, and go down the steps on the
far side of the Party Switch Point. If you dropped the key earlier, you'll see
it
lying in the channel in the lower-right corner. Unlock the door on the right and
head for the back of the room to challenge Gargantua. (NOTE: Before you face
Gargantua, you must defeat what looks and acts like a normal Vysage-Lefty-Righty
team.)
[Preparation] Release the seal on Magic (or Item or Command Ability). Vysage,
Lefty and Righty are weak against Holy and vulnerable to Drain. Junction Holy to
Elem-Atk and Drain to ST-Atk. Vysage, Righty and Gargantua are vulnerable to
Zombie. Junction Zombie to ST-Atk on one member of your party. Vysage and
Gargantua employ a variety of Status attacks. Junction Berserk to ST-Def to
thwart Gargantua's attempts to coerce you into repeatedly provoking its Counter
Twist, a strong counterattack triggered by physical attacks. [Battle] Begin by
eliminating Vysage, Lefty and Righty in the fashion of your choice. When
Gargantua surfaces, you can whittle away at its HP while side-stepping its
counterattack by using attack Magic or you can pursue a more expeditious
victory.
Afflict the juggernaut with Zombie either by casting magic or via an
appropriately-junctioned Status Attack. Follow up by using items, magic and/or
commands with strong curative properties to inflict major damage or attack with
any revival technique to cause instant death. [MAGIC ARMLET + 42 AP]
CATOBLEPAS
Catoblepas is hiding in the Treasure Room behind an easy-to-miss locked door
located in one of the castle's many passageways. The Treasure Vault Key can be
found by examining the left side of the fountain in the Courtyard just beyond
the
far doors on the lower level of the Grand Hall. To reach the Treasure Room from
the front Hall, climb the stairs, head left, take the doors in the near-left
corner, go down the stairs, and pass through the doors on the far side of the
Party Switch Point. Look closely along the left side of the passageway and
you'll
see a door situated near the center of the hall. When you use the key and enter
the Treasure Room, you'll be confronted by a simple puzzle. Your task: open and
close caskets until all four are simultaneously open. The solution: open or
close
the sarcophaguses once each in any order (e.g. outside left, inside left, inside
right, outside right). Solving the puzzle will summon Catoblepas, enabling you
to
challenge it.
[Preparation] Release the seal on GF or Magic. Catoblepas is weak against Earth
and Water. Junction Quake or Water to Elem-Atk. Catoblepas attacks with strong
Thunder-based magic. Junction Thundaga to Elem-Def. [Battle] In addition to its
arsenal of Magic, Catoblepas uses strong physical attacks. This should present
only a minor danger since each time it casts Thunder-based magic, especially
Thunder Summon, your HP will recover. Catoblepas has a high Magic stat and when
defeated will cast Meteor. Be prepared by keeping your party's HP at full
strength. Begin by summoning Doomtrain or casting Meltdown to weaken Catoblepas'
defenses. For the remainder of the battle attack with any means at your disposal
(excepting Quezacotl and Thunder-based magic as Catoblepas will absorb the
damage) until the behemoth succumbs. [STATUS ATK + 30 AP]
TIAMAT
You'll find Tiamat sulking on an obliterated balcony near the height of the
Clock
Tower, located beyond the foot-bridge at the top of the Chapel steps. To reach
the balcony, ascend the Clock Tower's winding walkway until you reach the
swinging pendulum and stand at the inside ledge on the left side of the tower.
Leap onto the pendulum as it comes closest to you and it'll deliver you safely
to
the opposite side. Pass through the doorway to reach the verandah and challenge
Tiamat.
[Preparation] Tiamat is a flying monster strong against Fire and Thunder and
immune to Wind. Junction any element other than Fire, Thunder, Earth and Wind to
Elem-Atk. Tiamat's only attack is Dark Flare. Junction Firaga and Flare to Elem-
Def and it'll be unable to harm you. [Battle] Despite Tiamat's garnering a place
of esteem as the servant nearest the Master Room, this battle should prove the
easiest of all. By turning Dark Flare into a tremendous source of HP for your
party, your only difficulty will be deciding how to further humiliate this
impotent ex-GF. Attack using whatever methods suit your fancy (excepting those
with elemental qualities corresponding to Tiamat's strengths). [STATUS GUARD +
30
AP]
ROSETTA STONE
If you're desperately seeking Abilityx4, you may wish to take the time to find
the Rosetta Stone tucked neatly away in a box submerged in the castle's
Waterway.
In order to claim it you must first drain the aqueduct and in order to
accomplish
that you must first obtain the key that unlocks the lever that operates the
floodgate. The Floodgate Key can be found lying on the floor in a Storage Room
accessible only via the primitive lift in the Elevator Hall. Begin by
determining
which of your two parties is heaviest (hint: the males outweigh the females) and
taking the lighter party to the Elevator Hall. To reach it from the front Hall,
climb the stairs, head left, go through the doors in the near-left corner and
down the stairs, pass through the doors on the far side of the Party Switch
Point, and take the doors at the far end of the passageway. Stand in the Party
Switch Point on the lowered left carriage and switch to your heavy party. To
reach the raised right carriage head for the lower level of the Art Gallery,
take
the far doors, climb the steps and go left, and proceed to the opposite end of
the passageway. Stand in the Party Switch Point to lift the left carriage and
switch to your lighter party. Head left, grab the key, and return to the Party
Switch Point. Switch to your heavy party and head for the floodgate lever,
located to the right of the door to the Prison Cell. Use the Floodgate Key and
throw the lever to drain the water. Before you can set foot in the empty canal
system however, you must first lower the gate that blocks your access to it.
Head
for the back of the Chapel and examine the organ. Play your guts out if you're
so
inclined, but the only way to open the gate is by hitting all the keys at once.
Head for the Courtyard and follow the lamp-lit arches in the upper-right corner
to see if you were successful. If not, return to the pipe organ and try again.
When all the bars have been lowered, enter the Waterway and head right to claim
your prize.
OMEGA WEAPON
Omega Weapon is by quantum leaps the toughest monster in the game. Challenging
it
is entirely optional and the tangible rewards for defeating it are meager at
best. However, if your man-or-womanhood rests on being crowned the finest
fighter
in the world you'll feel the burning need to face this horror. If you've been to
the Chapel, you've probably noticed the ominous cloud of vapor billowing from
the
floor. To summon Omega Weapon to this spot, you must ring the bell in the
Stairway Hall located between the front Hall and the Art Gallery and rush to the
Chapel before the nightmare vanishes. Your first order of business should be to
make all the necessary preparations and save your game. With that out of the
way,
take your primary party to the Party Switch Point in the Courtyard outside the
Chapel, switch to your support party, and head for the Stairway Hall. Before you
pull the cord in the near-left corner, consider temporarily junctioning
Enc-None.
You'll have only sixty seconds to engage Omega Weapon and a single encounter
will
blow it for you. Ring the bell and use the Party Switch Point. Immediately make
your Junction Exchange(s) and streak for the Chapel. In the instant before you
engage Omega Weapon, replace Enc-None with the desired ability and prepare to
meet the abomination itself.
[Preparation] Release the seal on Magic and Limit Break (recommended: Item,
Resurrection and Save). Omega Weapon has no elemental weakness. Remove all magic
junctioned to Elem-Atk. Omega Weapon can cast LV5 Death (ending your game if all
party members have a Level evenly divisible by five). Junction Death to ST-Def.
Omega Weapon has an attack called Medigo Flame that does 9998 points of damage
to
every member of your party. Raise each character's maximum HP to 9999 (via magic
junctioned to HP and if necessary an HP multiplier) and make sure you have the
means to maintain full strength (items and/or commands with full-curative
properties) and revive fallen comrades. Omega Weapon also uses Light Pillar,
instantly slaying a single target, and Terra Break, an attack that can slaughter
your entire party several times over. Make sure you have access to invincibility
(Hero, Holy War and/or Rinoa's Invincible Moon Limit Break). Consider refining
10
Holy Wars from the Gilgamesh Card. Junction magic and stat multipliers
prioritizing physical attack attributes (such as Str, Spd and Hit). Recommended
Party: Irvine, Squall and Rinoa. Recommended Setup: Start with Squall and
Rinoa's
HP in Limit Break territory. Low HP plus Aura will increase the probability
they'll execute their strongest Limit Breaks (Lion Heart and Wishing Star
respectively). With 9999 maximum HP, you should be able to achieve this while
keeping a comfortable buffer zone against an unexpected attack. Make sure Irvine
has a good supply of ammunition (at least 100 Fast Ammo and 100 Demolition
Ammo).
Designate Irvine as the character you keep at full strength in case of Medigo
Flame and junction his abilities to allow him to use revival techniques (if you
intend to use Item, consider opening the Item Menu and placing the appropriate
items, including those for invincibility, on the first page of the battle
window). [Battle] Begin by casting Meltdown. Use your next turn to cast Triple
on
the third character and in turn use Triple to cast Aura on everyone. Follow up
with invincibility for your entire party. You may wish to gamble on Rinoa
executing Invincible Moon or play it safe by using a Holy War. Let loose on
Omega
Weapon with repeated Limit Breaks. When it comes to selecting ammunition for
Irvine's Shot, begin with Fast Ammo. Each shot can inflict between 1000 and 2500
points of damage and you'll be able to fire as fast as you can pull the trigger.
In a typical turn, you can expect to shoot about fifty times and cause more than
100,000 points of damage. When you run out of Fast Ammo, switch to your most
powerful ammunition (e.g. Demolition or Pulse Ammo). Be prepared for Aura to
wear
off before invincibility. When this occurs, persist in using the Limit Breaks of
those characters with low enough HP. You may wish to seize the opportunity to
use
your remaining party member(s) to draw Ultima or simply continue hammering away
with normal attacks. If Omega Weapon is still on its feet when invincibility
wears off (of which there is a very good chance), use Triple to re-cast Aura,
invoke invincibility, and resume the onslaught until Omega Weapon gives in. When
the day is finally yours, Proof of Omega will be added to the Information Menu
of
the Tutorial, securing your reputation as the finest fighter in the world.
[THREE
STARS + 250 AP + PROOF OF OMEGA]
ULTIMECIA
Sorceress Ultimecia patiently anticipates your arrival from atop her throne in
the Master Room. To hunt her down, climb to the very top of the Clock Tower,
proceed through the gear-works and across the hands of the clock, and climb down
the ladders to reach the promenade outside the Master Room. After making the
necessary preparations, save your game and enter Ultimecia's chamber to get on
with saving the world. (NOTE: Ultimecia will select three characters at random
to
face her in battle. Keep this in mind as you prepare and be ready to fight with
one or more severely disadvantaged characters if you choose not to spread your
junctions across all six. If you saved outside Ultimecia's chamber, you can
always reset and let her choose another set of three until you're satisfied with
the party she chooses. A more sinister tactic would be offing unwanted party
members yourself and permitting Ultimecia to absorb them into time, summoning a
new random character with each meal until your ideal party arrives.)
[Preparation] Release the seal on Limit Break and Magic (recommended: Item,
Resurrection and Save). Ultimecia will take several forms during the battle,
each
possessing its own distinct set of elemental strengths and weaknesses. It's best
to remove all magic junctioned to Elem-Atk and use it elsewhere. She can attack
with a variety of elemental magic. The best defense would be building up a
resistance to as many elements as possible (e.g. Junction 100 Ultima and 100
Life
to Elem-Def to absorb damage from all elemental attacks). Ultimecia can also
afflict you with a wide range of status effects. As you'll heavily rely on Magic
and Limit Breaks to defeat her, junction Pain (or Silence and Blind) and Aura to
ST-Def. In her final form, Ultimecia can use an attack called Hell's Judgement
that reduces the HP of every member of your party to 1. Make sure you have the
means to significantly restore your entire party in a single turn. Consider
refining 100 Megalixirs from the Bahamut Card if you don't believe in crossing
your fingers and hoping you'll have Quistis or Selphie in your party (and access
to their Limit Break skills, White Wind and Full-cure respectively). [Battle]
All
of Ultimecia's forms have very strong attacks that target your entire party. Be
prepared by maintaining your party's HP at or near full strength. Begin by
casting Triple on at least one member of your party and Meltdown on Ultimecia.
Use Triple to cast Aura on everyone and attack the Sorceress with repeated Limit
Breaks, bowing out as needed to restore a character with low HP or re-apply
Aura.
Make sure you reinstate Triple if Ultimecia casts Dispel and re-cast Meltdown
each time she appears in a new incarnation. As Ultimecia evolves, she'll develop
the ability to blow away a single character's entire stock of a particular Magic
and to instantly destroy any GF you attempt to summon. As menacing as this
sounds, you should be able to lay her to rest despite her most diligent efforts.
When Ultimecia takes her final bow, sit back and enjoy the magnificent ending,
the day is yours. Congratulations!
SeeD Field Exam
Go to your room in the Dormitory and change into your uniform. Meet in the Hall
and head for the Parking Lot. Drive to Balamb (west of Balamb Garden) and board
the transport vessel. Go on deck when Seifer instructs you.
Secure the Central Square: Follow Seifer through Dollet to the Central Square
and
defeat the G-Soldiers you encounter along the way. Find and defeat the G-Soldier
hiding behind the roadblock in the far-right corner. Talk to Seifer and wait 'on
standby' until the battle sounds begin. After the POV changes, approach Seifer.
Secure the Communication Tower: Follow Seifer toward the Tower. Defeat the
Anacondaur attacking the Dollet Soldier and follow Seifer to the cliff
overlooking the Tower. Meet Selphie at the base of the Tower and follow Seifer
inside. Take the lift, battle Biggs & Wedge, and defeat Elvoret.
Assemble at the shore within the 30-minute time limit: Head for Lapin Beach.
Escape from the X-ATM092 and proceed to the rendezvous.
STRATEGY
Biggs & Wedge and Elvoret: Biggs will be on his own at the start of the battle.
Wedge will arrive after a short while has passed or immediately if you deplete
Biggs' HP. There aren't significant benefits to waiting so lay into Biggs with
your strongest GF and have your other characters begin stocking Esuna. When
Wedge
arrives, Biggs' HP will be completely restored. Have all three characters stock
Esuna, stopping as needed to draw Cure from Wedge and cast it. When your stock
is
full, launch your attack. Once you've inflicted enough damage, Elvoret will
arrive and blow the pair away. However, you won't receive the full reward at the
end of the battle unless you deplete their HP simultaneously. A single fully-
boosted attack from your strongest GF should finish them both, but you may want
to play it safe and attack with a non-boosted GF to lower their HP a bit before
delivering the final stroke. When Elvoret arrives, draw Siren immediately.
Assault Elvoret with GF attacks until the battle is won, although you may want
to
stock up on Double first. [SIREN joins your party + WEAPONS MON MAR + 18 AP]
X-ATM092: The X-ATM092 can't be destroyed. All you can do is knock it down and
escape while it's temporarily disabled. Time will be precious so keep your
encounters with the machine as brief and infrequent as possible. The X-ATM092 is
weak against Thunder. If all you're interested in is escaping, the fastest way
to
cripple it is summoning and boosting Quezacotl. However, you may want to take
this opportunity to earn a substantial chunk of AP. Begin by summoning Quezacotl
and boosting the GF just shy of incapacitating the X-ATM092. Skip your other
party members and summon Quezacotl again. Summon GFs with the other characters,
but make sure neither arrives ahead of the Thunder GF. When Quezacotl appears,
boost its attack to full strength. The Black Widow will begin repairing itself,
but you'll have already taken about half its HP with two more GFs about to
attack. Don't let up and you should be able to entirely deplete its HP. If you
succeed, the X-ATM092 will right itself immediately with its HP suddenly
restored. Knock it down again and make your escape to claim your reward. [50 AP]
NOTES
Evading the X-ATM092: It's possible to make it to the beach having fought it
only
once. After your initial encounter, head right and down the path. When the X-
ATM092 arrives, push the controller in the direction you wish to go before
releasing the text window. During the black-out as the next area loads,
anticipate your move by aiming toward the upper-left and you should be able to
slip under the machine as it leaps past you. Walk through the next area or
you'll
be stunned by the shaking earth then sprint for the bridge. You'll hear the X-
ATM092 jump over you. Wait until you hear it land and cut back the other way.
When you hear it jump again, immediately break for the beach and don't look back
(but for the love of humanity, take a moment to save the dog).
ITEMS
Weapons Mon Mar: (see STRATEGY, Biggs & Wedge and Elvoret)
Timber TV Station
Talk to Rinoa, exit the briefing room, and talk to Watts. Locate the Timber TV
Station: Locate the Timber Pub and defeat the G-Soldiers outside. Enter the Pub,
approach the Drifter, and convince him to move. Use the back door, proceed to
the
TV Station, and follow Seifer backstage.
Find Rinoa and Quistis near the outdoor TV and follow them down the stairs and
into the Pub. Follow the woman to her residence. Talk to Quistis and follow
everyone downstairs. Head for the near side of the room until Quistis addresses
you and exit the house.
NOTES
Locating the Timber TV Station: Before he left, Watts suggested you head for
Timber Maniacs. Go right and you'll see it. The person standing near the steps
will recommend you consult the woman next door. She'll tell you about the alley
behind her house and send you to the Pub. Exit her house, go right, and take the
far stairs. Enter the Pub and go out the back door to get to the alley. Go left
and you'll see the stairs to the TV Station.
Moving the Drifter: You have to get on his drunken good side to get the Drifter
out of your way. There are two ways to do this. One is buying him a drink. The
Pub offers six types of booze and only one will purge his urge. Drinks are
either
bitter or sweet and bear red, green or yellow labels. Talk to the patron to
learn
how to distinguish the drinks. Talk to the woman at the bar to find out if the
Drifter prefers bitter or sweet. Approach the Drifter and observe him to find
out
if he's enjoying his beverage and see the color of its label. Approach him
again,
talk to him, and buy him another round of what he's drinking. It'll cost you 100
Gil but he'll give you a FORBIDDEN CARD in return. The second option is
returning
his stolen card. Approach him, talk to him and tell him about the Buel Card you
recovered from the G-Soldiers outside. In gratitude, he'll let you keep the card
and give you a TONBERRY CARD as well.
Owl's Tear OR 500 Gil: Enter the Residence near the Dollet Train Platform and
talk to the old man. Tell him you like beverages and he'll invite you to drink
Owl's Tear from his faucet. Examine it to drink and fully restore your party. If
almighty cash is a higher priority, check the cupboard until you find the old
man's secret savings. He'll revoke your faucet privileges, but you'll earn 500
Gil.
Free Potions: The guy that sometimes appears on the walkway over the train
tracks
has a thing for Rinoa. As long as she's in your party, he'll give you a Potion
when you talk to him. After the TV broadcast, he develops a similar thing for
Quistis.
ITEMS
Girl Next Door: Editorial Department [Timber Maniacs] (Examine the rear-most of
the two stacks of magazines next to the Information counter.)
Pet Pals Vol.3/Vol.4: Timber Pet Shop
Timber Maniacs: Editorial Department [Timber Maniacs] (Enter the far room and
you'll see it on the floor on the right side of the room. Walk between the table
and the desk to get to it.)
Assassination
Enter Caraway's Mansion, talk to Rinoa, and wait for General Caraway to arrive.
Follow General Caraway through Deling City to the Gateway and talk to him.
Report
to Caraway's Mansion.
Gateway Team: Exit the Mansion. Sniper Team: Follow General Caraway to the
Gateway, talk to him, and follow him to your position in front of the
Presidential Residence. Gateway Team: Return to Caraway's Mansion. Rinoa: Make
your way onto the roof of the Presidential Residence and talk to Edea. Gateway
Team: Escape from Caraway's Mansion and make your way through the Sewer. Sniper
Team: Follow Irvine through the crowd and head for the roof of the Presidential
Residence. Climb onto the balcony and enter the residence. Proceed to Edea's
room
and defeat the Iguions attacking Rinoa. Go to the clock tower and pick up the
sniper rifle. Gateway Team: Proceed through the sewer to the top floor of the
Gateway. Walk around 'on standby' until 20:00 and operate the control console on
Zell's mark. Sniper Team: Defeat Seifer and battle Edea.
STRATEGY
Iguions: The Iguions are weak against Earth and immune to Fire. Begin by
immediately drawing Carbuncle. Stock up on magic, restoring your HP as needed
and
drawing Esuna from the creatures to remove the Petrifying status caused by their
Magma Breath attack. Finish them both in a single attack by summoning your
strongest GF (Ifrit excepted). [Carbuncle joins your party + 20 AP]
Seifer & Edea: Seifer is weak against Poison. Junction Bio to Elem-Atk. He uses
physical attacks and can cast Fira. Edea can cast Firaga, Blizzaga and Thundaga.
Your best defense will be to maximize your resistance to Fire, Ice and Thunder
magic all at once by junctioning Life and/or Protect to Elem-Def. Squall will be
alone during the battle with Seifer. Stock up on the magic he carries and mug
him
if you can. You could reduce this fight to a gunblade slugfest and still walk
away with the victory or you could summon your strongest GF a few times to
humiliate Seifer in a hurry. For the fight with Edea, dedicate the character
with
Carbuncle to summoning the GF on a full-time basis. With Reflect in place, Edea
will spend most of her time casting Dispel. Use the other members of your party
to stock up on magic from and mug the Sorceress. When you're ready to move on,
have the party member that was busy summoning Carbuncle switch to stocking
magic,
one of the fully-stocked characters switch to medic detail, and the remaining
person repeatedly summon GFs. [20 AP]
NOTES
Getting onto the roof of the Presidential Residence: Climb the boxes stacked in
and around the vehicle parked outside the Residence and you'll jump onto the
building. Proceed along the ledge, climb the ladder and climb onto the roof.
Escaping from Caraway's Mansion: Approach the painting on the right side of the
room. The woman is holding a goblet in her right hand. Take a glass from the
shelves on the left side of the room and approach the statue in the upper-left
corner. Place the glass in the statue's hands and take the secret passage.
ITEMS
Weapons Mon May: Deling City Sewer (Approach the manhole cover to the right of
the vehicle parked outside the Presidential Residence and check it. Climb down
the ladder and proceed left through the Sewer until you find it lying on the
ground.)
Secret of Balamb Garden
Head for the Hall and search for the Headmaster on the first floor until you see
Xu running up the steps to the elevator. Track her down at the far end of the 2F
Hallway, follow her to the third floor, and enter the Headmaster's Office. After
Cid collapses talk to him and head for the elevator. Examine the button panel,
open the hatch in the floor, and climb down the ladder. Make your way through
the
MD Level and defeat the Oilboyles. Proceed to the far end of the MD Level,
approach the control system, and turn the ignition. Talk to Cid and offer to
check on the others. Go to the Deck on the second floor and return to the
Headmaster's Office.
Meet a Garden Faculty member near the Directory and report to the Master Room on
level B1. Walk down the steps and talk to Cid. Follow the Garden Faculty member
to the left and defeat NORG. Go to the Infirmary, tell Dr. Kadowaki you need to
see Cid, and enter the recovery room. Meet Xu near the Directory and head for
the
Deck. Find Ellone sitting on the far side of the Library.
STRATEGY
Oilboyles: These creatures are weak against Fire and vulnerable to Sleep.
Junction Fire magic to Elem-Atk and Sleep to ST-Atk. This battle won't be very
difficult. The Oilboyles have an attack called Oil Shot that can cause Darkness
but they'll have few if any chances to use it. Begin by putting both Oilboyles
to
sleep. Stock up on magic while they blissfully snore. When you've filled your
stock, summon Ifrit to burn them extra-tasty crispy. While you wait for the GF,
use the other members of your party to mug the slick slugs if you wish. [20 AP]
NORG: Balamb Garden's Master is weak against Wind. Junction Wind magic to Elem-
Atk. NORG can use a variety of both elemental and status magic. Strengthen your
resistance by junctioning Life and Shell to Elem-Def and Reflect and Esuna to
ST-
Def. At the beginning of the battle, NORG will attack you from inside the NORG
Pod. You'll have to breach its hull before you can attack him. The Pod gets its
magic power from its two Orbs. The color of each Orb shifts from blue to yellow
to red at it readies itself to cast magic. Physical attacks will counteract the
charging process. Dedicate one member of your party exclusively to attacking
(preferably mugging) the Orbs and keeping them blue. This should render NORG
harmless as you stock up on magic from all three Pod parts. When your stockers
have finished, summon Carbuncle to endow your party members with Reflect in
preparation for your imminent tussle with NORG. Have the other members of your
party summon their strongest GFs (excepting Quezacotl as the Pod is strong
against Thunder). Once NORG is exposed, quickly reassign your characters. Have
your ex-stockers split their attention between drawing magic from NORG and
assuming Pod vigil duty while the former attacker starts stocking magic from
NORG
and the Orbs. Draw Leviathan from NORG as soon as possible. If you don't, NORG
could quite literally magic himself to death with attacks reflected off your
party before you get the chance. Have the other take over vigil duty. When
you're
ready to stick it to the bloated Shumi, summon your strongest GFs to put him in
his place. [Leviathan joins your party + 20 AP]
NOTES
Declaring your allegiance: Maintain your loyalty to Cid and you'll be well-
rewarded. Your first chance to assert yourself will occur when a Garden Faculty
member stops you on your way to the Hall. Refuse to swear allegiance to Master
NORG and you'll be attacked. Defeat the monsters and you'll find a SeeD
candidate
lying near the Reception booth in the Hall. Talk to him and he'll give you a
MEGA-
POTION. Your devotion will continue to be challenged as you search for the
Headmaster. Confront the NORG loyalists and defeat their minions to receive
assistance from the Cid supporters under attack in each area of the first floor.
[Infirmary: ELIXIR/Quad: X-POTION/Cafeteria: GYSAHL GREENS/Parking Lot:
TENT/Training Center: REMEDY/Library: MEGA PHOENIX (if Zell is in your party) or
REMEDY (if not)]
Navigating the MD Level: After you climb down the ladder in the elevator shaft
open the hatch at the opposite end of the corridor, proceed until you reach a
ladder, climb down, and go through the door on the opposite side of the chamber.
Open the valve, return to the previous chamber, climb down the ladder, proceed
to
the far end of the walkway, and climb up the ladder. Examine the control panel
on
the right side of the room, climb back down the ladder, open the gate with the
flashing green light, and climb down the ladder. Throw the lever, proceed along
the walkway, defeat the Oilboyles, head for the ladder in the distance, climb
down, and proceed to the control system.
Trabia Garden
Pilot the Garden to Trabia (northeast of Balamb), disembark, and go to Trabia
Garden. Follow Selphie over the wall, locate the basketball court, and attempt
to
leave the area. Follow everyone to the beach and approach the group. Follow
Irvine into the next room. Talk to Irvine, then Quistis, then Selphie. Approach
Rinoa.
ITEMS
Weapons Mon Aug: Front Gate (Examine the ground '5 steps south of the gargoyle
statue.')Selphie Card: Selphie's Friend (You'll find her sitting under the
gargoyle statue at the Front Gate. Return to Trabia Garden after your initial
visit and challenge her to a game of cards.)
Timber Maniacs: Cemetery (on the ground left of the center-most headstones)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins
Esthar
Pilot the Garden to Fishermans Horizon OR go to the recovery room in the
Infirmary. Carry Rinoa into FH and talk to her after you set her down on the
tracks. Talk to Edea and follow everyone out of Seaside Station. Locate Great
Salt Lake (east of the station), make your way toward the far side, and defeat
Abadon. Head right and examine the middle of the flickering image. Climb the
ladder, proceed to the opposite end of the walkway, and open the door. Once the
elevator stops, take the far corridor.
Approach the Security Guard in the near-right corner then approach the Security
Guard standing in the far-left doorway. Talk to the Moomba, talk to the other
prisoner, and talk to the Moomba again. Defeat the attacking enemies, take the
elevator up, and exit the Laboratory. Return to the lower level, approach Doc
Odine, and defeat the attacking enemies. Follow Doc Odine out of the lab, defeat
the Esthar Soldiers inside Odine's Laboratory, and sit on the lifter. Open the
door, enter the Lab, and defeat the Esthar Soldiers. Examine the control panel
on
the right side of the room, return to the first floor Lobby, and enter the far
room.
Locate Lunar Gate (east of Esthar City), enter the building, and follow the
woman
into Deep Freeze. Follow the Lunar Gate Staff to the opposite side of the room
and board the capsule. Follow Angelo outside and head for Esthar City.
STRATEGY
Abadon: Abadon is an undead monster weak against Fire. Junction Fire magic to
Elem-Atk. It has two forms. In its compact form, it uses physical attacks. In
its
fully upright form, it uses status attacks. Junction Confuse to ST-Def. Begin by
stocking up on magic and mugging Abadon. When you're done, attack it using items
and/or commands with strong curative or reviving attributes. [40 AP]
NOTES
Solomon Ring: Locate Tears' Point (south of Lunar Gate) at some point before you
return to Esthar after visiting Lunar Gate. Head for the center and you'll find
the SOLOMON RING lying on the ground at the foot of the enormous sculpture. This
is the legendary ring referred to in Occult Fan III. The magazine's report will
give you a clue about how to use the ring. Instead of the rumored 666 items,
you'll need six each of three different items: 6 Remedy+, 6 Steel Pipes and 6
Malboro Tentacles. When you have the necessary items, use the ring to acquire
the
GF Doomtrain. [DOOMTRAIN joins your party]
ITEMS
Solomon Ring: Tears' Point (see NOTES, Solomon Ring)
Weapons Mon 1st: Lunatic Pandora Laboratory (When you
Occult Fan IV: Esthar Presidential Palace Hall (Before you go to Lunar Gate,
find
the Presidential Aide standing near the Airstation and talk to him. Return to
the
Presidential Palace, find the Presidential Secretary standing outside the room
where you left Rinoa, and talk to him. When he moves, examine the stack of
magazines and you'll find it.)
Pet Pals Vol.5/Vol.6: Esthar Pet Shop [Rinrin's Store]
Combat King 004: Esthar City (Before you go to Lunar Gate, talk to the Esthar
Soldier standing on the skyway left of the center of the city. When you return
to
Esthar City during LUNATIC PANDORA, talk to the soldier again and he'll give it
to you.)
Ward Card: Doc Odine (in the Presidential Palace Hall when you first arrive in
Esthar)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins, CC Group, Balamb
Time Compression
Pilot the Ragnarok to Esthar City and go to the Presidential Palace. Head for
the
Office and approach the President's desk. Talk to the President and ask him to
explain the mission. After the briefing accept the mission and pilot the
Ragnarok
to Lunatic Pandora at Tears' Point. Once inside disembark and head for the
steps.
Defeat Fujin and Raijin and pursue them into the interior of Lunatic Pandora. Go
to the hall of elevators, take Elevator 01, proceed past the Save Point, and
take
the far corridor. Defeat Mobile Type 8 and follow Fujin and Raijin into next
room. Defeat Seifer and follow him out of the room. Climb the structure on the
right, head right, and enter Adel's Tomb. Defeat Adel without killing Rinoa.
STRATEGY
Fujin & Raijin: Both are weak against Poison and vulnerable to Sleep. Junction
Bio to Elem-Atk and Sleep to ST-Atk. Fortify yourself against Fujin's magic
attacks by junctioning Tornado to Elem-Def and Pain and Slow to ST-Def. Begin by
afflicting Fujin and Raijin with Sleep. Though you'll be able to stock up on
magic in relative peace consider drawing Protect from Raijin and casting it on
your entire party in case your enemies rouse themselves and attack you before
you
can put them back to sleep. When you're finished, attack them with magic and/or
GFs to win the battle without even waking them up. [20 AP]
Mobile Type 8: Mobile Type 8 is a machine weak against Thunder. Junction
Thundaga
to Elem-Atk. It employs a range of physical attacks but its most devastating
weapon is called Corona, which reduces the HP of all party members to 1. To make
matters worse it'll follow up with its powerful Medigo Flame. Be prepared to
restore your entire party at once by designating a medic and casting Triple on
that character at the start of the battle (unless you intend to rely on Quistis'
White Wind Limit Break or gamble on getting Selphie's Full-cure in time). It
also
has a counterattack that varies depending on which of its two attack modes is
armed. When Mobile weaponry attack mode is ON it responds with Twin Homing Laser
whenever you target its main torso. During this phase you should focus on
stocking magic from and mugging the Left and Right Probes. When Support weaponry
attack mode is ON and Mobile Type 8's three components disengage it fires a
single Homing Laser each time you strike one of the Probes. During this phase
turn your attention to the main torso but beware as it's preparing to use the
Corona and Medigo Flame combination. If you're ready to end the fight and all
your ATB gauges are full when your HP hit 1 skip to your medic and initiate the
healing process. If you act quickly you should be able to activate the other
characters' Limit Breaks before they recover and inflict mortal damage to Mobile
Type 8. [40 AP]
Seifer: Seifer is weak against Poison and vulnerable to Drain. Junction Bio to
Elem-Atk and Drain to ST-Atk. Begin by stocking as much Aura as possible. This
will be your best opportunity to get it and you'll have a limited amount of time
if Seifer gutted Odin at the start of the battle as Gilgamesh* will arrive
shortly. Seifer is faster and more deadly with his gunblade but you should be
relatively safe as long as you keep your HP up in readiness for his special
attack, Bloodfest. When your magic stock is full you may wish to mug Seifer
before drawing and casting Aura on your party and punishing him with Limit
Breaks. [40 AP]
Adel: Adel uses strong attack magic (junction Quake and/or Holy to Elem-Def) but
the greatest challenge presented by this battle will be injuring Adel without
harming Rinoa. You'll want to limit your attacks to those that target a single
enemy. Further complicating your task will be Adel's regular habit of casting
Drain on Rinoa. Begin by drawing Regen from Rinoa and casting it on her to
counteract Adel's appetite for HP. Draw and cast Regen on your entire party to
compensate for any damage you'll receive while you stock magic and mug Adel for
a
Samantha Soul. If you feel it's worth the risk you can steal a number of
Megalixirs from Rinoa. Just make sure you keep her healthy during your attempts
and restore her HP after you've finished. When your harvest is complete, focus
your attention on attacking Adel.
NOTES
Gilgamesh: If you acquired Odin prior to your confrontation with Seifer, the
legendary GF will make an appearance at the beginning of the battle. Seifer
won't
be done in so easily and will strike him down in the midst of his charge. Odin's
orphaned sword, Zantetsuken, will sail off and into an unknown waiting hand.
Before long the stranger will arrive, interrupting the battle to deliver a
crushing blow to Seifer. From this point forward Gilgamesh will fill the void
left by Odin's unfortunate demise, randomly appearing at any time during any
battle to assist you.
ITEMS
Squall Card: Laguna (Challenge him either in his office at the Presidential
Palace or in the passenger area on board the Ragnarok before you infiltrate
Lunatic Pandora.)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins, CC Group, Balamb, Obel Lake, UFO?, Queen of
Cards,
Cactuar Island, Deep Sea Research Center
SeeD Inauguration
Return to Balamb Garden. Go to the Hall and approach Cid, Quistis and Xu. Find
Seifer standing outside the Library and talk to him. Report to the 2F Hallway
outside the Classroom and wait until you're called into the Headmaster's Office.
Return to the hallway outside the Classroom.
Go to your room, change into your SeeD uniform, and talk to Selphie to go to the
Inauguration party. Go to your dorm room when Quistis instructs you and change
into your normal clothes. Meet her in the Training Center and go to the 'secret
area' on the far side of the Save Point. Head for the exit, defeat the Granaldo
and three Raldos, and return to the Dormitory.
STRATEGY
Granaldo & Raldos: Cast Sleep on the Granaldo immediately (if you don't have any
in stock, you can draw it from the Granaldo). It can't attack while it's
sleeping
and the Raldos won't attack you of their own accord until you defeat the
Granaldo. This leaves you free to stock up on magic. As long as you re-cast
Sleep
on the Granaldo immediately after it wakes up, you should be able to keep it
asleep and max out both characters' magic stocks without taking any damage. You
may want to draw Protect from a Raldo and cast it on Squall and Quistis to
minimize the damage from any physical attacks the Granaldo manages to squeeze in
during its fleeting moments of consciousness. When you've had your fill, summon
and boost your strongest GF. This should eliminate all the Raldos in a single
blow. A second boosted GF should finish the battle. [14 AP]
NOTES
Battle Meter: Talk to Cid in his office after you've been dismissed from the
SeeD
Inauguration and he'll give you the BATTLE METER. Initially you'll only have
access to the Battle Report but you'll be able to add new features later in the
game. To access the Battle Meter, open the Tutorial from the Menu Screen, enter
the Info Corner, and select Information. View the Battle Report to keep track of
the distance you've walked, the number of battles you've been in, the number of
battles you've won, and the number of times you've escaped.
ITEMS
Seifer Card: Cid (in the B-Garden Headmaster's Office)
Zell Card: Ma Dincht (Visit the Dincht's and challenge her while Zell is in your
party.)
Timber Maniacs: Balamb Hotel (Go upstairs to the guestroom and you'll see it on
the table right of the Save Point.) OR Balamb Station Yard (on the ground near
the edge of the platform behind the signal)
Galbadia Garden
Go to the Dollet Train Platform and board the train. Pass through the security
door and return to the first compartment. Talk to Zell, leave him alone, and get
off the train. Enter the forest west of East Academy Station.
Head for the entrance to the Excavation Site and defeat the Esthar Soldiers you
encounter as you approach the fork in the catwalk. Make your way to the cliff at
the far side of the Site and defeat the Esthar Soldiers you encounter there.
Go to Galbadia Garden (west of the forest), locate the 2F Reception Room, and
talk to Zell. Talk to every person in the room and approach the area on the far
side of the coffee table. Head for the lower level of the Hall, find Quistis by
the Front Gate, and talk to her. Follow Quistis to the meeting place and talk to
Rinoa. Talk to Rinoa, Zell, Selphie or Quistis after the meeting.
NOTES
Tampering with the Excavation Site: Go right at the fork in the catwalk at the
entrance to the Site and climb down the ladder. Proceed along the path until you
reach an area with materials piled in the lower-right corner. Approach the pile
and pick up the Old Key. Head left until you reach an area with three hatches on
the ground. Examine the center hatch and tamper with the loose lever. Go right
and the hatch will drop open under a pursuing Esthar Soldier. Return to the
area,
examine the right hatch and attempt to tamper with the lever. Go back to the
entrance and take the left fork in the catwalk. Proceed until you reach another
ladder and climb down. Approach the area on the far side of the barrier against
the left wall, pick up the other Old Key and proceed to the area with the three
hatches. Examine the left hatch, attempt to tamper with it and return to the
entrance again. Go right at the fork and proceed to the area with the pile of
materials. Go up until you reach an area with a detonator on the ground.
Approach
it and press the red switch. The furthest boulder will roll into a hole and the
impact will knock open the left hatch. Approach the detonator again and press
the
blue switch. The nearest boulder will roll away and plug the hole, jarring the
right hatch open. Go up and proceed along the path until you reach an area with
a
boulder against the left wall. Push it out of the way to reveal a Cure Draw
Point. Solving this puzzle isn't mandatory but doing so will yield significant
rewards later in the game.
Galbadia D-District Prison
Go to the Pub and talk to Kiros. Patrol the village: Go to the opposite end of
Winhill and return to the Pub. Go upstairs and report to Raine. Go to your room
and rest.
Talk to Rinoa. After the Warden interrogates Squall, talk to Quistis and go to
Floor 8. Approach the Guards and defeat them. Defeat Biggs & Wedge and find
Squall in the torture chamber on Floor 13. Go to the arm control room and push
the red button on the main panel. Proceed through the basement and open the
door.
Zell: Head toward the down staircase. Squall's Party: Select a third party
member
and head for Floor 13. Irvine's Party: Head for Floor 3. Squall's Party: Proceed
to the exit on the top floor and defeat an Elite Soldier and two GIM52As. Head
for the structure on the opposite side of the bridge. Talk to Selphie and select
your party. Board the train to Balamb Garden.
STRATEGY
Biggs & Wedge: Both are vulnerable to a number of status effects. Consider
junctioning Drain or Zombie to ST-Atk. Begin by drawing Slow from Biggs and
casting it on both your enemies and drawing Haste from him and casting it on
your
entire party (you may also wish to draw Protect from Wedge and cast it on your
party members). Fill your stock of the magic they're carrying and mug them for
items. When you're ready, beat them down with unrelenting attacks. If you wish
to
be extra cruel, afflict both men with Zombie, draw Regen and Haste from Biggs,
and cast both on your enemies. Sit back and watch them perish without any
further
effort or be merciful and use revival items to put them out of their collective
misery. [10 AP]
NOTES
Moombas: You can make your break from Galbadia D-District Prison a bit easier by
befriending these odd creatures. Your first opportunity comes when a Moomba is
being punished for dropping a tray. Stop the Mean Guy from beating the Moomba
and
it'll follow you. When you reach Floor 13 during your search for Squall, the
Moomba will take you to the torture chamber and open the door. Inside, talk to
it
and it'll offer to make a shortcut (remove the block between the up and down
staircases) on Floor 10, 11 or 12. When you return to Floor 13 during your
escape, talk to the Moomba and it'll give you a Cottage. Your other opportunity
occurs during the Warden's interrogation of Squall. If you respond with '...Just
let me die', the Moombas will release Squall from the device and gather outside
the torture chamber. When you reach Floor 13, approach the Moomba nearest the
door and it'll let you into the chamber. Inside, talk to the Moombas and they'll
offer to make two shortcuts for you, one on Floor 2, 3 or 4 and the other on
Floor 5, 6 or 9. When you return to Floor 13 during your escape, talk to the
Moomba and it'll give you a Rename Card. If you're not the type to make friends
with animals, you'll have to manage without the shortcuts and items. You'll be
on
your own during your search for Squall and you'll find the door to the torture
chamber locked. Try to force it open then defeat a series of attacking enemies
and you'll find the key.
Prison cells: After you defeat Biggs & Wedge and the alarms go off, many of the
prison cell doors will be unlocked. During your search for Squall, consider
taking advantage of what the prison has to offer. You'll find several items and
prisoners willing to play cards with you for money (if you win, they'll give you
a random item). Floor 1: You'll find a hidden Save Point in the left cell and
COMBAT KING 001 in the right cell. Floor 2: You'll find a PET NAMETAG in the
left
cell and a STR UP in the right cell. Floor 3: You'll find a PET HOUSE in the
right cell. Floor 4: You'll find a TENT in the left cell. Floor 5: In the right
cell, you'll find a prisoner willing to play cards for 500 Gil per game. Floor
8:
In the left cell, you'll find a Man from Garden running a Shop from inside the
pokey. Floor 9: You'll find a Berserk Draw Point in the right cell. Floor 10:
You'll find a Save Point in the left cell. In the right cell, you'll find a
prisoner willing to play cards for 300 Gil per game. If you beat him, he'll
upgrade your Battle Meter to include the CHARACTER REPORT (showing kills and KOs
for each character). Floor 11: In the left cell, you'll find a prisoner willing
to play cards for 200 Gil per game. You'll find a Thundaga Draw Point in the
right cell.
ITEMS
Combat King 001: (see NOTES, Prison cells)
Fishermans Horizon
Report to the Headmaster's Office. Leave Balamb Garden via the Deck and locate
the Mayor's Residence in the middle of the city. Go upstairs and speak with
Mayor
Dobe. Head for the Residential Area outside the Station Yard and approach the
confrontation between the soldier and the Mayor. Defeat the Galbadian Soldiers,
destroy the BGH251F2, and return to Balamb Garden. Go to the Quad, find Selphie
near the stage, and talk to her. Assign instruments to Zell, Irvine, Selphie and
Quistis.
Leave your dorm room and talk to Rinoa. Talk to Irvine and head for the Festival
Grounds outside the Mayor's Residence. After the concert begins go right and
examine the magazine on the ground.
STRATEGY
BGH251F2: Use the skirmish with the Galbadian Soldiers to top up your HP and
supply of the various types of magic they carry. The BGH251F2 is a machine weak
against Thunder and Water. Junction Thunder magic or Water to Elem-Atk. Your
tactics for this battle should be very similar to those you used during your
last
encounter with the Iron Clad. The tank was severely damaged by the battle and
subsequent explosion at the Galbadia Missile Base, rendering its attacks limp at
best. Try to steal an Adamantine before you destroy it with your strongest GF
attacks. [20 AP]
NOTES
Master Fisherman: You'll be crossing an enormous crane as you head into
Fishermans Horizon. Immediately after you step off it be on the lookout for a
ladder leading to a lower level. If you climb down and proceed left through the
Factory you'll find the Master Fisherman sitting on the end of another crane.
Talk to him and he'll give you OCCULT FAN III. Talk to him again and he'll ask
you to go the docks and talk to his pupil. Find the Fisherkid casting from a
boat
near the FH Junk Shop and talk to him. Tell him you 'sort of' like fishing and
he'll demonstrate his inaptitude for angling. Talk to him again, tell him you've
seen his master, and say you were 'sort of...impressed.' Talk to him a third
time
and he'll nearly strangle the Shopkeeper with a bungled cast. Return to the
docks
after you destroy the BGH251F2 and talk to the Fisherkid one more time. He'll
cast properly at last and ask you to tell his master. Return to the Factory and
talk to the Master Fisherman. He'll ask you to meet him at the inn. Head for the
FH Hotel and go upstairs to the guestroom. After he finishes his story keep him
company a bit longer, follow him to the FH Junk Shop, and talk to the
Shopkeeper.
Talk to the Master Fisherman and he'll give you a MEGALIXIR.
Grease Monkey: After you destroy the BGH251F2, stop by the residence on the
right
side of the tracks in the Residential Area. Talk to Grease Monkey and he'll
express his admiration for your battle prowess. Grab the issue of TIMBER MANIACS
lying on the floor. After you meet up with Irvine on your way back to the
Garden,
return to Grease Monkey's residence and you'll walk in on a Galbadian Soldier
hounding Grease Monkey to fix the demolished BGH251F2. Approach the soldier and
step outside. When you go back in, you'll discover the soldier has chickened
out.
Talk to the Grease Monkey and he'll give you a MEGA PHOENIX.
ITEMS
Occult Fan III: FH Factory (see NOTES, Master Fisherman)
Quezacotl Card: Mayor Dobe (sitting upstairs in the FH Mayor's Residence)
Timber Maniacs (2): FH Residence [Grease Monkey] (see NOTES, Grease Monkey) and
FH Hotel (see NOTES, Master Fisherman)
Clash of the Gardens
Pilot the Garden to southwestern Centra (northwest of Trabia Garden) and engage
Galbadia Garden (hovering over the western forest of Lenown Plains). Give
orders,
use the lift to go down, and talk to Quistis. Select your party and head for the
Quad. Find Zell on the far side of the Quad and approach him. Talk to Rinoa and
return to the bridge. Zell's Party: Head for the extreme left side of the Quad
and find Squall near the Front Gate.
Squall's Party: Select your party, go to the Classroom, and defeat the
Paratroopers. Talk to the SeeD caring for the junior classmen and meet Dr.
Kadowaki in the Headmaster's Office. Head for the second floor, find the missing
junior classman at the far end of the 2F Hallway, and talk to him. When a
Paratrooper attacks you, examine the emergency exit and look around for another
option. Examine it again and press the button. Defeat the Paratrooper and head
for the Back Entrance to Galbadia Garden. Obtain the three Card Keys, take the
second floor elevator to the Master Room, and approach Seifer and Edea. Defeat
Seifer, head for the Auditorium, and approach the stage. Defeat Seifer & Edea.
STRATEGY
Seifer: Seifer is weak against Poison and vulnerable to Drain. Junction Bio to
Elem-Atk and Drain to ST-Atk. Seifer uses physical attacks and Fire-based magic.
Junction Fire magic to Elem-Def. Begin by drawing Haste from Seifer and casting
it on your party. Draw from his stock of magic, healing members of your party as
needed. Mug him if you wish and finish him off with strong GFs or physical
attacks. [20 AP]
Seifer & Edea: Prepare for your fight with Seifer as you did in the previous
battle. Edea is vulnerable to Sleep. Junction Sleep to ST-Atk. The Sorceress can
cast Death. Junction Death to ST-Def. Seifer's power has increased but his HP
are
lower. Deal with him as before and keep a close watch over his HP. Before you
deliver the final blow, allow everyone's ATB gauge to fill up. Decide which
character will use a GF attack and dedicate the other two to preparing for the
ensuing battle with Edea. Use the time during the GF's attack to cast Sleep with
both remaining members of your party. You'll have good chance of forcing a
killer
catnap on Edea before she even registers Seifer's defeat. Draw Alexander and
summon Carbuncle immediately. Should she wake, she'll want to use magic. If your
party has Reflect, she'll spend her time casting Dispel on your party or Reflect
on herself (allowing her to attack you by bouncing magic off herself). Cut her
off by re-casting Sleep and undoing her mischief. Stock up on magic as the
Sorceress slumbers. When you're ready, assault her with strong attack magic and
GFs. [Alexander joins your party + 50 AP]
NOTES
Finding the three Card Keys: After you enter Galbadia Garden, take the hallway
on
the right and head for the stairs on the right. Go to the second floor, head
left, and enter the dorm room on the right. Talk to the Male Student and he'll
give you Card Key 1. Return to the hallway near the Back Entrance and take the
left hallway. Unlock the door on the left and enter the Gymnasium. Head for the
far side of the hockey rink, take the door on the right, and enter the classroom
on the right. Talk to the Male Student and he'll give you Card Key 2. Exit the
classroom, unlock the door (implied) at the near end of the hallway, enter the
next hallway, and proceed to the hallway near the Back Entrance. Take the
hallway
on the right and head for the stairs on the right. Go to the third floor, unlock
the door at the top of the stairs and enter the Stand. Go to the bottom of the
steps and you'll jump down to the Athletic Track. Head left, proceed to the
Hall,
take the lower-left hallway, and enter the left classroom. Talk to the Female
Student and she'll give you Card Key 3. Return to the Hall, take the upper-left
hallway, and go up the stairs to the second floor. Head left to the Elevator
Hall
and unlock the elevator.
Cerberus: Cerberus stands basking in a beam of light in the center of the lower
level of G-Garden Hall. It's vulnerable to Drain. Junction Drain to ST-Atk.
Cerberus can use a variety of both elemental and status magic. Fortify yourself
by junctioning Life and Shell to Elem-Def and Reflect and Esuna to ST-Def.
Approach the beast to engage it in battle. Cerberus' primary threat is its
tendency to cast Triple on itself. Begin by stocking the magic carried by this
hell-hound. Never commit any more than two party members at a time to this
activity. Always leave the third member of your party with a full ATB gauge in
case Cerberus casts Triple. As soon as it does, use your character-in-waiting to
cast Dispel. When you're ready to initiate your attack, mug Cerberus and summon
your strongest GFs (excepting Quezacotl and Pandemona), again never committing
your entire party to the attack at the same time. [Cerberus joins your party +
CERBERUS CARD + 30 AP]
ITEMS
Cerberus Card: (see NOTES, Cerberus)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins
Lunatic Pandora
Go to Odine's Laboratory, talk to the Research Assistant, and ask to see the
doctor. Enter the building, proceed to the Lab, and talk to Doc Odine.
Rendezvous
with Lunatic Pandora at one of the contact points and defeat the enemies
guarding
the entrance. Make your way through Lunatic Pandora and find the Mobile Type 8.
NOTES
Boarding Lunatic Pandora: To reach the first contact point, exit Odine's
Laboratory and proceed to the intersection. Go right, proceed to the next
intersection, take the skyway on the far side of the lifter, go up the steps,
and
head left. If you don't succeed, head for the second contact point. Go right,
down the steps, and take the far end of the skyway. This is the correct area but
the contact point is at the right-most end of the lower skyway. Take the far end
of the skyway, take the far-right skyway, and go left. If you're unsuccessful
again, head for the third contact point. Go right and take the near end of the
skyway. It's to your advantage to board Lunatic Pandora as early as possible as
the difficulty of the battle at the entrance increases at each contact point
(though none of them are terribly difficult). More importantly, the contact
point
at which you board Lunatic Pandora determines the area you'll be in when you
first get inside and the areas you'll be able to explore without encountering
the
Mobile Type 8.
Finding the Mobile Type 8: If you board Lunatic Pandora at the first contact
point, you'll begin on a flight of stairs. Proceed to the hall and take Elevator
03. Head for the bottom of the steps in the near-right corner and climb down the
ladder. If you tampered with the Centra Excavation Site as Laguna (see GALBADIA
GARDEN), you'll finally be able to claim your reward. If you found the Old Keys
examine the room to the right of the ladder and you'll find a LuvLuv G. If you
used the detonator to move the boulders you'll be able to proceed left until you
reach the area with the 3 hatches. If you opened all of the hatches you'll be
able to examine each room and find (right to left) a Power Generator, a Silence
Draw Point and a Phoenix Pinion. Continue left and you'll see Combat King 005
lying on the ground.
If you found the Old Keys you'll be able to enter the far room and draw Ultima.
Return to the hall and take Elevator 01. If you pushed the boulder out of the
way
you'll be able to examine the opening on the left side of the path and find a
Spd-
J Scroll. Proceed along the path and you'll pass a Save Point. Take the far path
and you'll find the Mobile Type 8. If you board Lunatic Pandora at the second
contact point you'll begin at the end of a long corridor. Proceed along the
corridor and you'll end up near the steps outside Elevator 03. You'll be able to
access everything in the area beyond the foot of the steps, but as soon as you
reach the hall you'll encounter the Mobile Type 8 before you can draw Curaga,
Meteor and Holy, claim the Spd-J Scroll, and use the Save Point. If you board
Lunatic Pandora at the third contact point, you'll begin at the end of a
different corridor. Proceed along the corridor and you'll end up in the area
with
the Save Point. You'll be able to get the Spd-J Scroll if you take the near
path,
but you'll run into the Mobile Type 8 if you take the far path or proceed to the
hall. Don't worry, no matter where you board Lunatic Pandora you'll get a second
chance to find everything a bit later in the game.
ITEMS
Combat King 005: Lunatic Pandora (see NOTES, Finding the Mobile Type 8)
The Future
Touch the Save Point, take the far doors, and defeat the nameless "Sorceress".
Head for the backyard and make your way through the Wilderness to Ultimecia
Castle.
STRATEGY
"Sorceress": During this battle you'll be attacked by a long series of
Sorceresses. All but the last will be vulnerable to Death. Junction Death to ST-
Atk (only on characters junctioned with the Mug ability if you intend to steal
from the Sorceresses). Immediately cast Sleep on the first Sorceress and begin
topping up your supply of the magic she carries. Before long another Sorceress
of
the same type will appear. Dispatch her promptly and do the same for each
Sorceress of this sort as she arrives. Eventually a new type of Sorceress will
join the battle. Put her to sleep and return to stocking magic. When you've
finished with both snoozing sisters cut them down and continue the death spree
until you reach the final showdown. This last type of Sorceress uses strong
attacks targeting the entire party and will respond to every affront (including
Draw) with a very strong counterattack. Be prepared by keeping your party's HP
relatively high. Begin by stocking the powerful magic she carries. Unfortunately
she won't succumb to Sleep so plan on taking frequent breaks to heal your party.
At some point she'll begin preparing to cast Ultima. During the countdown you'll
enjoy a period free from counterattacks. Check your HP and use this time to
complete the task of stocking or dish out as much damage as possible. [55 AP]
NOTES
Portals: As you climb the chain to Ultimecia Castle you'll pass an area with
three stone portals off to the left. Each doorway leads to a different part of
the world. The near portal will take you to Wilburn Hill in western Galbadia,
the
middle portal will take you to Serengetti Plains in eastern Centra, and the far
portal will take you to a beach on the southeastern edge of Grandidi Forest in
Esthar. Face one of the portals and press [X] to leap across the chasm. Before
you head for the castle consider taking this last opportunity to explore the
world and level up (e.g. on the Island Closest to Hell), gain AP (e.g. on
Cactuar
Island), track down the items you need to upgrade your weapons, flesh out your
magic stock, and complete some of the optional quests you may have passed on
earlier. You'll be blocked from entering cities and towns sealed by an
impenetrable barrier but you'll still have access to certain locations.
Ragnarok: The good news is your trusty ship still exists in the future, which
will make your travels there much more convenient. The bad news is you must make
quite a pilgrimage to retrieve it. Begin by taking the middle portal outside the
castle. Head for Nectar Peninsula to the north, traveling along the eastern
coast, and enter the Chocobo Forest on the other side of the mountains. Ride a
Chocobo south to the beach southwest of Centra Ruins and west across the
shallows
to reach the beach on the north coast of Centra's southern island. Head east
through Lenown Plains and Lolestern Plains to the Talle Mountains in Esthar.
Head
northeast through the narrow gap in the mountain range and proceed to Kashkabald
Desert. Head northwest across the dunes and you'll find it parked near the
coast.
Enter the portal nearby to return to the castle and establish a permanent link
to
this location. If you completed the CC Group Quest you'll find the group's
members eager for a game of cards in various parts of the ship.
Queen of Cards: Somehow she made it through the time compression. You'll find
her
standing at the Lunar Base Escape Pod crash site near the southern tip of the
eastern peninsula of Abadan Plains in Esthar (as it's not visible from the World
Map you must comb the area to find it). She'll play with whatever rules she
desires and will be an incredibly formidable opponent but you'll want to
challenge her if you're determined to obtain every card in the game.
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins, Obel Lake, UFO?, Cactuar Island,
Deep Sea Research Center
Optional Quests
The main plot-line of "FINAL FANTASY VIII" will take you to every continent but
it holds only a fraction of what the game has to offer. Taking the time to
explore some of the world's most out-of-the-way locations will be the only way
to
experience the full drama of the story and find the most powerful items and
Guardian Forces. For each Optional Quest you'll find a list of what that episode
has to offer, a detailed walk-through, and complete strategies for defeating the
Bosses you may encounter.
Dollet
Geezard Card (5)
Red Bat Card (4)
Buel Card (3)
Anacondaur Card (2)
Cactuar Card
Siren Card
Occult Fan II
Timber Maniacs (2)
[Potion + Phoenix Down + Soft] OR
[X-Potion + Mega-Potion + Elixir]
Since you were a little preoccupied during your initial visit to Dollet, you may
want to take the time to return to the town at some point and pick up the
considerable cache of items waiting there. Begin as any reasonable teenager
would
by heading straight for the pub. Go upstairs and find the Pub Owner standing at
the far end of the blackjack table in the near-left corner. Defeat him in a game
of cards and he'll show you outside and across the walkway to his private room.
Talk to him and he'll reward your victory by giving you five GEEZARD CARDS, four
RED BAT CARDS, three BUEL CARDS, two ANACONDAUR CARDS and a CACTUAR CARD.
Continue playing cards with him until you win the SIREN CARD (unless you managed
to win it in the first game). Before you head out, make sure you examine the
stack of reading material nearest the exit. Each time you enter the room, you'll
be able to find three random items hidden among the magazines. Leave and
re-enter
as necessary until you find the copy of OCCULT FAN II. On your way through the
pub, grab the issue of TIMBER MANIACS lying on the table where you first met the
Pub Owner.
Head down the street toward Lapin Beach and you'll notice a boy and a dog
standing outside one of the residences. Approach the boy and he'll go inside.
Follow him in and you'll discover he's been wreaking mischief on one of his
grandpa's paintings. Follow the painter to the beach and talk to him and the
girl
kneeling beside him. You'll learn the boy's doodles show 'the secret hiding
place
of a doggie.' Return to the painter's residence and examine the painting. Go to
the part of town indicated by the white bone and you'll find the dog nearby.
Examine the dog and you'll find a POTION. Go back to the painter's residence and
you'll discover the boy has vandalized another painting. Examine it and track
down the dog again. This time you'll find a PHOENIX DOWN. Repeat the process
once
more and you'll find a SOFT. (NOTE: If you postpone completing this part of the
quest until after you've defeated Edea a second time, you'll find significantly
better items: an X-POTION, a MEGA-POTION and an ELIXIR.)
On your way out of town, stop by the Dollet Hotel and spend the night. In the
morning, you'll find an issue of TIMBER MANIACS lying on the table on the right
side of the guestroom.
Deling City
Rinoa Card
After the failed assassination attempt against Edea, return to Deling City and
head for Caraway's Mansion. Rinoa's father may not have endeared himself to you
during your initial association with him, but since being dismissed of his
duties
for his role in the botched coup d'etat he's developed an almost helpful
attitude. You'll find him leaning against his desk on the right side of the
room.
Talk to him and ask him about cards. He'll tell you he has his daughter's card
and he'll consider playing it if you give him your Ifrit Card. Challenge him and
select your four weakest cards and the Ifrit Card. Lose the game intentionally
and he'll gratefully claim the card he's after. Challenge him again until you
win
the RINOA CARD.
Ask General Caraway about cards again and he'll tell you he lost the Ifrit Card
to Martine, the former Master of Galbadia Garden. Open the Menu Screen, select
Card, and move the cursor to the grayed Ifrit Card. Look in the lower-right
corner and you'll discover the card's location, the Sun Panel in Fishermans
Horizon. Travel to FH (via either Balamb Garden or the Ragnarok) and find
Martine
sulking in the area to the right of the Mayor's Residence. Challenge him to win
back your Ifrit Card.
Timber
Timber Maniacs
After Balamb Garden has been repaired at Fishermans Horizon, you'll be able to
travel to Timber and collect the issue of Timber Maniacs that eluded you during
your mission at the Timber TV Station due to the Galbadian presence in the
Timber
Hotel. Head for the train tracks near the Dollet Train Station and you'll
encounter the two kids that were plotting a train-dodge during your last visit
to
Timber. To their great panic, the little girl has stumbled on the tracks and is
in need of help. Rescue her from the incoming train and you'll be rewarded with
a
free stay in the Hotel. You'll see the issue of TIMBER MANIACS on the table in
the lower-right corner of the guestroom.
Winhill Village
Gysahl Greens
Phoenix Pinion
Holy Stone
Winhill Village is located on the Galbadia continent south of D-District Prison.
Something's amiss in the Mansion at the far end of the village. Talk to the man
standing on the staircase and he'll tell you his precious vase is missing.
Examine the suit of armor on the left side of the main floor and walk away. A
Chicobo will burst out of it and drop a piece of the broken vase. Pick up the
Vase Piece and give it to the man. He'll ask you to let him know if you find any
more pieces. Head for the Pub, go upstairs, and talk to the woman twice. Go
downstairs and examine the white flowers on the table in the near-right corner.
Talk to Raine's ghost and a cat will appear in her place; examine the cat to
find
another Vase Piece. Go to the old woman's residence in the neighboring part of
the village, examine the flowers in the near-right corner, and tell the old
woman
you like flowers. Examine them again to find another Vase Piece and head for the
Chocobo Crossing in the middle of the village. Kick the Chicobo as it scurries
past and it'll drop the last Vase Piece. Punt the Chicobo two more times and
it'll drop GYSAHL GREENS and a PHOENIX PINION. Return to the Mansion and give
the
Vase Pieces to the man on the staircase. In thanks he'll give you a HOLY STONE.
Shumi Village
Timber Maniacs
Phoenix Pinion
Status Guard
Shumi Village lies deep beneath the frozen earth of northwestern Trabia. Travel
to eastern Winter Island, locate and enter the Mystery Dome, and take the
elevator down to the village entrance. Go to Sculptor's Residence at the far end
of the village and head for the workshop at the back. You'll find the Shumi
working on a statue of Laguna and Sculptor will insist you speak with the Elder;
go to the Elder's Residence in the middle of the village. After the Elder
finishes telling you about Laguna, attempt to exit and he'll ask you to assist
his attendants in the workshop. Go to the workshop and talk to Sculptor. He'll
ask you to get five kinds of stone to help him finish the statue. Blue stone:
Examine the large stone on the floor against the wall on the left side of the
workshop. Wind stone: Examine the stone on the far side of the path left of the
Hotel. Return to the workshop and talk to Sculptor. Life stone: Climb the roots
of the tree on the rock face right of the Elder's house to retrieve the stone,
return to the workshop, and talk to Sculptor. Shadow stone: Take the elevator to
the surface and examine the overlapping shadows near the right side of the foot
of the steps. Return to the workshop and talk to Sculptor. Water stone: Go to
Artisan's Residence next door and examine the left corner of the far room. Grab
the issue of TIMBER MANIACS on Artisan's bed, return to the workshop, and talk
to
Sculptor. Go to the Elder's Residence and you'll receive the Elder's gift. As
you
exit, the Elder's Attendant will give you a PHOENIX PINION.
Take the elevator to the surface and return to the workshop. The Elder's
Attendant has been assigned to help Sculptor complete the statue of Laguna. Talk
to Attendant and you'll discover he's less than enthusiastic about the task. Go
to the Elder's Residence and talk to the Elder. Talk to the Moomba outside and
follow it to the workshop. Once the Attendant has agreed to work, return to the
Elder's Residence and talk to the Elder. Go to the workshop and talk to
Attendant. He'll suggest another craftsman is needed. Go to Artisan's Residence
and talk to Artisan five times. He'll tell you about a group of artisans he
admires and show you examples of his work, but he'll refuse to help. Head for
the
surface and go to the Grease Monkey's Residence in Fishermans Horizon. Talk to
the Grease Monkey and he'll give you Artisan's Moomba doll. Return to Artisan's
Residence in Shumi Village and the doll will deliver a message from the Grease
Monkey. Go to the Elder's Residence and talk to the Elder. He'll reward you with
a STATUS GUARD.
Chocobo Forests
Boko [Chocobo's World]
Aura Stone
Flare Stone (2)
Shell Stone
Holy Stone (2)
Protect Stone
Meteor Stone (3)
Ultima Stone (2)
Chicobo Card
Those already familiar with the FINAL FANTASY series will recognize the world's
most lovable mode of transportation. Chocobos are bird-like creatures you can
use
to ride from one place to another quickly and free of hassling random
encounters.
To catch one, you must seek them out in their native habitat, the Chocobo
Forests. You'll identify them by their peculiar dome shape.
When you enter one of the Chocobo Forests, you'll be greeted by the mysterious
Master Chocobo Catcher, Chocoboy. For a price, he'll teach you how to catch a
Chocobo for your own personal use. To begin with, you'll need a ChocoWhis.
Chocoboy will give you one for free but will charge you 1000 Gil to hear his
lecture on how to use it. There are two types of whistles, ChocoSonar and
ChocoZiner. ChocoSonar reacts to the presence of Chicobos. Press [S] to select
this whistle and hold [T] while walking around to track Chicobos. Single quiet
pings mean they're not around and sets of three louder pings tell you one is
nearby. ChocoZiner calls them down from the trees. Press [S] to select this
whistle and press [T] to sound it. (NOTE: If you sound the ChocoZiner where
there
are no Chicobos, your whistle will be stolen and you'll have to pay Chocoboy 700
Gil for another one.) Your objective will be to catch a Chicobo when there's
only
one on the ground. Doing so will bring the worried mother Chocobo out of hiding
where you can catch her and ride her out of the forest.
There are seven Chocobo Forests in the world and there are puzzles in six of
them. As you attempt to solve each puzzle, you may want to talk to Chocoboy and
buy a hint for 100 Gil. You'll also have the option to purchase Gysahl Greens at
600 Gil apiece or ask a question for 10 Gil. When you've successfully summoned
your first Chocobo, talk to Chocoboy before you catch her and he'll let it slip
there may be something you haven't found yet. Use the ChocoSonar to find a
secret
hiding place. Sound the ChocoZiner and the Chocobo will dig in that location and
reward you for mastering the forest. Talk to Chocoboy and he'll tell you the
items are a sign of affection for those the Chocobos of that forest regard as
one
of their own. Each time your return, you'll find the Chocobo waiting for you in
the open. To celebrate your first catch, Chocoboy will give you BOKO as a
present. In the future, you'll be able to summon Boko during battle using Gysahl
Greens and the Chicobo will attack your enemies.
CHOCOBO WORLD: Chocobo World is a self-contained game designed for use with the
PocketStation. Save your game to a PocketStation unit and Boko can take part in
a
journey of its very own. Boko will grow in strength as it gains experience and
can find exclusive Chocobo World items you can bring back into "FINAL FANTASY
VIII". Unfortunately, as the PocketStation is unavailable to PlayStation owners
in the US, Chocobo World can only be enjoyed by users of the PC version, where
it's included as a stand-alone application.
'THE BEGINNER'S FOREST' [Chocobo's Forest: Beginner]
LOCATION: Trabia, Winter Island (just south of Shumi Village)
HINT: "Try to find a spot where only 1 falls down."
There are four Chicobos in this forest. The spot Chocoboy refers to in his clue
is in the far-left corner of the clearing. Use the ChocoZiner in this location
and a lone Chicobo will fall down. Catch it and the mother will appear. Use the
ChocoSonar in the far right corner of the clearing to find the hidden location
of
an AURA STONE.
'THE BASICS FOREST' [Chocobo's Forest: Beginner]
LOCATION: Trabia, Sorbald Snowfield (west of Trabia Garden)
HINT: "You have to blow the whistle twice."
There are five Chicobos in this forest. You'll detect Chicobos in a large area
in
the center of the clearing. Stand in the center of that area and sound the
ChocoZiner to make three Chicobos fall. Stand over either of the two nearest
Chicobos and sound the ChocoZiner to send two of them back into the trees. Catch
the remaining Chicobo and the mother will appear. Use the ChocoSonar on the left
edge of the clearing to find the hidden location of a FLARE STONE.
'THE ROAMING FOREST' [Chocobo's Forest: Intermediate]
LOCATION: Trabia, Bika Snowfield (just north of Trabia Garden)
HINT: "Be careful where the Sonar reacts."
There are four Chicobos in this forest, two of them will be already on the
ground. Begin by standing over either of them and sounding the ChocoZiner to
send
them both into the trees. Head for the exit and use the ChocoSonar to detect the
Chicobo location to the right of the fallen tree. Sound the ChocoZiner to make a
single Chicobo fall and catch it to make the mother appear. Use the ChocoSonar
at
the far snow bank, directly behind the mother Chocobo to find the hidden
location
of a SHELL STONE and a HOLY STONE.
'FOREST OF SOLITUDE' [Chocobo's Forest: Intermediate]
LOCATION: Centra, Nectar Peninsula (north of Centra Ruins)
HINT: "Search carefully where the Sonar reacts."
There's only one Chicobo in this forest but you'll have to pinpoint its exact
location to bring it down. Use the ChocoSonar to explore the area just to the
left of and behind Chocoboy. Stand in the light patch of grass so that your feet
appear to be just higher than Chocoboy's right hand. When you find it, use the
ChocoZiner to summon the solo Chicobo and catch it to make the mother appear.
Finding the hidden items will be just as difficult. Challenge Chocoboy to a game
of cards and ask him to move. Use the ChocoSonar in the spot where he was
standing to find the hidden location of a PROTECT STONE and a METEOR STONE.
'FOREST OF FUN' [Chocobo's Forest: Expert]
LOCATION: Centra, Lenown Plains (east of Edea's House)
HINT: "Chocobowling with 4 bottles, 1 ball."
There are five Chicobos in this forest. You'll detect three major Chicobo
locations in the clearing. Find the nearest one and use the ChocoZiner to make
three Chicobos fall down. Stand over the far-left Chicobo and sound the
ChocoZiner to make a fourth Chicobo descend. Use the ChocoSonar to find the
Chicobo to the left of Chocoboy and sound the ChocoZiner to make the last
Chicobo
appear. If you stand over it and use the ChocoZiner again, the Chicobo will walk
into place and bowl the others back into the trees. Catch it and the mother will
appear. Use the ChocoSonar in the far right corner of the clearing to find the
hidden location of a METEOR STONE, a FLARE STONE and an ULTIMA STONE.
'THE ENCLOSED FOREST' [Chocobo's Forest: Expert]
LOCATION: Esthar, Talle Mountains
HINT: "Collect on outer side, then go in."
There are five Chicobos in this forest. There are six distinct Chicobo
locations:
(1) on the path in front of Chocoboy, (2) to the right of the rock behind him,
(3) in the far-left corner of the clearing, (4) on the near side of the rock at
the far side of the clearing, (5) to the left of the rock on the right side of
the clearing, and (6) in the center of the clearing. Begin by sounding the
ChocoZiner at [1 or 2 THEN 3] or [3 or 5 THEN 1 or 2] to get two Chicobos on the
left side of the clearing. Sound at [4 THEN 5] to get the remaining two 'outer'
Chicobos to fall. Sound at [6] to send them all into the trees and a single
Chicobo will drop to the center of the clearing. Catch it and the mother will
appear. Use the ChocoSonar in the far right corner of the clearing to find the
hidden location of a METEOR STONE, a HOLY STONE and an ULTIMA STONE.
CHOCOBO'S HOLY FOREST
Chocobo's Holy Forest is so sacred and remote it can only be reached by Chocobo.
Catch a Chocobo in the Roaming Forest near Trabia Garden, ride it southeast
across Bika Snowfield to Heath Peninsula, and head south across the shallows
until you arrive at the beach on the west coast of Grandidi Forest in Esthar.
Make your way through the narrow valley and head northeast through the forest to
find it (be careful, it's very easy to get lost). Visit this forest when you've
mastered all six Chocobo Forests and the mother Chocobos will treat you to a
celebratory dance. After the ritual, talk to the Chicobo and it'll give you the
CHICOBO CARD. On your way out, talk to Chocoboy and ask for one last 'Help Me'.
The master Chocobo catcher will summon a Chocobo for you to ride out of the
forest and bid you a permanent farewell. (NOTE: From this point forward, you'll
need to return here if you want Gysahl Greens. Each time you enter the Holy
Forest you can talk to the Chicobo and it'll give you one for 600 Gil.)
Centra Ruins
Odin [GF]
Odin Card
Tonberry [GF]
Travel to the crater in Centra and you'll find an odd structure, known as the
Centra Ruins, jutting out of the landscape in the vicinity of the Yorn
Mountains.
Enter the site and head for the tower. You'll be addressed by a voice
identifying
itself as Odin, the legendary GF. Odin will challenge you to climb his tower and
defeat him within 20 minutes. If you wish to accept his invitation, proceed
through the ruins and enter the tower's first chamber. Stand on the stone and
it'll levitate, carrying you to the next level. Climb the stone ladder on the
left and enter another chamber. Throw the switch, exit the chamber, and climb
down the ladder. Examine the glowing device to eject the set of steps on the
right. Head for the top of the steps and climb the ladder on the left. Examine
the statue and take out its left eye. Climb back down the ladder and go up the
steps on the right. Head left, climb the ladder to reach the top of the dome,
and
examine the statue. When you insert the left eye, you'll be given a five-digit
code. Take out both eyes, return to the other statue, and insert the eyes. Enter
the code and the door below will open. Climb down the ladder and enter the room
to challenge Odin.
ODIN
Strangely, Odin will not attack you. The GF will simply stand there, daring you
to defeat him before the time limit expires. If you fail to do so, Odin will use
his sword, Zantetsuken, to cut your entire party in half and end your game.
Begin
by casting Scan to determine Odin's HP. Attack him with everything in your
arsenal to bring him to within a single blow of defeat. Use the time remaining
to
mug Odin and stock the valuable magic carried by the GF. When you're fully
loaded
or when time runs short, launch your final assault and the GF will concede
defeat
[ODIN joins your party + ODIN CARD + 20 AP]
On your way out of the ruins, you may wish to take the opportunity to acquire
another GF. It's highly likely you encountered an odd-looking creature called a
Tonberry on your way to the tower's first chamber. If you slay enough of them
(expect to exterminate at least twenty), their King will appear to seek
vengeance. Defeat the Tonberry King and the Tonberry GF will join your party. As
simple as it seems, this will be no mean task. Though slow and meek-seeming,
Tonberries have extremely high HP and can be very deadly.
At the beginning of each battle, a lone Tonberry will stand at a distance from
your party and slowly plod toward you. When it comes close enough, it'll begin
using its very strong Chef's Knife attack. Tonberries also have an absolutely
fierce counterattack called Everyone's Grudge. Recommended Party: Rinoa, Squall
and any other character. Recommended Setup: Begin with Rinoa's HP in Limit Break
territory. As foolish as this may seem, Tonberries are extremely hesitant if at
all willing to counterattack Angelo. Rinoa's only task will be using her Combine
Limit Break. Maintain Squall and your third party member at full-strength at all
times. The third character will serve as the designated medic. Make sure he/she
has a healthy stock of strong curative magic and/or access to fully-curative
items (junction the Recover ability if possible).
Begin each battle by attacking with Rinoa's Limit Break and the strongest attack
Squall and your third character have. If Squall or your third party member is
hit
with Everyone's Grudge, there's a good chance they'll be within Limit Break
range. When this happens, wait for both ATB gauges to fill and skip to the
healthy character. Initiate the curing process and quickly activate the other
character's Limit Break while the healing takes effect. (NOTE: Always, ALWAYS
wait until the animation begins before confirming your Limit Break. This quest
is
exhausting and you're likely to grow impatient. Maintain discipline and you
won't
get knocked out.)
Continue in this fashion until the Tonberry falls. Whenever the Tonberry gets
close enough to use Chef's Knife, Rinoa will be in grave danger. Restore her HP
immediately and finish the fight. At the beginning of the next battle, have
Rinoa
employ physical attacks to goad the Tonberry into Grudging her back within Limit
Break range. When you've finally vanquished enough Tonberries to raise the
Tonberry King's ire, Its Regalness will appear in place of the last fallen
Tonberry. You'll feel a rush of relief followed by a lump of anxiety as you
realize failing to defeat the King will mean having to start all over again.
TONBERRY KING
The battle with the Tonberry King will resemble every other Tonberry skirmish in
most ways. The difference being the King's greater diversity of attacks and a
weighty increase in maximum HP. Follow the same basic strategy with one major
difference: Rinoa will no longer be safe hovering in Limit Break land. You'll
have to keep her HP topped up with the others and use her strongest attacks.
This
battle could take a long time, but as long as you play it safe you should be
victorious. [TONBERRY joins your party + 20 AP]
CC Group
GF Report
Leviathan Card
Carbuncle Card
Gilgamesh Card
After you defeat Edea for the second time, you'll be able to seek out and play
cards against members of the CC Group, a secret clique of card lovers who seek
out and challenge worthy opponents. When you win enough games at the Garden to
earn a reputation as the man to beat, the lowest-ranking member of the Group
will
accept your challenge. Each time you defeat a member of the CC Group, you'll be
able to challenge the next-highest-ranking member.
Listed below you'll find the code-name of each CC Group Member followed by
information regarding the card-player's location and any one-of-a-kind cards
that
member holds.
Jack: Hall (You'll find him walking around near the Directory.)
Joker (Card Magician): Training Center (You'll find him standing on a small pier
in the area beyond the right paddock gate. Defeat him and he'll upgrade your
Battle Meter to include the GF REPORT, showing information regarding kills and
KOs for each GF. Also has the LEVIATHAN CARD.)
Club (Card Knight): Hall (You'll find him walking around in the far quadrant.)
Spade (Card Prince): 2F Hallway (You'll find him standing on the right side of
another person near the elevator.)
Diamond (Card Princess): Hall (You'll find them talking to each other next to
the
Directory.)
Heart (Card Queen): Headmaster's Office (You'll find her standing on the bridge
to the right of Nida. She has the CARBUNCLE CARD.)
King (Card Master): Dormitory Single (After you defeat Heart, head for the
Infirmary and challenge Dr. Kadowaki. She'll tell you she used to be the King
until her title was passed to another. She suggests you'll soon encounter the
current King. Go to your dorm room and go to sleep. King will challenge you in
the middle of the night. She has the GILGAMESH CARD.)
Balamb
Combat King 003
After you defeat Edea for the second time make sure Zell is in your party and
head for Balamb. Talk to the young woman standing near the gate and she'll tell
you a girl from Garden came by Zell's house the other day. Go to The Dincht's
and
Zell will ask his mother about it. Ma Dincht will tell you she hasn't seen the
girl. Go to the Hotel and pay 100 Gil to stay. When you wake up, you'll discover
Zell is missing. Head downstairs and you'll overhear Zell talking to the Library
Girl with a Pigtail. During the conversation she'll give Zell a copy of COMBAT
KING 003.
(If you didn't obtain the Pandemona Card from the Hotel Owner's daughter during
the Galbadian occupation of Balamb you can win it from the Hotel Owner himself.
He's standing in the Town Square just outside the Hotel.)
Obel Lake
Luck-J Scroll
Three Stars
If you've been obnoxiously thorough in your examination of the landscape you may
have come across a few cryptic carvings on various objects in disparate parts of
the world. The answers to your burning questions lie waiting in the serenity of
Obel Lake located in Timber north of the city. Examine the farthest edge of the
earthen pier jutting into the lake from the east and you'll be presented with
two
options: 'Throw a rock' or 'Try humming.' Hum and a black shadow will rise to
the
surface. Hum again and you'll befriend the benevolent Black Shadow of Obel Lake.
Talk to the creature and it will ask you to find its friend, Mr. Monkey.
Continue
to talk to it and it will give you two clues: 'Mr. Monkey should be in a forest
somewhere' and 'perhaps he took a train towards Dollet.' Head for the northern
part of Hasberry Plains in Dollet and walk around in the forest until you spot
the monkey. No matter what you do the monkey will bark 'You suck!' and disappear
into the forest. Return to Obel Lake and relay to Black Shadow the whereabouts
of
the contemptible little simian. The shadow will thank you and, each subsequent
time you talk to it, will give you a random clue about the location of one of
several objects of interest potentially leading to hidden rewards.
'Take a break at the railroad bridge.' This most likely refers to the two Draw
Points located on railroad bridges in the area. You'll find a Fire Draw Point on
the bridge north of East Academy Station on the train line between Timber and
Dollet. You'll also find an Aero Draw Point on the eastern bridge on the direct
line between Timber and Deling City.
'Take some time off at Eldbeak Peninsula.' Travel to the peninsula, located
northeast of Obel Lake on the west coast of Trabia, and examine its farthest
tip.
You'll find a stone pillar with the inscription [TRETIMEASUREAT MINOFFDEISLE].
Per Black Shadow's suggestion remove the words 'time' and 'off' and you'll be
left with the message: 'Treasure at Minde Isle.' Pilot the Ragnarok to Minde
Island, located in southern Esthar in the channel between Abadan Plains and
Kashkabald Desert. Examine the area just southeast of the center of the island
and you'll find a LUCK-J SCROLL.
'At the beach in Balamb, something special washes ashore at times.' Travel to
Balamb and explore the beach on the south coast. Keep examining the rocks until
you find the one with the carving [S T S L R M].
'You'll find something on an island east of Timber, too.' Travel to Mandy Beach
southeast of the lake and explore the eastern end of the long narrow island
north
of the Horizon Bridge. You'll find a rock with the carving [R E A I D R].
'There's also something on top of a mountain with a lake and a cavern.' Pilot
the
Ragnarok to Monterosa Plateau west of the lake and set down on the highlands
north of the train tracks running directly between Timber and Deling City.
Examine the edge of the cliff immediately above the cavern from which the river
flows and you'll find a bird warming and egg. Check it out and the birds will
attack you. Defeat them and you'll discover the egg is in fact a rock with the
carving [E A S N P D]. If you're more a pacifist you may want to leave the egg
alone, wander around for a bit, and examine the area again a little while later.
Eventually the bird will go to look for food allowing you to pick up the rock
without resorting to violence.
'Mr. Monkey had a rock like this I think...' Black Shadow will give you this
clue
if you talk to it after you've found at least one of the three rocks above.
Before you head for Hasberry Plains to hunt for the monkey try throwing a few
rocks into Obel Lake. He won't even give you the time of day unless you're an
accomplished stone-skipper. Throw rocks until one skips 'many many times' (this
occurs randomly) and head for the Mr. Monkey's forest. Find him and throw rocks
at him until he throws one back at you and runs away. Mr. Monkey's rock bears
the
carving [U R H A E O].
After obtaining all four rocks return to Obel Lake and talk to Black Shadow
until
it notices your discovery. The shadow will arrange the rocks in the proper order
and you'll be able to decipher their meaning (reading from top to bottom, left
to
right): 'Mordred Plains has treasure.' Pilot the Ragnarok to northern Esthar and
set down in the center of the valley between the Nortes Mountains and the Vienne
Mountains of Trabia. Examine the ground and you'll find 'The Liar Rocks'. As you
search the plains the multicolored rocks will talk to you. The blue-faced rock
doesn't know where the treasure is but it'll give you random clues about how to
interpret the other rocks. The red-faced rock will tell you the opposite of what
you need to know and with this in mind you'll be led directly to the treasure.
When it says 'The treasure's not here!' you've found it. Examine the same spot
again and you'll find THREE STARS.
'Back in the day, south of here, there used to be a small but beautiful village
surrounded by deep forests. Everyone lived a happy life there.' This most likely
refers to an area surrounded by the eastern forests of Lenown Plains in the
Almaj
Mountains of southern Centra. Travel to the area and explore the center of the
conspicuous clearing in the midst of the forests. You'll find rubble lying among
the grass but nothing more.
UFO?
Aegis Amulet
Accelerator OR PuPu Card
If you've been an avid reader of Occult Fan Magazine you've probably heard about
the mysterious Unidentified Flying Object. You may already be a believer if
you've had any close encounters of your own during your travels. Whether you
have
an appetite for the unexplained or just an appetite for rare items solving this
mystery should prove worth your while. Begin by tracking the UFO in each of the
following four locations in any order:
Mandy Beach: Travel to Timber and explore the beach east of the city. You'll
spot
the UFO abducting a moai statue.
Winhill Bluffs: Travel to Winhill in the southern region of the Galbadia
continent and explore the area southeast of the village and west of the rocky
path where Winhill Bluffs meets Lallapalooza Canyon. You'll spot the UFO
abducting a cow.
Kashkabald Desert: Travel to Kashkabald Desert in southern Esthar and explore
the
western part of the desert. You'll spot the UFO abducting a pyramid.
Heath Peninsula: Travel to Heath Peninsula in eastern Trabia and explore the
small island east of the peninsula. You'll spot the UFO abducting a crop circle.
After you've made all four sightings pilot the Ragnarok to Grandidi Forest in
northern Esthar and set down on the highlands just north of Chocobo's Holy
Forest. Explore the area and you'll encounter the UFO up close. Unfortunately
you
must destroy that which you do not understand. Any attack will do, the UFO won't
fight back, but you may want to take the opportunity to stock up on Demi first.
When the damage is done the crippled craft will fly off and crash in the
distance. You'll be rewarded for your heroism with an AEGIS AMULET.
If you're still curious about the extra-terrestrial visitor you'll have to
travel
to Balamb to find it. Explore the area near the crater where Balamb Garden used
to rest and you'll encounter PuPu. There are two ways to deal with the creature:
if you're bona fide blood-thirsty you can butcher the defenseless and decidedly
cute little alien for an ACCELERATOR. If atonement is on your mind you may
recall
from reading Occult Fan IV the UFO was searching for Status Full Recovery
Medicine. To offer amends make sure you have the Item ability junctioned to at
least one member of your party and five Elixirs in your inventory before you
engage PuPu. At the beginning of the battle the alien will ask for Elixir. Grant
PuPu's request and the doe-eyed Oliver Twist will ask for more. Continue giving
the creature Elixir and, when adequate health care has been delivered, PuPu will
thank you by giving you the PUPU CARD. In either scenario you may want to take
the opportunity to stock up on magic before administering PuPu's fate.
Queen of Cards
Kiros Card
Irvine Card
Chubby Chocobo Card
Doomtrain Card
Phoenix Card
If you've developed a positively burning passion for acquiring every card in the
game, you'll need to deal with the Queen of Cards sooner or later. Initially,
you'll find her standing on the right side of the steps to the train station in
Balamb. She'll remain glued to this spot until you lose one of your high-level
cards (Level 8 and higher) to her in a game of Triple Triad. If you talk to her
afterward, she'll tell you she's bored of this region and will be heading for
another part of the world. This is her idiom and she'll behave in this manner
every time you win or lose a high-level card from/to her. Pursue her around the
world until she decides to go to Dollet. This is her hometown and when you talk
to her in the Dollet Pub, you'll have the option of asking her about her father.
She'll tell you he's an artist and a creator of cards. She'll mention a card she
wants to give to him so he can create a new card. Lose the requested card to her
and she'll do just that. The new card will show up in the hands of a card player
somewhere in the world. To reclaim the cards she requests from you, you'll have
to go to her father's residence (located down the street from the Pub toward
Lapin Beach). The painter's grandson will have custody of the cards. Challenge
him to win them back.
Listed below you'll find the name of each card the Queen of Cards will request
followed by the card her father will create and details about how to find the
player with the new card.
[MiniMog = Kiros]/Deling City (a man in black, standing in the middle of the
sidewalk on the left side of the street in the Mall)
[Sacred = Irvine] /Fishermans Horizon (Mayor Dobe's wife, Flo, sitting on the
second floor of the Mayor's Residence)
[Chicobo = Chubby Chocobo]/Balamb Garden (a student, sitting in the Hall outside
the Library with his arms crossed)
[Alexander = Doomtrain]/Timber (the Bartender, standing at the bar in the far-
right corner)
[Doomtrain = Phoenix]/Esthar (the Presidential Aide, standing inside the room at
the Presidential Palace where you left Rinoa during your initial visit)
Cactuar Island
Cactuar [GF]
Cactuar Island is the tiny oasis of sand located east of Kashkabald Desert in
southern Esthar. You'll know you're on the right island if you see a green
cactoid figure roaming the dunes. Land the Ragnarok on the island and prepare
for
battle. Catch the Jumbo Cactuar to engage it in battle.
JUMBO CACTUAR
[Preparation] Jumbo Cactuar is weak against Water and vulnerable to Slow.
Junction Water to Elem-Atk and Slow to ST-Atk. Junction magic and stat
multipliers prioritizing strength and speed. Jumbo Cactuar has an indefensible
counterattack called 10,000 Needles. As its name suggests, it inflicts 10,000
points of damage, bringing instant death to any character. Be prepared with
access to invincibility (e.g. Hero, Holy War and/or Rinoa's Invincible Moon
Limit
Break). Consider refining 10 Holy Wars from the Gilgamesh Card or 100 Heroes
from
the Laguna Card. [Battle] Begin the battle by casting Aura on your entire party
and follow up with invincibility for everyone. Drawing from Jumbo Cactuar, cast
Meltdown to evaporate its defenses. Unload continuous volleys of Limit Breaks
and
the Jumbo Cactuar should come crashing down. [CACTUAR joins your party + 20 AP]
Deep Sea Research Center
Bahamut [GF]
Bahamut Card
Eden [GF]
Eden Card
The Deep Sea Research Center, also known as 'Battleship Island', is a mobile
research facility abandoned in the remotest part of the ocean. The easiest way
to
find it is by using the flat map World Map Display. Board the Ragnarok and plot
a
course for the lower-left corner of the map. Explore the area until you find it
and touch down on the landing pad. Once inside the facility, you'll discover a
glowing blue core and an ominous voice will tell you to turn back. Approach the
core very cautiously. While it resonates, the encounter rate will be extremely
high and the Enc-None ability will be ineffective. Freeze until the glow
subsides
and take only a few steps at a time. When you reach the core, the ominous voice
will engage you in a conversation. Each time you respond, you'll be attacked by
a
Ruby Dragon. Defeat it and you'll advance to the next question. Respond
correctly
to the third question and you'll taken into the core to face Bahamut.
[So you wish to challenge me...]: It's not our will to fight
[Begging me for mercy?]: Never
[Damned imbeciles. Why do you wish to fight?]: It's our nature... (hidden
beneath
the second option)
BAHAMUT
[Preparation] The Ruby Dragons are weak against Ice, Junction Blizzaga to Elem-
Atk. Bahamut is vulnerable to Darkness. Junction Blind to ST-Def. [Battle]
Bahamut often uses physical attacks. Begin by afflicting Bahamut with Darkness
and you'll severely limit its ability to harm your party. It also uses an
extremely powerful attack that targets your entire party called Mega Flare.
Designate a medic and cast Triple on that character so you can restore your
party
in a single turn. Keep your HP at or near maximum while you stock up on magic
and
mug Bahamut. When you're ready to end the battle, attack with GFs or cast
Meltdown and use physical attacks (cast Aura to use Limit Breaks). [BAHAMUT
joins
your party + BAHAMUT CARD + 40 AP]
When you leave and return to the Deep Sea Research Center, you'll find a new
path
leading to the gaping hole left by the destruction of the core. Climb down the
debris and you'll see a terminal buried underneath the rubble on the left side
of
the room. Examine it to read the report about the Level Energy System that
controls the six-level pillar structure leading to a ruin at the bottom of the
ocean. Your task will be to use Reserve Steam Pressure to rotate the lower
levels
and gain access to the excavation site. You'll begin with 20 units of energy. 4
units will be spent opening the door to level 2, leaving you with 16 for the
completion of your objective. Go down the stairs to level 2. Each level from 3
to
5 has three sectors: a high-cost sector, a mid-cost sector and a low-cost
sector.
High-cost sectors (1, 4 and 7) require 4 units of energy to access. Mid-cost
sectors (2, 5 and 8) require 2 units of energy and low-cost sectors (3, 6 and 9)
require 1 unit of energy. When you access levels 3 and 4, your subsequent
choices
will be limited to sectors of equal or lesser cost. When you access level 5,
your
choice will be limited to the sector of the same cost. Once you reach level 6,
you'll need 4 units of energy to access the Deep Sea Deposit. At the bottom of
the Deposit, you'll need another 10 units to activate the control device.
Examine
the levers on each level to select the amount of steam pressure to expend. How
you proceed depends entirely on who's in your party.
Without Zell: On level 2, expend 2 units to access sector 2 [14 RSP]. On level
3,
expend 4 units to access the Steam Room [10 RSP] and use the terminal to add 7
units to your supply [17 RSP]. Return to sector 2 and expend 1 unit to access
sector 6 [16 RSP]. On level 4, expend 1 unit to access sector 9 [15 RSP]. On
level 5, expend 1 unit to access level 6 [14 RSP]. On level 6, expend 4 units to
access the Deep Sea Deposit [10 RSP].
With Zell: On level 2, expend 1 unit to access sector 3 [15 RSP]. On level 3,
expend 1 unit to access sector 6 [14 RSP]. On level 4, expend 1 unit to access
sector 9 [13 RSP]. On level 5, expend 1 unit to access level 6 [12 RSP]. When
you
reach level 6, approach the levers and Zell will claim he can operate the
machine. Let him take care of it and he'll be able to access the Deep Sea
Deposit
without expending any RSP [12 RSP].
In the Deep Sea Deposit, you'll face an extremely high and irreducible encounter
rate. What's more, the monsters roaming the excavation site are very strong and
only get stronger as you venture deeper. When you reach the bottom, junction
Move-
Find and use the hidden Save Point on the left. Prepare for your battle with
Ultima Weapon and activate the control device when you're ready.
ULTIMA WEAPON
[Preparation] Ultima Weapon has no elemental weakness. Remove all magic
junctioned to Elem-Atk. Raise each character's maximum HP as high as possible
(via magic junctioned to HP and if necessary an HP multiplier) and junction
magic
and stat multipliers placing an emphasis on physical attack attributes (such as
Str and Spd). Ultima Weapon can use an indefensible attack called Light Pillar,
instantly slaying a single target. Make sure you have the means to revive party
members. Consider refining 100 Elixirs from the Angelo Card. You may also want
access to invincibility (e.g. Hero, Holy War and/or Rinoa's Invincible Moon
Limit
Break). Consider refining 10 Holy Wars from the Gilgamesh Card or 100 Heroes
from
the Laguna Card. Open the Item Menu and move the required items to the first
page
of the battle window. Recommended Party: Zell, Squall and Rinoa. Recommended
Setup: Start with everyone's HP in Limit Break territory. Low HP plus Aura will
increase the effectiveness of their Limit Breaks (most notably improving the
probability Rinoa will execute Invincible Moon). With 9999 maximum HP or close
to
it, you should be able to achieve this while maintaining a comfortable buffer
zone against unexpected attacks. [Battle] Begin by casting Meltdown. Use your
next turn to cast Triple on the third character and in turn use Triple to cast
Aura on everyone. Consider following up with invincibility for your entire
party.
You may wish to gamble on Rinoa's Invincible Moon Limit Break or play it safe by
using items. Draw Eden immediately then let loose on Ultima Weapon with repeated
Limit Breaks. When Zell performs his Limit Break, stick to moves you can input
quickly. You may sacrifice power per punch, but you'll be able to inflict a
staggering amount of damage by simply alternating between Punch Rush and Booya.
Be prepared for Aura to wear off before invincibility. When this occurs, persist
in using the Limit Breaks of those characters with low enough HP or simply
continue hammering away with normal attacks. In the unlikely event Ultima Weapon
is still on its feet when invincibility wears off, use Triple to re-cast Aura
and
resume the onslaught until Ultima Weapon gives in. [EDEN joins your party + EDEN
CARD + 100 AP]
Accompany Quistis to the Classroom. Once class has been dismissed, talk to
Quistis and meet her at the Front Gate. Locate the Fire Cavern (east of Balamb
Garden), talk to the Garden Faculty, and select a time limit. Find and defeat
Ifrit within the chosen time limit and return to Balamb Garden.
STRATEGY
Ifrit: 10 minutes should be more than enough time to complete your objective.
Enter the cavern and proceed along the path. Ignore branches deviating from the
main path and defeat any enemies you encounter as quickly as possible. Try to
reach the opposite end of the path with at least 5 minutes to spare. Ifrit is
weak against Ice. Dedicate one character to summoning Shiva repeatedly. In the
meantime, have the other member of your party stock magic or draw and cast Cure
as needed. If time is running short, have this character join the attack by
casting Blizzard. [IFRIT joins your party + IFRIT CARD + 20 AP]
NOTES
Quezacotl and Shiva: Before you leave the Classroom, return to your seat and
turn
on the Study Panel. Select Tutorial and Guardian Forces QUEZACOTL and SHIVA will
be added to your party. If you forego this opportunity, Quistis will add them to
your party when you meet her at the Front Gate.
Free cards: Talk to the person standing near the elevator in the 2F Hallway and
he'll give you seven cards.
ITEMS
Occult Fan I: B-Garden Library (Examine the near end of the right-most of the
bookshelves against the far wall.)
MiniMog Card: Junior Classman (jogging in B-Garden Hall)
Quistis Card: Trepe Groupie #1 (sitting in the B-Garden Cafeteria)
Ifrit Card: (see STRATEGY, Ifrit)
First Mission
Meet by the Front Gate. After the meeting, talk to Cid and travel to Balamb.
Approach the Station Staff standing at the entrance to Balamb Station, purchase
a
train ticket, and board the train to Timber. Pass through the security door,
enter SeeD's private cabin, and approach Zell.
Find the vehicle in Timber Forest and get in. After you arrive in Deling City,
locate the Hotel and go into the Club. Talk to the hostess and ask for your
usual
table. Approach Julia and return to your table. Go to the front desk, ask the
Receptionist about Julia's room, and talk to Julia.
Approach the person on the foot of the steps to the train platform and give the
password. Follow him aboard another train and enter the last room toward the
front of the train. Once the princess is awake, talk to her and follow her to
the
rear of the train and into the briefing room. After the strategy meeting, exit
the room and talk to Watts. Seize the President's car within the 5-minute time
limit. Talk to Rinoa and defeat the Fake President/Gerogero.
STRATEGY
Fake President/Gerogero: Gerogero is an undead monster weak against Fire.
Junction Fire magic to Elem-Atk. Begin by drawing Cure from the Fake President
and casting it on members of your party until everyone has their maximum HP.
Stock Cure if you need to then attack using your GFs (try to time it so Ifrit
arrives last). Boost the first GF and it should be able to strike down the Fake
President. The other GFs will arrive almost as soon as Gerogero reveals itself.
Their attacks should lower the creature's HP to the point where a single boosted
attack from Ifrit will win the battle (a precaution taken in case you get into
trouble and need to end the fight quickly). Begin stocking magic, stopping
immediately to draw Esuna and cast it on party members victimized by Gerogero's
status attacks. When you're ready, summon Ifrit to put the abomination out of
its
misery. You may also consider attacking with curative magic to effect serious
damage or using a life-restoring item to bring victory in a single turn. [20 AP]
NOTES
Seizing the President: Approach Rinoa, go to the end of the dummy car, and jump
onto the 2nd escort car. Proceed across the roof of the 2nd escort car and
approach Rinoa to jump onto the President's car. Uncouple the 1st escort car:
successfully enter three codes and cross to the President's car. Uncouple the
2nd
escort car: successfully enter five codes and return to the President's car.
Diablos: Make sure Selphie is in your party when you use the Magical Lamp and
enter the dimension where Diablos dwells to engage it in battle. Her Limit Break
will be a crucial part of winning this fight. Diablos will attack you with two
types of magic. Demi depletes 1/4 of one character's HP and Gravija lowers the
HP
of every member of your party by 3/4. Neither attack will KO your characters
directly, but Diablos can easily finish the job with very strong physical
attacks. Begin the battle by having everyone stock Demi. This magic will
probably
be the strongest attack available to you and there are two good reasons to hang
onto it instead of casting it. Firstly, it's very difficult to draw and your
attempts may frequently fail. The advantage of stocking is each successful draw
should yield several Demi.
Secondly, each time you cast Demi from your own personal stock, Diablos will
counter by casting Curaga on you! When your HP run low, cast Demi and Diablos
will fully restore you. If a character in jeopardy hasn't managed to stock any
Demi, summon a GF for protection. Each GF should be able to handle Diablos'
physical attack and Demi and Gravija do damage based on the character's HP not
the GF's (meaning low character HP equals minor damage to the GF). While you
wait
for the GF, select a character to stand by with a full ATB gauge. When the GF's
attack begins, cast Cure on the ravaged summoner (doing so any sooner risks
increasing the damage taken by the GF). Once out of danger, you should have your
character continue the healing process or resume stocking Demi. If Diablos uses
Gravija to bring down everyone's HP simultaneously, there won't be a character
healthy enough to stand by and assist a party member stranded without Demi.
Instead, wait for Selphie's ATB gauge to fill and skip to a character that can
cast Demi. Selphie should be within Limit Break range. Use the time it takes for
Demi to take effect to get her Full-cure magic. Keep a watchful eye on Diablos'
HP. When victory is in reach, shift into assault mode and use physical attack to
finish the battle. [DIABLOS joins your party + DIABLOS CARD + 20 AP]
ITEMS
Weapons Mon Apr: Dormitory Single (on the desk the morning after Squall gets his
new dorm room)
Pet Pals Vol.1: Train [to Timber] (Enter SeeD's private cabin, approach Zell and
he'll find it.)
Pet Pals Vol.2: Forest Owls' Base (on the sofa bed in Rinoa's room after the
strategy meeting)
Diablos Card: (see NOTES, Diablos)
Angelo Card: Watts (in the Forest Owls' Base)
Tomb of the Unknown King
Go to Galbadia Far East Station (west of Galbadia Garden). Talk to the Station
Staff and board the train to Deling City. Attempt to exit the train, follow
Irvine through the security door, and return to the first compartment. After the
train arrives, go to the top of the Galbadia Station escalator. Talk to a member
of your party and head for Caraway's Mansion. Talk to Caraway's Guard standing
outside the Mansion and leave Deling City.
Retrieve the lost student's ID number: Locate the Tomb of the Unknown King
(northeast of Deling City). Enter the Tomb and proceed until you find a sword
lying on the ground. Examine it and return to Deling City. Talk to Caraway's
Guard and give him the ID number.
NOTES
Brothers: Before you leave the Tomb of the Unknown King, you'll have an
opportunity to expand your roster of GFs. After you've obtained the ID number,
make your way to Sacred's chamber. Go right, left, right, left, right and
straight. Examine the statue and battle Sacred. Sacred is weak against Wind.
Junction Wind magic to Elem-Atk. Sacred uses physical attacks and will regularly
regenerate HP as long as it's in contact with the ground. Begin by drawing
Protect from Sacred and casting it on every member of your party to reduce the
damage of its attacks. Stock up on magic and for the moment ignore the fact that
the creature is recovering. When you're ready to attack cast Float on Sacred to
cut it off from its source of strength. Sacred will run away when it receives
significant damage. You won't get the full reward for defeating the beast unless
you completely drain its HP. Summon your two strongest GFs and plan their
arrival
to be nearly simultaneous. Leave the first GF unboosted. Your objective will be
to bring Sacred just within range for your second and fully-boosted GF to finish
the job. [20 AP] Leave Sacred's chamber, go straight, right, left, right, left,
right and straight. Unhook the chain across the floodgate from the right side to
fill the moat around the inner tomb. Leave the chamber, go straight, right,
left,
right, left, right and straight. Remove the cog from the left side of the
doorway
to drop the drawbridge. Leave the chamber, go straight twice, right and left
twice. Enter the inner tomb and approach Sacred to engage the Brothers. Use
tactics similar to those employed during the previous battle. Draw and cast
protect on your party, draw magic, and cast Float on Sacred and Minotaur.
Barrage
them with GF attacks to win the fight. [Brothers join your party + SACRED CARD +
MINOTAUR CARD + 40 AP]
ITEMS
Sacred Card: (see NOTES, Brothers)
Minotaur Card: (see NOTES, Brothers)
Timber Maniacs: Deling City Hotel (Pay 100 Gil to stay in the guestroom and
you'll see it on the floor under the far corner of the middle bed.)
Galbadia Missile Base
Drive the Galbadian Army vehicle to Galbadia Missile Base (west of Galbadia D-
District Prison). Enter the building and examine the ID card reader to the right
of Door 3. Go to Area M-7 and talk to the Maintenance Soldier on the left. Go to
Area M-6, enter the missile launcher bay, and deliver the message to the far
soldier. Return to Area M-7 and deliver the response to the soldier on the left.
Go to Area M-3, enter the circuit room, approach the control panel, and cause a
power failure. Find the Guard outside the launcher bay, play it cool and offer
to
help*. Get between the two soldiers and push the launcher into place. Find the
missile control panel outside the launcher bay and log in. Select 'Target',
select 'Set error ratio', set the error ratio to maximum, select 'Data upload',
upload the data and log out. Go to the control room and defeat the Base Leader
and two Base Soldiers. Examine either of the control panels on the far and right
sides of the room and talk to the party member at the launch control mechanism
on
the left side of the room. Enter the far room, find the self-destruct mechanism
on the panel on the left side of the room and set a time limit. Head for the
front gate and defeat the BGH251F2 and its crew within the time limit. Head
toward the gate, toward the building and back toward the gate.
STRATEGY
BGH251F2: If you made it to the control room without being detected, you
shouldn't need to set the self-destruct mechanism to greater than 10 minutes. If
you blew your cover, consider tacking on an extra 10 minutes. The Iron Clad is a
machine weak against Thunder and Water. Junction Thunder magic or Water to ST-
Atk. Your biggest challenge won't be destroying the tank, rather bringing its HP
to 0 before its crew loses control of it. If you fail to do so, you won't
receive
any AP at the end of the battle. The BGH251F2 uses very powerful physical
attacks. Begin by drawing Protect and casting it on your entire party. Summon
and
boost Quezacotl to maximum and have the remaining members of your party use
physical attacks. Carefully note the amount of damage inflicted by each attack
as
you'll need the information later. Cast Scan to learn the BGH251F2's current and
maximum HP. The tank will explode and careen out of control when its HP fall to
approximately 20% of maximum. Your goal should be to reduce the Iron Clad to
just
under 25%. Use Quezacotl to hack off large chunks of HP and have your other
party
members stock magic. When you're close to your objective, use physical attacks
to
fine tune the BGH251F2's HP (keeping in mind the potential for a critical hit).
The tank should be within range of Quezacotl's attack. If you have significant
time remaining, draw and stock magic before calling the Thunder GF. Have your
other characters begin summoning their strongest GFs in preparation for the
upcoming battle with the crew, taking care to ensure their arrival doesn't
precede Quezacotl's. There will be little margin for error as you boost
Quezacotl. One mistake will cost you your reward. When the crew bails out
aflame,
they'll be greeted by a hasty doom courtesy of your other two GFs. [WEAPONS MON
JUN + 20 AP]
NOTES
* Remaining undiscovered: As long as you refrain from fighting the Maintenance
Team and help the Guard, you should be able to keep your identity secret. If the
temptation to do violence or run away gets the best of you and you're found out,
you'll have to go about your remaining objectives in a slightly different order.
Bypass the launcher bay and head directly to the control room. Defeat the
enemies, find the launch control mechanism and set the self-destruct mechanism.
Head for the exit until Selphie decides to go back. Make your way to Area M-6
and
talk to the Wounded Soldier lying at the foot of the stairs to the control room.
Go to the missile control panel and enter the password. Change the error ratio,
upload the data and head for the front gate.
ITEMS
Weapons Mon Jun: (see STRATEGY, BGH251F2)
Occupied Balamb
Report to the bridge in the Headmaster's Office, talk to Nida, and tell him
you're ready to go. Pilot the Garden to Balamb (north of Fishermans Horizon),
disembark, and enter the town. Talk to the Galbadian Soldier standing near the
gas station and walk around nearby until he questions you. Go to The Dincht's
and
enter the room on the right. Head for the Hotel, talk to the Galbadian Soldiers
standing outside, and find the Captain. Return to the Hotel, defeat Raijin and
two G-Soldiers outside, and defeat Fujin & Raijin inside.
STRATEGY
Fujin & Raijin: Both are weak against Poison and vulnerable to Sleep. Junction
Bio to Elem-Atk and Sleep to ST-Atk. In the first part of this battle, Raijin
will attack you with two G-Soldiers in support. Begin by putting Raijin to
sleep.
Eliminate one of the G-Soldiers and consider putting the other to sleep, sparing
him in case you need to draw curative magic to restore your HP. Consider drawing
Protect from Raijin and casting it on your entire party as a precautionary
measure against any attacks should Raijin unexpectedly wake up. Summon your
strongest GFs (excepting Quezacotl as Raijin absorbs Thunder) and you should be
able to win without waking anyone up. The second phase of this battle moves
inside the Hotel, where Raijin is joined by his Wondertwin buddy Fujin. Begin by
afflicting both with Sleep. Immediately draw Pandemona from Fujin. Draw from
Raijin and cast Reflect on your party. Stock up on magic and mug them both
before
you send in your GFs to win the fight. [Pandemona joins your party + COMBAT KING
002 + 20 AP]
NOTES:
Finding the Captain: The soldiers outside the Hotel will tell you the Captain is
currently on patrol. Head for the docks at the end of the Harbor and talk to the
crouching soldier. He'll tell you he's looking for a scent for the dog to go by.
Talk to the soldier with the dog and he'll tell you the Captain was just fishing
there and was eager to eat his catch. Go to the only kitchen in town, at The
Dincht's. Talk to Ma Dincht and she'll tell you the whole room smells of fish.
Return to the end of the Harbor and give the scent to the dog. Follow the dog to
the Station Yard and the Captain will run out of the train.
Big Bad Rascal: Before you confront Fujin and Raijin, go to the Residence
neighboring The Dincht's and talk to the Hotel Owner's daughter. During one of
your visits to The Dincht's, talk to Big Bad Rascal twice and he'll go next door
to check on her. Return to the Hotel Owner's Residence during your search for
the
Captain and talk to Big Bad Rascal. Follow him to the gate and distract the
soldier while Big Bad Rascal talks to the Hotel Owner. Meet Big Bad Rascal
outside the Hotel Owner's Residence and talk to him. Talk to him again and he'll
offer to create a diversion at the gate if you want to sneak out of town.
ITEMS
Combat King 002: Hotel (Defeat Fujin and Raijin.)
Pandemona Card: Residence [Hotel Owner] (If you help Big Bad Rascal at the gate
and return to the Hotel Owner's Residence, you can win this card from the Hotel
Owner's daughter.)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins
White SeeD Ship
Leave Balamb Garden and head for Edea's House (at the tip of the Cape of Good
Hope southwest of the forest). Enter the house, take the doorway on the right to
the Backyard, and approach Cid and Edea. After Edea speaks, talk to her and
attempt to leave the area. After Squall's announcement, go to the recovery room
in the Infirmary.
Escape from the Ruby Dragon. When Kiros arrives, engage and defeat the Ruby
Dragon.
Leave Balamb Garden and go to Edea's House. Find Edea in the Backyard and talk
to
her. Return to the Garden and locate the White SeeD Ship (in an inlet in the
western half of Centra Crater north of Edea's House). Head for the ship's stern
and find the White SeeD Leader in the cabin below deck. After you give him
Edea's
introduction letter, talk to him.
STRATEGY
Ruby Dragon: Ruby Dragons are weak against Ice and vulnerable to Sleep. Junction
Ice magic to Elem-Atk and Sleep to ST-Atk. Begin by afflicting the dragon with
Sleep and stocking up on magic. When you're finished, attack with Ice magic,
Shiva and Alexander. Use a Sleep-junctioned attack whenever the dragon wakes up.
[14 AP]
ITEMS
Weapons Mon Jul: B-Garden Training Center (Take the left paddock gate and head
left. You'll see it on the ground on the far side of the second log.)
Edea Card: Edea (in the Backyard at her house)
Shiva Card: Zone (Talk to him at the helm of the White SeeD Ship and give him
your copy of The Girl Next Door for free. In thanks, he'll give you a RENAME
CARD
and the SHIVA CARD.)
Timber Maniacs (2): Edea's House (in the Bedroom on the floor in the near-right
corner) and White SeeD Ship (on the floor on the left side of the ship's helm)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins, CC Group, Balamb
Rinoa
Talk to the person standing near the door and pick up Rinoa. Follow Piet to the
Medical Room and carry Rinoa into the far room. Follow Piet to the Control Room
and examine the monitor in the far-right corner. Go to the Residential Zone on
the second floor, talk to Ellone, and head for the passageway outside the
Medical
Room. Follow Rinoa to the Control Room, talk to her, and examine the monitor in
the far-right corner again. Go to the Locker Room on the second floor and
approach the airlock. Open the compartment second from the right, put on the
space suit, and follow Rinoa into the Dock. Return to the airlock, head for the
Control Room, and talk to Piet. Talk to Ellone and follow her into the Escape
Pod. Talk to her again and enter the empty chamber. After Ellone collapses, talk
to her and rescue Rinoa.
Once you're inside the Ragnarok, approach the control panel on the left side of
the Air Room and pass through the far door. Eliminate the Propagators and head
for the Cockpit.
Board the Ragnarok, go to the passenger area, and head for the Cockpit. Pilot
the
Ragnarok to Esthar and go to the Sorceress Memorial (southwest of Lunar Gate).
Go
up the steps, approach the Sentry, and enter the building. Approach the
engineers, go left, and approach Rinoa. Leave the Sorceress Memorial, pilot the
Ragnarok to southwestern Centra, and go to Edea's House. Follow Angelo to the
Flower Field and talk to him. Talk to Rinoa, leave Edea's house, and board the
Ragnarok.
NOTES
Eliminating the Propagators: If you examine the terminal in the passenger area
of
the ship, you'll find a report left by the Ragnarok's former crew. You'll
discover you must defeat the Propagators systematically or they'll be able to
revive each other. After reading the complicated explanation, Rinoa will
summarize the report by suggesting you 'kill them in pairs that have the same
colors.' The order in which you defeat the coupled creatures is unimportant.
ITEMS
Alexander Card: Piet (Challenge him at the Lunar Base before you evacuate. If
you
miss this opportunity, you'll be able to find him at the Lunar Base Escape Pod
crash site near the southern tip of the eastern peninsula of Abadan Plains in
Esthar. It won't be visible from the World Map so you'll have to search the area
to locate it.)
Laguna Card: Ellone (Challenge her at the Lunar Base before you evacuate.)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins, CC Group, Balamb, Obel Lake, UFO?, Queen of
Cards,
Cactuar Island, Deep Sea Research Center
Ultimecia Castle
Once you've reached the castle, the only things you're required to do are locate
the Master Room and defeat Ultimecia. However, as soon as you enter you'll
discover the majority of your powers have been sealed and will remain so whilst
you're within the castle walls until you challenge and defeat Ultimecia's
servants. Where you go, what you do, and in what order are completely up to you.
For each of Ultimecia's pets, you'll find an explanation of the steps you must
take to challenge it and a strategy for defeating it. It would be unwise to face
Ultimecia without releasing at least a few of your powers. Release all of them
and capitalize on your opportunity to draw powerful magic and obtain rare items
and you'll greatly increase your chances of victory.
Recommended course of action: Challenge Sphinx in the front Hall and release the
seal on Magic. Head for the Wine Cellar, challenge Tri-Point, and release the
seal on Limit Break. Return to the front Hall and switch to your support party.
Depress the lever on the lower level of the Grand Hall and switch back to your
primary party. Challenge Krysta on the Terrace and release the seal on Draw.
Head
for the Art Gallery, challenge Trauma, and release the seal on GF. Take the far
doors and switch to your support party. Find the Treasure Vault Key in the
Courtyard, pick up the Armory Key on the bridge at the top of the Chapel steps,
go to the Elevator Hall, and switch back to your primary party. Challenge Red
Giant in the Prison Cell, release the seal on Item, challenge Gargantua in the
Armory, release the seal on Save, head for the Elevator Hall, and switch to your
support party. Pick up the Floodgate Key in the Storage Room, return to the
Elevator Hall, and switch back to your primary party. Head for the Treasure
Room,
challenge Catoblepas, and release the seal on Resurrection. Go to the Courtyard
and switch to your support party. Close the floodgate, head for the Stairway
Hall
between the Art Gallery and the front Hall, and switch back to your primary
party. Go to the Chapel, play the organ to lower the Waterway gate, and pick up
the Rosetta Stone. (Omega Weapon: Head for the lowest level of the Clock Tower
and Save. Go to the Courtyard and switch to your support party. Ring the bell
and
switch back to your primary party. Challenge Omega Weapon in the Chapel.) Climb
the Clock Tower, challenge Tiamat, and release the seal on Command Ability. Head
for the promenade outside the Master Room and Save. Proceed to the Master Room
and confront Ultimecia.
Sphinx
Tri-Point
Krysta
Trauma
Red Giant
Gargantua
Catoblepas
Tiamat
Rosetta Stone
Omega Weapon
Ultimecia
SPHINX
Sphinx stands proud, greeting you from atop the staircase in the front Hall as
you enter the castle. Climb the stairs to challenge it.
[Preparation] Both of Sphinx's forms are weak against Holy (as are the creatures
Sphinxara can summon). Junction Holy to Elem-Atk. Sphinxaur can attack with
Fire,
Ice and Thunder. Junction Firaga, Blizzaga and/or Thundaga to Elem-Def. [Battle]
Sphinxaur and Sphinxara have an embarrassing 10,000 HP each regardless of Level.
Attack immediately and without relent and you'll swiftly topple the beast.
Sphinxara will pose a fleeting threat as it may afflict members of your party
with status effects while you're temporarily unable to remove them. Don't panic
should this happen. Once Sphinxara has collapsed, release the seal on one of
several means to cure yourself or take a brief repose outside the castle where
your powers are unaffected by Ultimecia's servants. [30 AP]
TRI-POINT
Tri-Point patrols the Wine Cellar, safeguarding Ultimecia's stash of Cabernet
and
Pinot Noir. The hatch leading to the cellar is located in the Grand Hall (beyond
the doors left of the foot of the staircase in the front Hall and through the
doors at the opposite end of the passageway). Unfortunately, the demand for red
wine in the castle has been non-existent for so long the hatch is rusted and
can't be opened. Head for the upper level of the front Hall and take the doors
on
the far side of Sphinx's post. Load your entire party onto the Grand Hall's
great
chandelier and the whole thing will come crashing to the floor below. Open the
now-broken hatch and proceed down the stairs to challenge Tri-Point.
[Preparation] Tri-Point has an extreme elemental weakness that alternates
between
Fire and Ice. Junction Firaga and Blizzaga to Elem-Atk on the two strongest
members of your party and either on the third. Tri-Point also has a strong
Thunder-based counterattack called Mega Spark. Junction Thundaga to Elem-Def to
absorb the damage. [Battle] Tri-Point has a devastating physical attack called
Onrush. Be prepared by keeping your party's HP at full strength (although this
battle probably won't last long enough for Tri-Point to use it). Begin by
attacking with two characters of opposing Elem-Atk junctions. An attack that
fails to prompt a counterattack indicates Tri-Point's elemental weakness (if
you've released the Magic ability you may consider casting Scan to assess Tri-
Point's vulnerability but you'll most likely find it a waste of your time). Each
time Tri-Point receives such a hit, its weakness will switch to the other
element. Continue to exploit this knowledge until Tri-Point falls. [ROCKET
ENGINE
+ 30 AP]
KRYSTA
Krysta awaits you on the Terrace, located beyond the doors on the far side of
the
upper level of the Grand Hall. This means finding a way to negotiate the
hazardous chandelier. Send your support party to the lower level of the Grand
Hall either via the passageway beyond the doors left of the foot of the
staircase
in the front Hall or by taking a quick thrill-ride on the light fixture itself.
Stand in the Party Switch Point on the right side of the room to depress the
lever and switch back to your primary party. Head for the upper level of the
Grand Hall, cross the chandelier sans plunge, and challenge Krysta on the other
side of the doors.
[Preparation] Release the seal on GF (optional: Item, Magic or Command Ability).
Krysta has a very high Magic stat and when defeated will cast Ultima as a
departing gesture. Don't engage it without the means to recover HP during battle
unless your entire party is at or near full strength. Krysta is a flying monster
immune to Ice. Junction any element other than Ice and Earth to Elem-Atk.
[Battle] Krysta's primary threat is its strong non-elemental counterattack. Your
goal should be to minimize the number of attacks and maximize their damage.
Krysta has a very high resistance to physical attacks. Assaulting it in such a
way would elicit numerous counterattacks. Its resistance to Magic is quite low
but it would still take several attacks to defeat the creature. The only option
that avoids counterattack altogether is summoning GFs. Begin by summoning
Doomtrain to cripple Krysta's defenses. Follow up with a barrage of strong GF
attacks (excepting Shiva and Brothers) and your semi-precious foe should have
few
if any chances to harm you. [ELEM GUARD + 30 AP]
TRAUMA
Trauma is the curator of Ultimecia's extensive art collection. To reach the Art
Gallery from the front Hall, climb the stairs, head right, take the doors in the
near-right corner, go down the stairs, and pass through the doors on the far
side
of the Party Switch Point. You'll find numerous paintings adorning the walls but
no sign of Trauma. Since you bothered to come all this way, you might as well
take in a few of the exquisite works. Examine the large canvas hanging on the
left side of the lower level and you'll discover the title is too faint to read.
By this time you may have the sneaking suspicion solving this mystery will be
the
key to finding Trauma. Begin by examining all the paintings, paying particular
attention to their titles. On the lower level, you'll find to the left of the
staircase from left to right IGNUS, INANDANTIA and IUDICIUM and to the right of
the staircase INTERVIGILIUM. On the upper level in the area at the top of the
stairs, you'll find from left to right VENUS, VIATOR and VIGIL. Go left from
this
area and you'll find from left to right INAUDAX, XYSTUS, XERAMPELINAE and
XIPHIAS
or go right and you'll find VIVIDARIUM. After admiring this last piece, take a
moment to glance over the railing and study the clock face hewn into the floor
below. The time itself is meaningless but the straightforward numbers indicated
by the hands provide a critical clue. Each number represents a set of letters
found in the title of one of the paintings. Return to the lower level and re-
examine the still-nameless image. You'll be presented with a list of the pieces
you've inspected and an opportunity to decipher the obscured title. Input the
titles corresponding to the numbers shown on the clock in order as you'd
normally
read the hands: hour (VIII = VIVIDARIUM), minute (IIII = INTERVIGILIUM), second
(VI = VIATOR). Solving the puzzle will summon Trauma to the staircase behind
you.
Climb the stairs to challenge it.
[Preparation] Trauma is weak against Wind and vulnerable to Drain (as are its
offspring, the Dromas). Junction Tornado to Elem-Atk and Drain to ST-Atk.
[Battle] Trauma uses physical attacks and a strong non-elemental attack that
targets your entire party called Mega Pulse Cannon. Trauma can also produce
Dromas, small support machines that use similar attacks. Fortunately, as you
siphon HP with each strike, your recovery should easily outpace your injury.
Attack continuously with all members of your party. Eliminate the Dromas as
they're born (you may wish to Mug them for Meteor Stones first). If any are
still
about when Trauma's HP reach 0 the progenitor will eat it's young, casting Drain
to survive. [ELEM ATK + 30 AP]
RED GIANT
Red Giant polices the Prison Cell, located beyond the far doors on the lower
level of the Art Gallery, down the steps on the far side of the Party Switch
Point, and through the doorway on the left. When you reach the gulag, you'll
find
a corpse holding a key in its conspicuously outstretched hand and Red Giant
temporarily out of the office. As soon as you set foot in the cell, the door
will
slam shut and lock behind you. With the only other door closed from the other
side, you'll have no choice but to grab the Prison Key. Doing so will
immediately
summon Red Giant and thrust you into combat.
[Preparation] Release the seal on GF or Magic. [Battle] Red Giant is virtually
impervious to almost every attack. Its only weakness is its deathly fear of
Diablos. Repeatedly summon the Dark Messenger and/or use Cactuar's defense-
ignoring attack and you'll gradually bring the brute to its knees. You may wish
to expand your options by summoning Doomtrain or casting Meltdown to crush Red
Giant's defenses, rendering it vulnerable to physical attacks and a wider array
of GFs. [DIAMOND ARMOR + 30 AP]
GARGANTUA
Gargantua is lurking at the rear of the Armory behind a locked door. The Armory
Key can be found lying on the wooden bridge spanning the gap between the Chapel
and the Clock Tower. To get to the bridge, head for the lower level of the Grand
Hall, take the far doors, go through the doors on the far side of the Courtyard,
and climb the Chapel steps. Walk when you go to pick up the key, running will
shake the bridge and cause the item to slip off the edge. Don't panic should
this
happen. There's a waterway below and the key will be washed to the area
immediately outside the Armory (unless you've closed the Floodgate, in which
case
the key will fall just out of reach behind a grate in the area below and remain
there until you open the Floodgate again). To reach the Armory, head for the
lower level of the Art Gallery, take the far doors, and go down the steps on the
far side of the Party Switch Point. If you dropped the key earlier, you'll see
it
lying in the channel in the lower-right corner. Unlock the door on the right and
head for the back of the room to challenge Gargantua. (NOTE: Before you face
Gargantua, you must defeat what looks and acts like a normal Vysage-Lefty-Righty
team.)
[Preparation] Release the seal on Magic (or Item or Command Ability). Vysage,
Lefty and Righty are weak against Holy and vulnerable to Drain. Junction Holy to
Elem-Atk and Drain to ST-Atk. Vysage, Righty and Gargantua are vulnerable to
Zombie. Junction Zombie to ST-Atk on one member of your party. Vysage and
Gargantua employ a variety of Status attacks. Junction Berserk to ST-Def to
thwart Gargantua's attempts to coerce you into repeatedly provoking its Counter
Twist, a strong counterattack triggered by physical attacks. [Battle] Begin by
eliminating Vysage, Lefty and Righty in the fashion of your choice. When
Gargantua surfaces, you can whittle away at its HP while side-stepping its
counterattack by using attack Magic or you can pursue a more expeditious
victory.
Afflict the juggernaut with Zombie either by casting magic or via an
appropriately-junctioned Status Attack. Follow up by using items, magic and/or
commands with strong curative properties to inflict major damage or attack with
any revival technique to cause instant death. [MAGIC ARMLET + 42 AP]
CATOBLEPAS
Catoblepas is hiding in the Treasure Room behind an easy-to-miss locked door
located in one of the castle's many passageways. The Treasure Vault Key can be
found by examining the left side of the fountain in the Courtyard just beyond
the
far doors on the lower level of the Grand Hall. To reach the Treasure Room from
the front Hall, climb the stairs, head left, take the doors in the near-left
corner, go down the stairs, and pass through the doors on the far side of the
Party Switch Point. Look closely along the left side of the passageway and
you'll
see a door situated near the center of the hall. When you use the key and enter
the Treasure Room, you'll be confronted by a simple puzzle. Your task: open and
close caskets until all four are simultaneously open. The solution: open or
close
the sarcophaguses once each in any order (e.g. outside left, inside left, inside
right, outside right). Solving the puzzle will summon Catoblepas, enabling you
to
challenge it.
[Preparation] Release the seal on GF or Magic. Catoblepas is weak against Earth
and Water. Junction Quake or Water to Elem-Atk. Catoblepas attacks with strong
Thunder-based magic. Junction Thundaga to Elem-Def. [Battle] In addition to its
arsenal of Magic, Catoblepas uses strong physical attacks. This should present
only a minor danger since each time it casts Thunder-based magic, especially
Thunder Summon, your HP will recover. Catoblepas has a high Magic stat and when
defeated will cast Meteor. Be prepared by keeping your party's HP at full
strength. Begin by summoning Doomtrain or casting Meltdown to weaken Catoblepas'
defenses. For the remainder of the battle attack with any means at your disposal
(excepting Quezacotl and Thunder-based magic as Catoblepas will absorb the
damage) until the behemoth succumbs. [STATUS ATK + 30 AP]
TIAMAT
You'll find Tiamat sulking on an obliterated balcony near the height of the
Clock
Tower, located beyond the foot-bridge at the top of the Chapel steps. To reach
the balcony, ascend the Clock Tower's winding walkway until you reach the
swinging pendulum and stand at the inside ledge on the left side of the tower.
Leap onto the pendulum as it comes closest to you and it'll deliver you safely
to
the opposite side. Pass through the doorway to reach the verandah and challenge
Tiamat.
[Preparation] Tiamat is a flying monster strong against Fire and Thunder and
immune to Wind. Junction any element other than Fire, Thunder, Earth and Wind to
Elem-Atk. Tiamat's only attack is Dark Flare. Junction Firaga and Flare to Elem-
Def and it'll be unable to harm you. [Battle] Despite Tiamat's garnering a place
of esteem as the servant nearest the Master Room, this battle should prove the
easiest of all. By turning Dark Flare into a tremendous source of HP for your
party, your only difficulty will be deciding how to further humiliate this
impotent ex-GF. Attack using whatever methods suit your fancy (excepting those
with elemental qualities corresponding to Tiamat's strengths). [STATUS GUARD +
30
AP]
ROSETTA STONE
If you're desperately seeking Abilityx4, you may wish to take the time to find
the Rosetta Stone tucked neatly away in a box submerged in the castle's
Waterway.
In order to claim it you must first drain the aqueduct and in order to
accomplish
that you must first obtain the key that unlocks the lever that operates the
floodgate. The Floodgate Key can be found lying on the floor in a Storage Room
accessible only via the primitive lift in the Elevator Hall. Begin by
determining
which of your two parties is heaviest (hint: the males outweigh the females) and
taking the lighter party to the Elevator Hall. To reach it from the front Hall,
climb the stairs, head left, go through the doors in the near-left corner and
down the stairs, pass through the doors on the far side of the Party Switch
Point, and take the doors at the far end of the passageway. Stand in the Party
Switch Point on the lowered left carriage and switch to your heavy party. To
reach the raised right carriage head for the lower level of the Art Gallery,
take
the far doors, climb the steps and go left, and proceed to the opposite end of
the passageway. Stand in the Party Switch Point to lift the left carriage and
switch to your lighter party. Head left, grab the key, and return to the Party
Switch Point. Switch to your heavy party and head for the floodgate lever,
located to the right of the door to the Prison Cell. Use the Floodgate Key and
throw the lever to drain the water. Before you can set foot in the empty canal
system however, you must first lower the gate that blocks your access to it.
Head
for the back of the Chapel and examine the organ. Play your guts out if you're
so
inclined, but the only way to open the gate is by hitting all the keys at once.
Head for the Courtyard and follow the lamp-lit arches in the upper-right corner
to see if you were successful. If not, return to the pipe organ and try again.
When all the bars have been lowered, enter the Waterway and head right to claim
your prize.
OMEGA WEAPON
Omega Weapon is by quantum leaps the toughest monster in the game. Challenging
it
is entirely optional and the tangible rewards for defeating it are meager at
best. However, if your man-or-womanhood rests on being crowned the finest
fighter
in the world you'll feel the burning need to face this horror. If you've been to
the Chapel, you've probably noticed the ominous cloud of vapor billowing from
the
floor. To summon Omega Weapon to this spot, you must ring the bell in the
Stairway Hall located between the front Hall and the Art Gallery and rush to the
Chapel before the nightmare vanishes. Your first order of business should be to
make all the necessary preparations and save your game. With that out of the
way,
take your primary party to the Party Switch Point in the Courtyard outside the
Chapel, switch to your support party, and head for the Stairway Hall. Before you
pull the cord in the near-left corner, consider temporarily junctioning
Enc-None.
You'll have only sixty seconds to engage Omega Weapon and a single encounter
will
blow it for you. Ring the bell and use the Party Switch Point. Immediately make
your Junction Exchange(s) and streak for the Chapel. In the instant before you
engage Omega Weapon, replace Enc-None with the desired ability and prepare to
meet the abomination itself.
[Preparation] Release the seal on Magic and Limit Break (recommended: Item,
Resurrection and Save). Omega Weapon has no elemental weakness. Remove all magic
junctioned to Elem-Atk. Omega Weapon can cast LV5 Death (ending your game if all
party members have a Level evenly divisible by five). Junction Death to ST-Def.
Omega Weapon has an attack called Medigo Flame that does 9998 points of damage
to
every member of your party. Raise each character's maximum HP to 9999 (via magic
junctioned to HP and if necessary an HP multiplier) and make sure you have the
means to maintain full strength (items and/or commands with full-curative
properties) and revive fallen comrades. Omega Weapon also uses Light Pillar,
instantly slaying a single target, and Terra Break, an attack that can slaughter
your entire party several times over. Make sure you have access to invincibility
(Hero, Holy War and/or Rinoa's Invincible Moon Limit Break). Consider refining
10
Holy Wars from the Gilgamesh Card. Junction magic and stat multipliers
prioritizing physical attack attributes (such as Str, Spd and Hit). Recommended
Party: Irvine, Squall and Rinoa. Recommended Setup: Start with Squall and
Rinoa's
HP in Limit Break territory. Low HP plus Aura will increase the probability
they'll execute their strongest Limit Breaks (Lion Heart and Wishing Star
respectively). With 9999 maximum HP, you should be able to achieve this while
keeping a comfortable buffer zone against an unexpected attack. Make sure Irvine
has a good supply of ammunition (at least 100 Fast Ammo and 100 Demolition
Ammo).
Designate Irvine as the character you keep at full strength in case of Medigo
Flame and junction his abilities to allow him to use revival techniques (if you
intend to use Item, consider opening the Item Menu and placing the appropriate
items, including those for invincibility, on the first page of the battle
window). [Battle] Begin by casting Meltdown. Use your next turn to cast Triple
on
the third character and in turn use Triple to cast Aura on everyone. Follow up
with invincibility for your entire party. You may wish to gamble on Rinoa
executing Invincible Moon or play it safe by using a Holy War. Let loose on
Omega
Weapon with repeated Limit Breaks. When it comes to selecting ammunition for
Irvine's Shot, begin with Fast Ammo. Each shot can inflict between 1000 and 2500
points of damage and you'll be able to fire as fast as you can pull the trigger.
In a typical turn, you can expect to shoot about fifty times and cause more than
100,000 points of damage. When you run out of Fast Ammo, switch to your most
powerful ammunition (e.g. Demolition or Pulse Ammo). Be prepared for Aura to
wear
off before invincibility. When this occurs, persist in using the Limit Breaks of
those characters with low enough HP. You may wish to seize the opportunity to
use
your remaining party member(s) to draw Ultima or simply continue hammering away
with normal attacks. If Omega Weapon is still on its feet when invincibility
wears off (of which there is a very good chance), use Triple to re-cast Aura,
invoke invincibility, and resume the onslaught until Omega Weapon gives in. When
the day is finally yours, Proof of Omega will be added to the Information Menu
of
the Tutorial, securing your reputation as the finest fighter in the world.
[THREE
STARS + 250 AP + PROOF OF OMEGA]
ULTIMECIA
Sorceress Ultimecia patiently anticipates your arrival from atop her throne in
the Master Room. To hunt her down, climb to the very top of the Clock Tower,
proceed through the gear-works and across the hands of the clock, and climb down
the ladders to reach the promenade outside the Master Room. After making the
necessary preparations, save your game and enter Ultimecia's chamber to get on
with saving the world. (NOTE: Ultimecia will select three characters at random
to
face her in battle. Keep this in mind as you prepare and be ready to fight with
one or more severely disadvantaged characters if you choose not to spread your
junctions across all six. If you saved outside Ultimecia's chamber, you can
always reset and let her choose another set of three until you're satisfied with
the party she chooses. A more sinister tactic would be offing unwanted party
members yourself and permitting Ultimecia to absorb them into time, summoning a
new random character with each meal until your ideal party arrives.)
[Preparation] Release the seal on Limit Break and Magic (recommended: Item,
Resurrection and Save). Ultimecia will take several forms during the battle,
each
possessing its own distinct set of elemental strengths and weaknesses. It's best
to remove all magic junctioned to Elem-Atk and use it elsewhere. She can attack
with a variety of elemental magic. The best defense would be building up a
resistance to as many elements as possible (e.g. Junction 100 Ultima and 100
Life
to Elem-Def to absorb damage from all elemental attacks). Ultimecia can also
afflict you with a wide range of status effects. As you'll heavily rely on Magic
and Limit Breaks to defeat her, junction Pain (or Silence and Blind) and Aura to
ST-Def. In her final form, Ultimecia can use an attack called Hell's Judgement
that reduces the HP of every member of your party to 1. Make sure you have the
means to significantly restore your entire party in a single turn. Consider
refining 100 Megalixirs from the Bahamut Card if you don't believe in crossing
your fingers and hoping you'll have Quistis or Selphie in your party (and access
to their Limit Break skills, White Wind and Full-cure respectively). [Battle]
All
of Ultimecia's forms have very strong attacks that target your entire party. Be
prepared by maintaining your party's HP at or near full strength. Begin by
casting Triple on at least one member of your party and Meltdown on Ultimecia.
Use Triple to cast Aura on everyone and attack the Sorceress with repeated Limit
Breaks, bowing out as needed to restore a character with low HP or re-apply
Aura.
Make sure you reinstate Triple if Ultimecia casts Dispel and re-cast Meltdown
each time she appears in a new incarnation. As Ultimecia evolves, she'll develop
the ability to blow away a single character's entire stock of a particular Magic
and to instantly destroy any GF you attempt to summon. As menacing as this
sounds, you should be able to lay her to rest despite her most diligent efforts.
When Ultimecia takes her final bow, sit back and enjoy the magnificent ending,
the day is yours. Congratulations!
SeeD Field Exam
Go to your room in the Dormitory and change into your uniform. Meet in the Hall
and head for the Parking Lot. Drive to Balamb (west of Balamb Garden) and board
the transport vessel. Go on deck when Seifer instructs you.
Secure the Central Square: Follow Seifer through Dollet to the Central Square
and
defeat the G-Soldiers you encounter along the way. Find and defeat the G-Soldier
hiding behind the roadblock in the far-right corner. Talk to Seifer and wait 'on
standby' until the battle sounds begin. After the POV changes, approach Seifer.
Secure the Communication Tower: Follow Seifer toward the Tower. Defeat the
Anacondaur attacking the Dollet Soldier and follow Seifer to the cliff
overlooking the Tower. Meet Selphie at the base of the Tower and follow Seifer
inside. Take the lift, battle Biggs & Wedge, and defeat Elvoret.
Assemble at the shore within the 30-minute time limit: Head for Lapin Beach.
Escape from the X-ATM092 and proceed to the rendezvous.
STRATEGY
Biggs & Wedge and Elvoret: Biggs will be on his own at the start of the battle.
Wedge will arrive after a short while has passed or immediately if you deplete
Biggs' HP. There aren't significant benefits to waiting so lay into Biggs with
your strongest GF and have your other characters begin stocking Esuna. When
Wedge
arrives, Biggs' HP will be completely restored. Have all three characters stock
Esuna, stopping as needed to draw Cure from Wedge and cast it. When your stock
is
full, launch your attack. Once you've inflicted enough damage, Elvoret will
arrive and blow the pair away. However, you won't receive the full reward at the
end of the battle unless you deplete their HP simultaneously. A single fully-
boosted attack from your strongest GF should finish them both, but you may want
to play it safe and attack with a non-boosted GF to lower their HP a bit before
delivering the final stroke. When Elvoret arrives, draw Siren immediately.
Assault Elvoret with GF attacks until the battle is won, although you may want
to
stock up on Double first. [SIREN joins your party + WEAPONS MON MAR + 18 AP]
X-ATM092: The X-ATM092 can't be destroyed. All you can do is knock it down and
escape while it's temporarily disabled. Time will be precious so keep your
encounters with the machine as brief and infrequent as possible. The X-ATM092 is
weak against Thunder. If all you're interested in is escaping, the fastest way
to
cripple it is summoning and boosting Quezacotl. However, you may want to take
this opportunity to earn a substantial chunk of AP. Begin by summoning Quezacotl
and boosting the GF just shy of incapacitating the X-ATM092. Skip your other
party members and summon Quezacotl again. Summon GFs with the other characters,
but make sure neither arrives ahead of the Thunder GF. When Quezacotl appears,
boost its attack to full strength. The Black Widow will begin repairing itself,
but you'll have already taken about half its HP with two more GFs about to
attack. Don't let up and you should be able to entirely deplete its HP. If you
succeed, the X-ATM092 will right itself immediately with its HP suddenly
restored. Knock it down again and make your escape to claim your reward. [50 AP]
NOTES
Evading the X-ATM092: It's possible to make it to the beach having fought it
only
once. After your initial encounter, head right and down the path. When the X-
ATM092 arrives, push the controller in the direction you wish to go before
releasing the text window. During the black-out as the next area loads,
anticipate your move by aiming toward the upper-left and you should be able to
slip under the machine as it leaps past you. Walk through the next area or
you'll
be stunned by the shaking earth then sprint for the bridge. You'll hear the X-
ATM092 jump over you. Wait until you hear it land and cut back the other way.
When you hear it jump again, immediately break for the beach and don't look back
(but for the love of humanity, take a moment to save the dog).
ITEMS
Weapons Mon Mar: (see STRATEGY, Biggs & Wedge and Elvoret)
Timber TV Station
Talk to Rinoa, exit the briefing room, and talk to Watts. Locate the Timber TV
Station: Locate the Timber Pub and defeat the G-Soldiers outside. Enter the Pub,
approach the Drifter, and convince him to move. Use the back door, proceed to
the
TV Station, and follow Seifer backstage.
Find Rinoa and Quistis near the outdoor TV and follow them down the stairs and
into the Pub. Follow the woman to her residence. Talk to Quistis and follow
everyone downstairs. Head for the near side of the room until Quistis addresses
you and exit the house.
NOTES
Locating the Timber TV Station: Before he left, Watts suggested you head for
Timber Maniacs. Go right and you'll see it. The person standing near the steps
will recommend you consult the woman next door. She'll tell you about the alley
behind her house and send you to the Pub. Exit her house, go right, and take the
far stairs. Enter the Pub and go out the back door to get to the alley. Go left
and you'll see the stairs to the TV Station.
Moving the Drifter: You have to get on his drunken good side to get the Drifter
out of your way. There are two ways to do this. One is buying him a drink. The
Pub offers six types of booze and only one will purge his urge. Drinks are
either
bitter or sweet and bear red, green or yellow labels. Talk to the patron to
learn
how to distinguish the drinks. Talk to the woman at the bar to find out if the
Drifter prefers bitter or sweet. Approach the Drifter and observe him to find
out
if he's enjoying his beverage and see the color of its label. Approach him
again,
talk to him, and buy him another round of what he's drinking. It'll cost you 100
Gil but he'll give you a FORBIDDEN CARD in return. The second option is
returning
his stolen card. Approach him, talk to him and tell him about the Buel Card you
recovered from the G-Soldiers outside. In gratitude, he'll let you keep the card
and give you a TONBERRY CARD as well.
Owl's Tear OR 500 Gil: Enter the Residence near the Dollet Train Platform and
talk to the old man. Tell him you like beverages and he'll invite you to drink
Owl's Tear from his faucet. Examine it to drink and fully restore your party. If
almighty cash is a higher priority, check the cupboard until you find the old
man's secret savings. He'll revoke your faucet privileges, but you'll earn 500
Gil.
Free Potions: The guy that sometimes appears on the walkway over the train
tracks
has a thing for Rinoa. As long as she's in your party, he'll give you a Potion
when you talk to him. After the TV broadcast, he develops a similar thing for
Quistis.
ITEMS
Girl Next Door: Editorial Department [Timber Maniacs] (Examine the rear-most of
the two stacks of magazines next to the Information counter.)
Pet Pals Vol.3/Vol.4: Timber Pet Shop
Timber Maniacs: Editorial Department [Timber Maniacs] (Enter the far room and
you'll see it on the floor on the right side of the room. Walk between the table
and the desk to get to it.)
Assassination
Enter Caraway's Mansion, talk to Rinoa, and wait for General Caraway to arrive.
Follow General Caraway through Deling City to the Gateway and talk to him.
Report
to Caraway's Mansion.
Gateway Team: Exit the Mansion. Sniper Team: Follow General Caraway to the
Gateway, talk to him, and follow him to your position in front of the
Presidential Residence. Gateway Team: Return to Caraway's Mansion. Rinoa: Make
your way onto the roof of the Presidential Residence and talk to Edea. Gateway
Team: Escape from Caraway's Mansion and make your way through the Sewer. Sniper
Team: Follow Irvine through the crowd and head for the roof of the Presidential
Residence. Climb onto the balcony and enter the residence. Proceed to Edea's
room
and defeat the Iguions attacking Rinoa. Go to the clock tower and pick up the
sniper rifle. Gateway Team: Proceed through the sewer to the top floor of the
Gateway. Walk around 'on standby' until 20:00 and operate the control console on
Zell's mark. Sniper Team: Defeat Seifer and battle Edea.
STRATEGY
Iguions: The Iguions are weak against Earth and immune to Fire. Begin by
immediately drawing Carbuncle. Stock up on magic, restoring your HP as needed
and
drawing Esuna from the creatures to remove the Petrifying status caused by their
Magma Breath attack. Finish them both in a single attack by summoning your
strongest GF (Ifrit excepted). [Carbuncle joins your party + 20 AP]
Seifer & Edea: Seifer is weak against Poison. Junction Bio to Elem-Atk. He uses
physical attacks and can cast Fira. Edea can cast Firaga, Blizzaga and Thundaga.
Your best defense will be to maximize your resistance to Fire, Ice and Thunder
magic all at once by junctioning Life and/or Protect to Elem-Def. Squall will be
alone during the battle with Seifer. Stock up on the magic he carries and mug
him
if you can. You could reduce this fight to a gunblade slugfest and still walk
away with the victory or you could summon your strongest GF a few times to
humiliate Seifer in a hurry. For the fight with Edea, dedicate the character
with
Carbuncle to summoning the GF on a full-time basis. With Reflect in place, Edea
will spend most of her time casting Dispel. Use the other members of your party
to stock up on magic from and mug the Sorceress. When you're ready to move on,
have the party member that was busy summoning Carbuncle switch to stocking
magic,
one of the fully-stocked characters switch to medic detail, and the remaining
person repeatedly summon GFs. [20 AP]
NOTES
Getting onto the roof of the Presidential Residence: Climb the boxes stacked in
and around the vehicle parked outside the Residence and you'll jump onto the
building. Proceed along the ledge, climb the ladder and climb onto the roof.
Escaping from Caraway's Mansion: Approach the painting on the right side of the
room. The woman is holding a goblet in her right hand. Take a glass from the
shelves on the left side of the room and approach the statue in the upper-left
corner. Place the glass in the statue's hands and take the secret passage.
ITEMS
Weapons Mon May: Deling City Sewer (Approach the manhole cover to the right of
the vehicle parked outside the Presidential Residence and check it. Climb down
the ladder and proceed left through the Sewer until you find it lying on the
ground.)
Secret of Balamb Garden
Head for the Hall and search for the Headmaster on the first floor until you see
Xu running up the steps to the elevator. Track her down at the far end of the 2F
Hallway, follow her to the third floor, and enter the Headmaster's Office. After
Cid collapses talk to him and head for the elevator. Examine the button panel,
open the hatch in the floor, and climb down the ladder. Make your way through
the
MD Level and defeat the Oilboyles. Proceed to the far end of the MD Level,
approach the control system, and turn the ignition. Talk to Cid and offer to
check on the others. Go to the Deck on the second floor and return to the
Headmaster's Office.
Meet a Garden Faculty member near the Directory and report to the Master Room on
level B1. Walk down the steps and talk to Cid. Follow the Garden Faculty member
to the left and defeat NORG. Go to the Infirmary, tell Dr. Kadowaki you need to
see Cid, and enter the recovery room. Meet Xu near the Directory and head for
the
Deck. Find Ellone sitting on the far side of the Library.
STRATEGY
Oilboyles: These creatures are weak against Fire and vulnerable to Sleep.
Junction Fire magic to Elem-Atk and Sleep to ST-Atk. This battle won't be very
difficult. The Oilboyles have an attack called Oil Shot that can cause Darkness
but they'll have few if any chances to use it. Begin by putting both Oilboyles
to
sleep. Stock up on magic while they blissfully snore. When you've filled your
stock, summon Ifrit to burn them extra-tasty crispy. While you wait for the GF,
use the other members of your party to mug the slick slugs if you wish. [20 AP]
NORG: Balamb Garden's Master is weak against Wind. Junction Wind magic to Elem-
Atk. NORG can use a variety of both elemental and status magic. Strengthen your
resistance by junctioning Life and Shell to Elem-Def and Reflect and Esuna to
ST-
Def. At the beginning of the battle, NORG will attack you from inside the NORG
Pod. You'll have to breach its hull before you can attack him. The Pod gets its
magic power from its two Orbs. The color of each Orb shifts from blue to yellow
to red at it readies itself to cast magic. Physical attacks will counteract the
charging process. Dedicate one member of your party exclusively to attacking
(preferably mugging) the Orbs and keeping them blue. This should render NORG
harmless as you stock up on magic from all three Pod parts. When your stockers
have finished, summon Carbuncle to endow your party members with Reflect in
preparation for your imminent tussle with NORG. Have the other members of your
party summon their strongest GFs (excepting Quezacotl as the Pod is strong
against Thunder). Once NORG is exposed, quickly reassign your characters. Have
your ex-stockers split their attention between drawing magic from NORG and
assuming Pod vigil duty while the former attacker starts stocking magic from
NORG
and the Orbs. Draw Leviathan from NORG as soon as possible. If you don't, NORG
could quite literally magic himself to death with attacks reflected off your
party before you get the chance. Have the other take over vigil duty. When
you're
ready to stick it to the bloated Shumi, summon your strongest GFs to put him in
his place. [Leviathan joins your party + 20 AP]
NOTES
Declaring your allegiance: Maintain your loyalty to Cid and you'll be well-
rewarded. Your first chance to assert yourself will occur when a Garden Faculty
member stops you on your way to the Hall. Refuse to swear allegiance to Master
NORG and you'll be attacked. Defeat the monsters and you'll find a SeeD
candidate
lying near the Reception booth in the Hall. Talk to him and he'll give you a
MEGA-
POTION. Your devotion will continue to be challenged as you search for the
Headmaster. Confront the NORG loyalists and defeat their minions to receive
assistance from the Cid supporters under attack in each area of the first floor.
[Infirmary: ELIXIR/Quad: X-POTION/Cafeteria: GYSAHL GREENS/Parking Lot:
TENT/Training Center: REMEDY/Library: MEGA PHOENIX (if Zell is in your party) or
REMEDY (if not)]
Navigating the MD Level: After you climb down the ladder in the elevator shaft
open the hatch at the opposite end of the corridor, proceed until you reach a
ladder, climb down, and go through the door on the opposite side of the chamber.
Open the valve, return to the previous chamber, climb down the ladder, proceed
to
the far end of the walkway, and climb up the ladder. Examine the control panel
on
the right side of the room, climb back down the ladder, open the gate with the
flashing green light, and climb down the ladder. Throw the lever, proceed along
the walkway, defeat the Oilboyles, head for the ladder in the distance, climb
down, and proceed to the control system.
Trabia Garden
Pilot the Garden to Trabia (northeast of Balamb), disembark, and go to Trabia
Garden. Follow Selphie over the wall, locate the basketball court, and attempt
to
leave the area. Follow everyone to the beach and approach the group. Follow
Irvine into the next room. Talk to Irvine, then Quistis, then Selphie. Approach
Rinoa.
ITEMS
Weapons Mon Aug: Front Gate (Examine the ground '5 steps south of the gargoyle
statue.')Selphie Card: Selphie's Friend (You'll find her sitting under the
gargoyle statue at the Front Gate. Return to Trabia Garden after your initial
visit and challenge her to a game of cards.)
Timber Maniacs: Cemetery (on the ground left of the center-most headstones)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins
Esthar
Pilot the Garden to Fishermans Horizon OR go to the recovery room in the
Infirmary. Carry Rinoa into FH and talk to her after you set her down on the
tracks. Talk to Edea and follow everyone out of Seaside Station. Locate Great
Salt Lake (east of the station), make your way toward the far side, and defeat
Abadon. Head right and examine the middle of the flickering image. Climb the
ladder, proceed to the opposite end of the walkway, and open the door. Once the
elevator stops, take the far corridor.
Approach the Security Guard in the near-right corner then approach the Security
Guard standing in the far-left doorway. Talk to the Moomba, talk to the other
prisoner, and talk to the Moomba again. Defeat the attacking enemies, take the
elevator up, and exit the Laboratory. Return to the lower level, approach Doc
Odine, and defeat the attacking enemies. Follow Doc Odine out of the lab, defeat
the Esthar Soldiers inside Odine's Laboratory, and sit on the lifter. Open the
door, enter the Lab, and defeat the Esthar Soldiers. Examine the control panel
on
the right side of the room, return to the first floor Lobby, and enter the far
room.
Locate Lunar Gate (east of Esthar City), enter the building, and follow the
woman
into Deep Freeze. Follow the Lunar Gate Staff to the opposite side of the room
and board the capsule. Follow Angelo outside and head for Esthar City.
STRATEGY
Abadon: Abadon is an undead monster weak against Fire. Junction Fire magic to
Elem-Atk. It has two forms. In its compact form, it uses physical attacks. In
its
fully upright form, it uses status attacks. Junction Confuse to ST-Def. Begin by
stocking up on magic and mugging Abadon. When you're done, attack it using items
and/or commands with strong curative or reviving attributes. [40 AP]
NOTES
Solomon Ring: Locate Tears' Point (south of Lunar Gate) at some point before you
return to Esthar after visiting Lunar Gate. Head for the center and you'll find
the SOLOMON RING lying on the ground at the foot of the enormous sculpture. This
is the legendary ring referred to in Occult Fan III. The magazine's report will
give you a clue about how to use the ring. Instead of the rumored 666 items,
you'll need six each of three different items: 6 Remedy+, 6 Steel Pipes and 6
Malboro Tentacles. When you have the necessary items, use the ring to acquire
the
GF Doomtrain. [DOOMTRAIN joins your party]
ITEMS
Solomon Ring: Tears' Point (see NOTES, Solomon Ring)
Weapons Mon 1st: Lunatic Pandora Laboratory (When you
Occult Fan IV: Esthar Presidential Palace Hall (Before you go to Lunar Gate,
find
the Presidential Aide standing near the Airstation and talk to him. Return to
the
Presidential Palace, find the Presidential Secretary standing outside the room
where you left Rinoa, and talk to him. When he moves, examine the stack of
magazines and you'll find it.)
Pet Pals Vol.5/Vol.6: Esthar Pet Shop [Rinrin's Store]
Combat King 004: Esthar City (Before you go to Lunar Gate, talk to the Esthar
Soldier standing on the skyway left of the center of the city. When you return
to
Esthar City during LUNATIC PANDORA, talk to the soldier again and he'll give it
to you.)
Ward Card: Doc Odine (in the Presidential Palace Hall when you first arrive in
Esthar)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins, CC Group, Balamb
Time Compression
Pilot the Ragnarok to Esthar City and go to the Presidential Palace. Head for
the
Office and approach the President's desk. Talk to the President and ask him to
explain the mission. After the briefing accept the mission and pilot the
Ragnarok
to Lunatic Pandora at Tears' Point. Once inside disembark and head for the
steps.
Defeat Fujin and Raijin and pursue them into the interior of Lunatic Pandora. Go
to the hall of elevators, take Elevator 01, proceed past the Save Point, and
take
the far corridor. Defeat Mobile Type 8 and follow Fujin and Raijin into next
room. Defeat Seifer and follow him out of the room. Climb the structure on the
right, head right, and enter Adel's Tomb. Defeat Adel without killing Rinoa.
STRATEGY
Fujin & Raijin: Both are weak against Poison and vulnerable to Sleep. Junction
Bio to Elem-Atk and Sleep to ST-Atk. Fortify yourself against Fujin's magic
attacks by junctioning Tornado to Elem-Def and Pain and Slow to ST-Def. Begin by
afflicting Fujin and Raijin with Sleep. Though you'll be able to stock up on
magic in relative peace consider drawing Protect from Raijin and casting it on
your entire party in case your enemies rouse themselves and attack you before
you
can put them back to sleep. When you're finished, attack them with magic and/or
GFs to win the battle without even waking them up. [20 AP]
Mobile Type 8: Mobile Type 8 is a machine weak against Thunder. Junction
Thundaga
to Elem-Atk. It employs a range of physical attacks but its most devastating
weapon is called Corona, which reduces the HP of all party members to 1. To make
matters worse it'll follow up with its powerful Medigo Flame. Be prepared to
restore your entire party at once by designating a medic and casting Triple on
that character at the start of the battle (unless you intend to rely on Quistis'
White Wind Limit Break or gamble on getting Selphie's Full-cure in time). It
also
has a counterattack that varies depending on which of its two attack modes is
armed. When Mobile weaponry attack mode is ON it responds with Twin Homing Laser
whenever you target its main torso. During this phase you should focus on
stocking magic from and mugging the Left and Right Probes. When Support weaponry
attack mode is ON and Mobile Type 8's three components disengage it fires a
single Homing Laser each time you strike one of the Probes. During this phase
turn your attention to the main torso but beware as it's preparing to use the
Corona and Medigo Flame combination. If you're ready to end the fight and all
your ATB gauges are full when your HP hit 1 skip to your medic and initiate the
healing process. If you act quickly you should be able to activate the other
characters' Limit Breaks before they recover and inflict mortal damage to Mobile
Type 8. [40 AP]
Seifer: Seifer is weak against Poison and vulnerable to Drain. Junction Bio to
Elem-Atk and Drain to ST-Atk. Begin by stocking as much Aura as possible. This
will be your best opportunity to get it and you'll have a limited amount of time
if Seifer gutted Odin at the start of the battle as Gilgamesh* will arrive
shortly. Seifer is faster and more deadly with his gunblade but you should be
relatively safe as long as you keep your HP up in readiness for his special
attack, Bloodfest. When your magic stock is full you may wish to mug Seifer
before drawing and casting Aura on your party and punishing him with Limit
Breaks. [40 AP]
Adel: Adel uses strong attack magic (junction Quake and/or Holy to Elem-Def) but
the greatest challenge presented by this battle will be injuring Adel without
harming Rinoa. You'll want to limit your attacks to those that target a single
enemy. Further complicating your task will be Adel's regular habit of casting
Drain on Rinoa. Begin by drawing Regen from Rinoa and casting it on her to
counteract Adel's appetite for HP. Draw and cast Regen on your entire party to
compensate for any damage you'll receive while you stock magic and mug Adel for
a
Samantha Soul. If you feel it's worth the risk you can steal a number of
Megalixirs from Rinoa. Just make sure you keep her healthy during your attempts
and restore her HP after you've finished. When your harvest is complete, focus
your attention on attacking Adel.
NOTES
Gilgamesh: If you acquired Odin prior to your confrontation with Seifer, the
legendary GF will make an appearance at the beginning of the battle. Seifer
won't
be done in so easily and will strike him down in the midst of his charge. Odin's
orphaned sword, Zantetsuken, will sail off and into an unknown waiting hand.
Before long the stranger will arrive, interrupting the battle to deliver a
crushing blow to Seifer. From this point forward Gilgamesh will fill the void
left by Odin's unfortunate demise, randomly appearing at any time during any
battle to assist you.
ITEMS
Squall Card: Laguna (Challenge him either in his office at the Presidential
Palace or in the passenger area on board the Ragnarok before you infiltrate
Lunatic Pandora.)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins, CC Group, Balamb, Obel Lake, UFO?, Queen of
Cards,
Cactuar Island, Deep Sea Research Center
SeeD Inauguration
Return to Balamb Garden. Go to the Hall and approach Cid, Quistis and Xu. Find
Seifer standing outside the Library and talk to him. Report to the 2F Hallway
outside the Classroom and wait until you're called into the Headmaster's Office.
Return to the hallway outside the Classroom.
Go to your room, change into your SeeD uniform, and talk to Selphie to go to the
Inauguration party. Go to your dorm room when Quistis instructs you and change
into your normal clothes. Meet her in the Training Center and go to the 'secret
area' on the far side of the Save Point. Head for the exit, defeat the Granaldo
and three Raldos, and return to the Dormitory.
STRATEGY
Granaldo & Raldos: Cast Sleep on the Granaldo immediately (if you don't have any
in stock, you can draw it from the Granaldo). It can't attack while it's
sleeping
and the Raldos won't attack you of their own accord until you defeat the
Granaldo. This leaves you free to stock up on magic. As long as you re-cast
Sleep
on the Granaldo immediately after it wakes up, you should be able to keep it
asleep and max out both characters' magic stocks without taking any damage. You
may want to draw Protect from a Raldo and cast it on Squall and Quistis to
minimize the damage from any physical attacks the Granaldo manages to squeeze in
during its fleeting moments of consciousness. When you've had your fill, summon
and boost your strongest GF. This should eliminate all the Raldos in a single
blow. A second boosted GF should finish the battle. [14 AP]
NOTES
Battle Meter: Talk to Cid in his office after you've been dismissed from the
SeeD
Inauguration and he'll give you the BATTLE METER. Initially you'll only have
access to the Battle Report but you'll be able to add new features later in the
game. To access the Battle Meter, open the Tutorial from the Menu Screen, enter
the Info Corner, and select Information. View the Battle Report to keep track of
the distance you've walked, the number of battles you've been in, the number of
battles you've won, and the number of times you've escaped.
ITEMS
Seifer Card: Cid (in the B-Garden Headmaster's Office)
Zell Card: Ma Dincht (Visit the Dincht's and challenge her while Zell is in your
party.)
Timber Maniacs: Balamb Hotel (Go upstairs to the guestroom and you'll see it on
the table right of the Save Point.) OR Balamb Station Yard (on the ground near
the edge of the platform behind the signal)
Galbadia Garden
Go to the Dollet Train Platform and board the train. Pass through the security
door and return to the first compartment. Talk to Zell, leave him alone, and get
off the train. Enter the forest west of East Academy Station.
Head for the entrance to the Excavation Site and defeat the Esthar Soldiers you
encounter as you approach the fork in the catwalk. Make your way to the cliff at
the far side of the Site and defeat the Esthar Soldiers you encounter there.
Go to Galbadia Garden (west of the forest), locate the 2F Reception Room, and
talk to Zell. Talk to every person in the room and approach the area on the far
side of the coffee table. Head for the lower level of the Hall, find Quistis by
the Front Gate, and talk to her. Follow Quistis to the meeting place and talk to
Rinoa. Talk to Rinoa, Zell, Selphie or Quistis after the meeting.
NOTES
Tampering with the Excavation Site: Go right at the fork in the catwalk at the
entrance to the Site and climb down the ladder. Proceed along the path until you
reach an area with materials piled in the lower-right corner. Approach the pile
and pick up the Old Key. Head left until you reach an area with three hatches on
the ground. Examine the center hatch and tamper with the loose lever. Go right
and the hatch will drop open under a pursuing Esthar Soldier. Return to the
area,
examine the right hatch and attempt to tamper with the lever. Go back to the
entrance and take the left fork in the catwalk. Proceed until you reach another
ladder and climb down. Approach the area on the far side of the barrier against
the left wall, pick up the other Old Key and proceed to the area with the three
hatches. Examine the left hatch, attempt to tamper with it and return to the
entrance again. Go right at the fork and proceed to the area with the pile of
materials. Go up until you reach an area with a detonator on the ground.
Approach
it and press the red switch. The furthest boulder will roll into a hole and the
impact will knock open the left hatch. Approach the detonator again and press
the
blue switch. The nearest boulder will roll away and plug the hole, jarring the
right hatch open. Go up and proceed along the path until you reach an area with
a
boulder against the left wall. Push it out of the way to reveal a Cure Draw
Point. Solving this puzzle isn't mandatory but doing so will yield significant
rewards later in the game.
Galbadia D-District Prison
Go to the Pub and talk to Kiros. Patrol the village: Go to the opposite end of
Winhill and return to the Pub. Go upstairs and report to Raine. Go to your room
and rest.
Talk to Rinoa. After the Warden interrogates Squall, talk to Quistis and go to
Floor 8. Approach the Guards and defeat them. Defeat Biggs & Wedge and find
Squall in the torture chamber on Floor 13. Go to the arm control room and push
the red button on the main panel. Proceed through the basement and open the
door.
Zell: Head toward the down staircase. Squall's Party: Select a third party
member
and head for Floor 13. Irvine's Party: Head for Floor 3. Squall's Party: Proceed
to the exit on the top floor and defeat an Elite Soldier and two GIM52As. Head
for the structure on the opposite side of the bridge. Talk to Selphie and select
your party. Board the train to Balamb Garden.
STRATEGY
Biggs & Wedge: Both are vulnerable to a number of status effects. Consider
junctioning Drain or Zombie to ST-Atk. Begin by drawing Slow from Biggs and
casting it on both your enemies and drawing Haste from him and casting it on
your
entire party (you may also wish to draw Protect from Wedge and cast it on your
party members). Fill your stock of the magic they're carrying and mug them for
items. When you're ready, beat them down with unrelenting attacks. If you wish
to
be extra cruel, afflict both men with Zombie, draw Regen and Haste from Biggs,
and cast both on your enemies. Sit back and watch them perish without any
further
effort or be merciful and use revival items to put them out of their collective
misery. [10 AP]
NOTES
Moombas: You can make your break from Galbadia D-District Prison a bit easier by
befriending these odd creatures. Your first opportunity comes when a Moomba is
being punished for dropping a tray. Stop the Mean Guy from beating the Moomba
and
it'll follow you. When you reach Floor 13 during your search for Squall, the
Moomba will take you to the torture chamber and open the door. Inside, talk to
it
and it'll offer to make a shortcut (remove the block between the up and down
staircases) on Floor 10, 11 or 12. When you return to Floor 13 during your
escape, talk to the Moomba and it'll give you a Cottage. Your other opportunity
occurs during the Warden's interrogation of Squall. If you respond with '...Just
let me die', the Moombas will release Squall from the device and gather outside
the torture chamber. When you reach Floor 13, approach the Moomba nearest the
door and it'll let you into the chamber. Inside, talk to the Moombas and they'll
offer to make two shortcuts for you, one on Floor 2, 3 or 4 and the other on
Floor 5, 6 or 9. When you return to Floor 13 during your escape, talk to the
Moomba and it'll give you a Rename Card. If you're not the type to make friends
with animals, you'll have to manage without the shortcuts and items. You'll be
on
your own during your search for Squall and you'll find the door to the torture
chamber locked. Try to force it open then defeat a series of attacking enemies
and you'll find the key.
Prison cells: After you defeat Biggs & Wedge and the alarms go off, many of the
prison cell doors will be unlocked. During your search for Squall, consider
taking advantage of what the prison has to offer. You'll find several items and
prisoners willing to play cards with you for money (if you win, they'll give you
a random item). Floor 1: You'll find a hidden Save Point in the left cell and
COMBAT KING 001 in the right cell. Floor 2: You'll find a PET NAMETAG in the
left
cell and a STR UP in the right cell. Floor 3: You'll find a PET HOUSE in the
right cell. Floor 4: You'll find a TENT in the left cell. Floor 5: In the right
cell, you'll find a prisoner willing to play cards for 500 Gil per game. Floor
8:
In the left cell, you'll find a Man from Garden running a Shop from inside the
pokey. Floor 9: You'll find a Berserk Draw Point in the right cell. Floor 10:
You'll find a Save Point in the left cell. In the right cell, you'll find a
prisoner willing to play cards for 300 Gil per game. If you beat him, he'll
upgrade your Battle Meter to include the CHARACTER REPORT (showing kills and KOs
for each character). Floor 11: In the left cell, you'll find a prisoner willing
to play cards for 200 Gil per game. You'll find a Thundaga Draw Point in the
right cell.
ITEMS
Combat King 001: (see NOTES, Prison cells)
Fishermans Horizon
Report to the Headmaster's Office. Leave Balamb Garden via the Deck and locate
the Mayor's Residence in the middle of the city. Go upstairs and speak with
Mayor
Dobe. Head for the Residential Area outside the Station Yard and approach the
confrontation between the soldier and the Mayor. Defeat the Galbadian Soldiers,
destroy the BGH251F2, and return to Balamb Garden. Go to the Quad, find Selphie
near the stage, and talk to her. Assign instruments to Zell, Irvine, Selphie and
Quistis.
Leave your dorm room and talk to Rinoa. Talk to Irvine and head for the Festival
Grounds outside the Mayor's Residence. After the concert begins go right and
examine the magazine on the ground.
STRATEGY
BGH251F2: Use the skirmish with the Galbadian Soldiers to top up your HP and
supply of the various types of magic they carry. The BGH251F2 is a machine weak
against Thunder and Water. Junction Thunder magic or Water to Elem-Atk. Your
tactics for this battle should be very similar to those you used during your
last
encounter with the Iron Clad. The tank was severely damaged by the battle and
subsequent explosion at the Galbadia Missile Base, rendering its attacks limp at
best. Try to steal an Adamantine before you destroy it with your strongest GF
attacks. [20 AP]
NOTES
Master Fisherman: You'll be crossing an enormous crane as you head into
Fishermans Horizon. Immediately after you step off it be on the lookout for a
ladder leading to a lower level. If you climb down and proceed left through the
Factory you'll find the Master Fisherman sitting on the end of another crane.
Talk to him and he'll give you OCCULT FAN III. Talk to him again and he'll ask
you to go the docks and talk to his pupil. Find the Fisherkid casting from a
boat
near the FH Junk Shop and talk to him. Tell him you 'sort of' like fishing and
he'll demonstrate his inaptitude for angling. Talk to him again, tell him you've
seen his master, and say you were 'sort of...impressed.' Talk to him a third
time
and he'll nearly strangle the Shopkeeper with a bungled cast. Return to the
docks
after you destroy the BGH251F2 and talk to the Fisherkid one more time. He'll
cast properly at last and ask you to tell his master. Return to the Factory and
talk to the Master Fisherman. He'll ask you to meet him at the inn. Head for the
FH Hotel and go upstairs to the guestroom. After he finishes his story keep him
company a bit longer, follow him to the FH Junk Shop, and talk to the
Shopkeeper.
Talk to the Master Fisherman and he'll give you a MEGALIXIR.
Grease Monkey: After you destroy the BGH251F2, stop by the residence on the
right
side of the tracks in the Residential Area. Talk to Grease Monkey and he'll
express his admiration for your battle prowess. Grab the issue of TIMBER MANIACS
lying on the floor. After you meet up with Irvine on your way back to the
Garden,
return to Grease Monkey's residence and you'll walk in on a Galbadian Soldier
hounding Grease Monkey to fix the demolished BGH251F2. Approach the soldier and
step outside. When you go back in, you'll discover the soldier has chickened
out.
Talk to the Grease Monkey and he'll give you a MEGA PHOENIX.
ITEMS
Occult Fan III: FH Factory (see NOTES, Master Fisherman)
Quezacotl Card: Mayor Dobe (sitting upstairs in the FH Mayor's Residence)
Timber Maniacs (2): FH Residence [Grease Monkey] (see NOTES, Grease Monkey) and
FH Hotel (see NOTES, Master Fisherman)
Clash of the Gardens
Pilot the Garden to southwestern Centra (northwest of Trabia Garden) and engage
Galbadia Garden (hovering over the western forest of Lenown Plains). Give
orders,
use the lift to go down, and talk to Quistis. Select your party and head for the
Quad. Find Zell on the far side of the Quad and approach him. Talk to Rinoa and
return to the bridge. Zell's Party: Head for the extreme left side of the Quad
and find Squall near the Front Gate.
Squall's Party: Select your party, go to the Classroom, and defeat the
Paratroopers. Talk to the SeeD caring for the junior classmen and meet Dr.
Kadowaki in the Headmaster's Office. Head for the second floor, find the missing
junior classman at the far end of the 2F Hallway, and talk to him. When a
Paratrooper attacks you, examine the emergency exit and look around for another
option. Examine it again and press the button. Defeat the Paratrooper and head
for the Back Entrance to Galbadia Garden. Obtain the three Card Keys, take the
second floor elevator to the Master Room, and approach Seifer and Edea. Defeat
Seifer, head for the Auditorium, and approach the stage. Defeat Seifer & Edea.
STRATEGY
Seifer: Seifer is weak against Poison and vulnerable to Drain. Junction Bio to
Elem-Atk and Drain to ST-Atk. Seifer uses physical attacks and Fire-based magic.
Junction Fire magic to Elem-Def. Begin by drawing Haste from Seifer and casting
it on your party. Draw from his stock of magic, healing members of your party as
needed. Mug him if you wish and finish him off with strong GFs or physical
attacks. [20 AP]
Seifer & Edea: Prepare for your fight with Seifer as you did in the previous
battle. Edea is vulnerable to Sleep. Junction Sleep to ST-Atk. The Sorceress can
cast Death. Junction Death to ST-Def. Seifer's power has increased but his HP
are
lower. Deal with him as before and keep a close watch over his HP. Before you
deliver the final blow, allow everyone's ATB gauge to fill up. Decide which
character will use a GF attack and dedicate the other two to preparing for the
ensuing battle with Edea. Use the time during the GF's attack to cast Sleep with
both remaining members of your party. You'll have good chance of forcing a
killer
catnap on Edea before she even registers Seifer's defeat. Draw Alexander and
summon Carbuncle immediately. Should she wake, she'll want to use magic. If your
party has Reflect, she'll spend her time casting Dispel on your party or Reflect
on herself (allowing her to attack you by bouncing magic off herself). Cut her
off by re-casting Sleep and undoing her mischief. Stock up on magic as the
Sorceress slumbers. When you're ready, assault her with strong attack magic and
GFs. [Alexander joins your party + 50 AP]
NOTES
Finding the three Card Keys: After you enter Galbadia Garden, take the hallway
on
the right and head for the stairs on the right. Go to the second floor, head
left, and enter the dorm room on the right. Talk to the Male Student and he'll
give you Card Key 1. Return to the hallway near the Back Entrance and take the
left hallway. Unlock the door on the left and enter the Gymnasium. Head for the
far side of the hockey rink, take the door on the right, and enter the classroom
on the right. Talk to the Male Student and he'll give you Card Key 2. Exit the
classroom, unlock the door (implied) at the near end of the hallway, enter the
next hallway, and proceed to the hallway near the Back Entrance. Take the
hallway
on the right and head for the stairs on the right. Go to the third floor, unlock
the door at the top of the stairs and enter the Stand. Go to the bottom of the
steps and you'll jump down to the Athletic Track. Head left, proceed to the
Hall,
take the lower-left hallway, and enter the left classroom. Talk to the Female
Student and she'll give you Card Key 3. Return to the Hall, take the upper-left
hallway, and go up the stairs to the second floor. Head left to the Elevator
Hall
and unlock the elevator.
Cerberus: Cerberus stands basking in a beam of light in the center of the lower
level of G-Garden Hall. It's vulnerable to Drain. Junction Drain to ST-Atk.
Cerberus can use a variety of both elemental and status magic. Fortify yourself
by junctioning Life and Shell to Elem-Def and Reflect and Esuna to ST-Def.
Approach the beast to engage it in battle. Cerberus' primary threat is its
tendency to cast Triple on itself. Begin by stocking the magic carried by this
hell-hound. Never commit any more than two party members at a time to this
activity. Always leave the third member of your party with a full ATB gauge in
case Cerberus casts Triple. As soon as it does, use your character-in-waiting to
cast Dispel. When you're ready to initiate your attack, mug Cerberus and summon
your strongest GFs (excepting Quezacotl and Pandemona), again never committing
your entire party to the attack at the same time. [Cerberus joins your party +
CERBERUS CARD + 30 AP]
ITEMS
Cerberus Card: (see NOTES, Cerberus)
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Dollet, Deling City, Timber, Winhill Village, Shumi Village,
Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins
Lunatic Pandora
Go to Odine's Laboratory, talk to the Research Assistant, and ask to see the
doctor. Enter the building, proceed to the Lab, and talk to Doc Odine.
Rendezvous
with Lunatic Pandora at one of the contact points and defeat the enemies
guarding
the entrance. Make your way through Lunatic Pandora and find the Mobile Type 8.
NOTES
Boarding Lunatic Pandora: To reach the first contact point, exit Odine's
Laboratory and proceed to the intersection. Go right, proceed to the next
intersection, take the skyway on the far side of the lifter, go up the steps,
and
head left. If you don't succeed, head for the second contact point. Go right,
down the steps, and take the far end of the skyway. This is the correct area but
the contact point is at the right-most end of the lower skyway. Take the far end
of the skyway, take the far-right skyway, and go left. If you're unsuccessful
again, head for the third contact point. Go right and take the near end of the
skyway. It's to your advantage to board Lunatic Pandora as early as possible as
the difficulty of the battle at the entrance increases at each contact point
(though none of them are terribly difficult). More importantly, the contact
point
at which you board Lunatic Pandora determines the area you'll be in when you
first get inside and the areas you'll be able to explore without encountering
the
Mobile Type 8.
Finding the Mobile Type 8: If you board Lunatic Pandora at the first contact
point, you'll begin on a flight of stairs. Proceed to the hall and take Elevator
03. Head for the bottom of the steps in the near-right corner and climb down the
ladder. If you tampered with the Centra Excavation Site as Laguna (see GALBADIA
GARDEN), you'll finally be able to claim your reward. If you found the Old Keys
examine the room to the right of the ladder and you'll find a LuvLuv G. If you
used the detonator to move the boulders you'll be able to proceed left until you
reach the area with the 3 hatches. If you opened all of the hatches you'll be
able to examine each room and find (right to left) a Power Generator, a Silence
Draw Point and a Phoenix Pinion. Continue left and you'll see Combat King 005
lying on the ground.
If you found the Old Keys you'll be able to enter the far room and draw Ultima.
Return to the hall and take Elevator 01. If you pushed the boulder out of the
way
you'll be able to examine the opening on the left side of the path and find a
Spd-
J Scroll. Proceed along the path and you'll pass a Save Point. Take the far path
and you'll find the Mobile Type 8. If you board Lunatic Pandora at the second
contact point you'll begin at the end of a long corridor. Proceed along the
corridor and you'll end up near the steps outside Elevator 03. You'll be able to
access everything in the area beyond the foot of the steps, but as soon as you
reach the hall you'll encounter the Mobile Type 8 before you can draw Curaga,
Meteor and Holy, claim the Spd-J Scroll, and use the Save Point. If you board
Lunatic Pandora at the third contact point, you'll begin at the end of a
different corridor. Proceed along the corridor and you'll end up in the area
with
the Save Point. You'll be able to get the Spd-J Scroll if you take the near
path,
but you'll run into the Mobile Type 8 if you take the far path or proceed to the
hall. Don't worry, no matter where you board Lunatic Pandora you'll get a second
chance to find everything a bit later in the game.
ITEMS
Combat King 005: Lunatic Pandora (see NOTES, Finding the Mobile Type 8)
The Future
Touch the Save Point, take the far doors, and defeat the nameless "Sorceress".
Head for the backyard and make your way through the Wilderness to Ultimecia
Castle.
STRATEGY
"Sorceress": During this battle you'll be attacked by a long series of
Sorceresses. All but the last will be vulnerable to Death. Junction Death to ST-
Atk (only on characters junctioned with the Mug ability if you intend to steal
from the Sorceresses). Immediately cast Sleep on the first Sorceress and begin
topping up your supply of the magic she carries. Before long another Sorceress
of
the same type will appear. Dispatch her promptly and do the same for each
Sorceress of this sort as she arrives. Eventually a new type of Sorceress will
join the battle. Put her to sleep and return to stocking magic. When you've
finished with both snoozing sisters cut them down and continue the death spree
until you reach the final showdown. This last type of Sorceress uses strong
attacks targeting the entire party and will respond to every affront (including
Draw) with a very strong counterattack. Be prepared by keeping your party's HP
relatively high. Begin by stocking the powerful magic she carries. Unfortunately
she won't succumb to Sleep so plan on taking frequent breaks to heal your party.
At some point she'll begin preparing to cast Ultima. During the countdown you'll
enjoy a period free from counterattacks. Check your HP and use this time to
complete the task of stocking or dish out as much damage as possible. [55 AP]
NOTES
Portals: As you climb the chain to Ultimecia Castle you'll pass an area with
three stone portals off to the left. Each doorway leads to a different part of
the world. The near portal will take you to Wilburn Hill in western Galbadia,
the
middle portal will take you to Serengetti Plains in eastern Centra, and the far
portal will take you to a beach on the southeastern edge of Grandidi Forest in
Esthar. Face one of the portals and press [X] to leap across the chasm. Before
you head for the castle consider taking this last opportunity to explore the
world and level up (e.g. on the Island Closest to Hell), gain AP (e.g. on
Cactuar
Island), track down the items you need to upgrade your weapons, flesh out your
magic stock, and complete some of the optional quests you may have passed on
earlier. You'll be blocked from entering cities and towns sealed by an
impenetrable barrier but you'll still have access to certain locations.
Ragnarok: The good news is your trusty ship still exists in the future, which
will make your travels there much more convenient. The bad news is you must make
quite a pilgrimage to retrieve it. Begin by taking the middle portal outside the
castle. Head for Nectar Peninsula to the north, traveling along the eastern
coast, and enter the Chocobo Forest on the other side of the mountains. Ride a
Chocobo south to the beach southwest of Centra Ruins and west across the
shallows
to reach the beach on the north coast of Centra's southern island. Head east
through Lenown Plains and Lolestern Plains to the Talle Mountains in Esthar.
Head
northeast through the narrow gap in the mountain range and proceed to Kashkabald
Desert. Head northwest across the dunes and you'll find it parked near the
coast.
Enter the portal nearby to return to the castle and establish a permanent link
to
this location. If you completed the CC Group Quest you'll find the group's
members eager for a game of cards in various parts of the ship.
Queen of Cards: Somehow she made it through the time compression. You'll find
her
standing at the Lunar Base Escape Pod crash site near the southern tip of the
eastern peninsula of Abadan Plains in Esthar (as it's not visible from the World
Map you must comb the area to find it). She'll play with whatever rules she
desires and will be an incredibly formidable opponent but you'll want to
challenge her if you're determined to obtain every card in the game.
OPTIONAL QUESTS: Chocobo Forests, Centra Ruins, Obel Lake, UFO?, Cactuar Island,
Deep Sea Research Center
Optional Quests
The main plot-line of "FINAL FANTASY VIII" will take you to every continent but
it holds only a fraction of what the game has to offer. Taking the time to
explore some of the world's most out-of-the-way locations will be the only way
to
experience the full drama of the story and find the most powerful items and
Guardian Forces. For each Optional Quest you'll find a list of what that episode
has to offer, a detailed walk-through, and complete strategies for defeating the
Bosses you may encounter.
Dollet
Geezard Card (5)
Red Bat Card (4)
Buel Card (3)
Anacondaur Card (2)
Cactuar Card
Siren Card
Occult Fan II
Timber Maniacs (2)
[Potion + Phoenix Down + Soft] OR
[X-Potion + Mega-Potion + Elixir]
Since you were a little preoccupied during your initial visit to Dollet, you may
want to take the time to return to the town at some point and pick up the
considerable cache of items waiting there. Begin as any reasonable teenager
would
by heading straight for the pub. Go upstairs and find the Pub Owner standing at
the far end of the blackjack table in the near-left corner. Defeat him in a game
of cards and he'll show you outside and across the walkway to his private room.
Talk to him and he'll reward your victory by giving you five GEEZARD CARDS, four
RED BAT CARDS, three BUEL CARDS, two ANACONDAUR CARDS and a CACTUAR CARD.
Continue playing cards with him until you win the SIREN CARD (unless you managed
to win it in the first game). Before you head out, make sure you examine the
stack of reading material nearest the exit. Each time you enter the room, you'll
be able to find three random items hidden among the magazines. Leave and
re-enter
as necessary until you find the copy of OCCULT FAN II. On your way through the
pub, grab the issue of TIMBER MANIACS lying on the table where you first met the
Pub Owner.
Head down the street toward Lapin Beach and you'll notice a boy and a dog
standing outside one of the residences. Approach the boy and he'll go inside.
Follow him in and you'll discover he's been wreaking mischief on one of his
grandpa's paintings. Follow the painter to the beach and talk to him and the
girl
kneeling beside him. You'll learn the boy's doodles show 'the secret hiding
place
of a doggie.' Return to the painter's residence and examine the painting. Go to
the part of town indicated by the white bone and you'll find the dog nearby.
Examine the dog and you'll find a POTION. Go back to the painter's residence and
you'll discover the boy has vandalized another painting. Examine it and track
down the dog again. This time you'll find a PHOENIX DOWN. Repeat the process
once
more and you'll find a SOFT. (NOTE: If you postpone completing this part of the
quest until after you've defeated Edea a second time, you'll find significantly
better items: an X-POTION, a MEGA-POTION and an ELIXIR.)
On your way out of town, stop by the Dollet Hotel and spend the night. In the
morning, you'll find an issue of TIMBER MANIACS lying on the table on the right
side of the guestroom.
Deling City
Rinoa Card
After the failed assassination attempt against Edea, return to Deling City and
head for Caraway's Mansion. Rinoa's father may not have endeared himself to you
during your initial association with him, but since being dismissed of his
duties
for his role in the botched coup d'etat he's developed an almost helpful
attitude. You'll find him leaning against his desk on the right side of the
room.
Talk to him and ask him about cards. He'll tell you he has his daughter's card
and he'll consider playing it if you give him your Ifrit Card. Challenge him and
select your four weakest cards and the Ifrit Card. Lose the game intentionally
and he'll gratefully claim the card he's after. Challenge him again until you
win
the RINOA CARD.
Ask General Caraway about cards again and he'll tell you he lost the Ifrit Card
to Martine, the former Master of Galbadia Garden. Open the Menu Screen, select
Card, and move the cursor to the grayed Ifrit Card. Look in the lower-right
corner and you'll discover the card's location, the Sun Panel in Fishermans
Horizon. Travel to FH (via either Balamb Garden or the Ragnarok) and find
Martine
sulking in the area to the right of the Mayor's Residence. Challenge him to win
back your Ifrit Card.
Timber
Timber Maniacs
After Balamb Garden has been repaired at Fishermans Horizon, you'll be able to
travel to Timber and collect the issue of Timber Maniacs that eluded you during
your mission at the Timber TV Station due to the Galbadian presence in the
Timber
Hotel. Head for the train tracks near the Dollet Train Station and you'll
encounter the two kids that were plotting a train-dodge during your last visit
to
Timber. To their great panic, the little girl has stumbled on the tracks and is
in need of help. Rescue her from the incoming train and you'll be rewarded with
a
free stay in the Hotel. You'll see the issue of TIMBER MANIACS on the table in
the lower-right corner of the guestroom.
Winhill Village
Gysahl Greens
Phoenix Pinion
Holy Stone
Winhill Village is located on the Galbadia continent south of D-District Prison.
Something's amiss in the Mansion at the far end of the village. Talk to the man
standing on the staircase and he'll tell you his precious vase is missing.
Examine the suit of armor on the left side of the main floor and walk away. A
Chicobo will burst out of it and drop a piece of the broken vase. Pick up the
Vase Piece and give it to the man. He'll ask you to let him know if you find any
more pieces. Head for the Pub, go upstairs, and talk to the woman twice. Go
downstairs and examine the white flowers on the table in the near-right corner.
Talk to Raine's ghost and a cat will appear in her place; examine the cat to
find
another Vase Piece. Go to the old woman's residence in the neighboring part of
the village, examine the flowers in the near-right corner, and tell the old
woman
you like flowers. Examine them again to find another Vase Piece and head for the
Chocobo Crossing in the middle of the village. Kick the Chicobo as it scurries
past and it'll drop the last Vase Piece. Punt the Chicobo two more times and
it'll drop GYSAHL GREENS and a PHOENIX PINION. Return to the Mansion and give
the
Vase Pieces to the man on the staircase. In thanks he'll give you a HOLY STONE.
Shumi Village
Timber Maniacs
Phoenix Pinion
Status Guard
Shumi Village lies deep beneath the frozen earth of northwestern Trabia. Travel
to eastern Winter Island, locate and enter the Mystery Dome, and take the
elevator down to the village entrance. Go to Sculptor's Residence at the far end
of the village and head for the workshop at the back. You'll find the Shumi
working on a statue of Laguna and Sculptor will insist you speak with the Elder;
go to the Elder's Residence in the middle of the village. After the Elder
finishes telling you about Laguna, attempt to exit and he'll ask you to assist
his attendants in the workshop. Go to the workshop and talk to Sculptor. He'll
ask you to get five kinds of stone to help him finish the statue. Blue stone:
Examine the large stone on the floor against the wall on the left side of the
workshop. Wind stone: Examine the stone on the far side of the path left of the
Hotel. Return to the workshop and talk to Sculptor. Life stone: Climb the roots
of the tree on the rock face right of the Elder's house to retrieve the stone,
return to the workshop, and talk to Sculptor. Shadow stone: Take the elevator to
the surface and examine the overlapping shadows near the right side of the foot
of the steps. Return to the workshop and talk to Sculptor. Water stone: Go to
Artisan's Residence next door and examine the left corner of the far room. Grab
the issue of TIMBER MANIACS on Artisan's bed, return to the workshop, and talk
to
Sculptor. Go to the Elder's Residence and you'll receive the Elder's gift. As
you
exit, the Elder's Attendant will give you a PHOENIX PINION.
Take the elevator to the surface and return to the workshop. The Elder's
Attendant has been assigned to help Sculptor complete the statue of Laguna. Talk
to Attendant and you'll discover he's less than enthusiastic about the task. Go
to the Elder's Residence and talk to the Elder. Talk to the Moomba outside and
follow it to the workshop. Once the Attendant has agreed to work, return to the
Elder's Residence and talk to the Elder. Go to the workshop and talk to
Attendant. He'll suggest another craftsman is needed. Go to Artisan's Residence
and talk to Artisan five times. He'll tell you about a group of artisans he
admires and show you examples of his work, but he'll refuse to help. Head for
the
surface and go to the Grease Monkey's Residence in Fishermans Horizon. Talk to
the Grease Monkey and he'll give you Artisan's Moomba doll. Return to Artisan's
Residence in Shumi Village and the doll will deliver a message from the Grease
Monkey. Go to the Elder's Residence and talk to the Elder. He'll reward you with
a STATUS GUARD.
Chocobo Forests
Boko [Chocobo's World]
Aura Stone
Flare Stone (2)
Shell Stone
Holy Stone (2)
Protect Stone
Meteor Stone (3)
Ultima Stone (2)
Chicobo Card
Those already familiar with the FINAL FANTASY series will recognize the world's
most lovable mode of transportation. Chocobos are bird-like creatures you can
use
to ride from one place to another quickly and free of hassling random
encounters.
To catch one, you must seek them out in their native habitat, the Chocobo
Forests. You'll identify them by their peculiar dome shape.
When you enter one of the Chocobo Forests, you'll be greeted by the mysterious
Master Chocobo Catcher, Chocoboy. For a price, he'll teach you how to catch a
Chocobo for your own personal use. To begin with, you'll need a ChocoWhis.
Chocoboy will give you one for free but will charge you 1000 Gil to hear his
lecture on how to use it. There are two types of whistles, ChocoSonar and
ChocoZiner. ChocoSonar reacts to the presence of Chicobos. Press [S] to select
this whistle and hold [T] while walking around to track Chicobos. Single quiet
pings mean they're not around and sets of three louder pings tell you one is
nearby. ChocoZiner calls them down from the trees. Press [S] to select this
whistle and press [T] to sound it. (NOTE: If you sound the ChocoZiner where
there
are no Chicobos, your whistle will be stolen and you'll have to pay Chocoboy 700
Gil for another one.) Your objective will be to catch a Chicobo when there's
only
one on the ground. Doing so will bring the worried mother Chocobo out of hiding
where you can catch her and ride her out of the forest.
There are seven Chocobo Forests in the world and there are puzzles in six of
them. As you attempt to solve each puzzle, you may want to talk to Chocoboy and
buy a hint for 100 Gil. You'll also have the option to purchase Gysahl Greens at
600 Gil apiece or ask a question for 10 Gil. When you've successfully summoned
your first Chocobo, talk to Chocoboy before you catch her and he'll let it slip
there may be something you haven't found yet. Use the ChocoSonar to find a
secret
hiding place. Sound the ChocoZiner and the Chocobo will dig in that location and
reward you for mastering the forest. Talk to Chocoboy and he'll tell you the
items are a sign of affection for those the Chocobos of that forest regard as
one
of their own. Each time your return, you'll find the Chocobo waiting for you in
the open. To celebrate your first catch, Chocoboy will give you BOKO as a
present. In the future, you'll be able to summon Boko during battle using Gysahl
Greens and the Chicobo will attack your enemies.
CHOCOBO WORLD: Chocobo World is a self-contained game designed for use with the
PocketStation. Save your game to a PocketStation unit and Boko can take part in
a
journey of its very own. Boko will grow in strength as it gains experience and
can find exclusive Chocobo World items you can bring back into "FINAL FANTASY
VIII". Unfortunately, as the PocketStation is unavailable to PlayStation owners
in the US, Chocobo World can only be enjoyed by users of the PC version, where
it's included as a stand-alone application.
'THE BEGINNER'S FOREST' [Chocobo's Forest: Beginner]
LOCATION: Trabia, Winter Island (just south of Shumi Village)
HINT: "Try to find a spot where only 1 falls down."
There are four Chicobos in this forest. The spot Chocoboy refers to in his clue
is in the far-left corner of the clearing. Use the ChocoZiner in this location
and a lone Chicobo will fall down. Catch it and the mother will appear. Use the
ChocoSonar in the far right corner of the clearing to find the hidden location
of
an AURA STONE.
'THE BASICS FOREST' [Chocobo's Forest: Beginner]
LOCATION: Trabia, Sorbald Snowfield (west of Trabia Garden)
HINT: "You have to blow the whistle twice."
There are five Chicobos in this forest. You'll detect Chicobos in a large area
in
the center of the clearing. Stand in the center of that area and sound the
ChocoZiner to make three Chicobos fall. Stand over either of the two nearest
Chicobos and sound the ChocoZiner to send two of them back into the trees. Catch
the remaining Chicobo and the mother will appear. Use the ChocoSonar on the left
edge of the clearing to find the hidden location of a FLARE STONE.
'THE ROAMING FOREST' [Chocobo's Forest: Intermediate]
LOCATION: Trabia, Bika Snowfield (just north of Trabia Garden)
HINT: "Be careful where the Sonar reacts."
There are four Chicobos in this forest, two of them will be already on the
ground. Begin by standing over either of them and sounding the ChocoZiner to
send
them both into the trees. Head for the exit and use the ChocoSonar to detect the
Chicobo location to the right of the fallen tree. Sound the ChocoZiner to make a
single Chicobo fall and catch it to make the mother appear. Use the ChocoSonar
at
the far snow bank, directly behind the mother Chocobo to find the hidden
location
of a SHELL STONE and a HOLY STONE.
'FOREST OF SOLITUDE' [Chocobo's Forest: Intermediate]
LOCATION: Centra, Nectar Peninsula (north of Centra Ruins)
HINT: "Search carefully where the Sonar reacts."
There's only one Chicobo in this forest but you'll have to pinpoint its exact
location to bring it down. Use the ChocoSonar to explore the area just to the
left of and behind Chocoboy. Stand in the light patch of grass so that your feet
appear to be just higher than Chocoboy's right hand. When you find it, use the
ChocoZiner to summon the solo Chicobo and catch it to make the mother appear.
Finding the hidden items will be just as difficult. Challenge Chocoboy to a game
of cards and ask him to move. Use the ChocoSonar in the spot where he was
standing to find the hidden location of a PROTECT STONE and a METEOR STONE.
'FOREST OF FUN' [Chocobo's Forest: Expert]
LOCATION: Centra, Lenown Plains (east of Edea's House)
HINT: "Chocobowling with 4 bottles, 1 ball."
There are five Chicobos in this forest. You'll detect three major Chicobo
locations in the clearing. Find the nearest one and use the ChocoZiner to make
three Chicobos fall down. Stand over the far-left Chicobo and sound the
ChocoZiner to make a fourth Chicobo descend. Use the ChocoSonar to find the
Chicobo to the left of Chocoboy and sound the ChocoZiner to make the last
Chicobo
appear. If you stand over it and use the ChocoZiner again, the Chicobo will walk
into place and bowl the others back into the trees. Catch it and the mother will
appear. Use the ChocoSonar in the far right corner of the clearing to find the
hidden location of a METEOR STONE, a FLARE STONE and an ULTIMA STONE.
'THE ENCLOSED FOREST' [Chocobo's Forest: Expert]
LOCATION: Esthar, Talle Mountains
HINT: "Collect on outer side, then go in."
There are five Chicobos in this forest. There are six distinct Chicobo
locations:
(1) on the path in front of Chocoboy, (2) to the right of the rock behind him,
(3) in the far-left corner of the clearing, (4) on the near side of the rock at
the far side of the clearing, (5) to the left of the rock on the right side of
the clearing, and (6) in the center of the clearing. Begin by sounding the
ChocoZiner at [1 or 2 THEN 3] or [3 or 5 THEN 1 or 2] to get two Chicobos on the
left side of the clearing. Sound at [4 THEN 5] to get the remaining two 'outer'
Chicobos to fall. Sound at [6] to send them all into the trees and a single
Chicobo will drop to the center of the clearing. Catch it and the mother will
appear. Use the ChocoSonar in the far right corner of the clearing to find the
hidden location of a METEOR STONE, a HOLY STONE and an ULTIMA STONE.
CHOCOBO'S HOLY FOREST
Chocobo's Holy Forest is so sacred and remote it can only be reached by Chocobo.
Catch a Chocobo in the Roaming Forest near Trabia Garden, ride it southeast
across Bika Snowfield to Heath Peninsula, and head south across the shallows
until you arrive at the beach on the west coast of Grandidi Forest in Esthar.
Make your way through the narrow valley and head northeast through the forest to
find it (be careful, it's very easy to get lost). Visit this forest when you've
mastered all six Chocobo Forests and the mother Chocobos will treat you to a
celebratory dance. After the ritual, talk to the Chicobo and it'll give you the
CHICOBO CARD. On your way out, talk to Chocoboy and ask for one last 'Help Me'.
The master Chocobo catcher will summon a Chocobo for you to ride out of the
forest and bid you a permanent farewell. (NOTE: From this point forward, you'll
need to return here if you want Gysahl Greens. Each time you enter the Holy
Forest you can talk to the Chicobo and it'll give you one for 600 Gil.)
Centra Ruins
Odin [GF]
Odin Card
Tonberry [GF]
Travel to the crater in Centra and you'll find an odd structure, known as the
Centra Ruins, jutting out of the landscape in the vicinity of the Yorn
Mountains.
Enter the site and head for the tower. You'll be addressed by a voice
identifying
itself as Odin, the legendary GF. Odin will challenge you to climb his tower and
defeat him within 20 minutes. If you wish to accept his invitation, proceed
through the ruins and enter the tower's first chamber. Stand on the stone and
it'll levitate, carrying you to the next level. Climb the stone ladder on the
left and enter another chamber. Throw the switch, exit the chamber, and climb
down the ladder. Examine the glowing device to eject the set of steps on the
right. Head for the top of the steps and climb the ladder on the left. Examine
the statue and take out its left eye. Climb back down the ladder and go up the
steps on the right. Head left, climb the ladder to reach the top of the dome,
and
examine the statue. When you insert the left eye, you'll be given a five-digit
code. Take out both eyes, return to the other statue, and insert the eyes. Enter
the code and the door below will open. Climb down the ladder and enter the room
to challenge Odin.
ODIN
Strangely, Odin will not attack you. The GF will simply stand there, daring you
to defeat him before the time limit expires. If you fail to do so, Odin will use
his sword, Zantetsuken, to cut your entire party in half and end your game.
Begin
by casting Scan to determine Odin's HP. Attack him with everything in your
arsenal to bring him to within a single blow of defeat. Use the time remaining
to
mug Odin and stock the valuable magic carried by the GF. When you're fully
loaded
or when time runs short, launch your final assault and the GF will concede
defeat
[ODIN joins your party + ODIN CARD + 20 AP]
On your way out of the ruins, you may wish to take the opportunity to acquire
another GF. It's highly likely you encountered an odd-looking creature called a
Tonberry on your way to the tower's first chamber. If you slay enough of them
(expect to exterminate at least twenty), their King will appear to seek
vengeance. Defeat the Tonberry King and the Tonberry GF will join your party. As
simple as it seems, this will be no mean task. Though slow and meek-seeming,
Tonberries have extremely high HP and can be very deadly.
At the beginning of each battle, a lone Tonberry will stand at a distance from
your party and slowly plod toward you. When it comes close enough, it'll begin
using its very strong Chef's Knife attack. Tonberries also have an absolutely
fierce counterattack called Everyone's Grudge. Recommended Party: Rinoa, Squall
and any other character. Recommended Setup: Begin with Rinoa's HP in Limit Break
territory. As foolish as this may seem, Tonberries are extremely hesitant if at
all willing to counterattack Angelo. Rinoa's only task will be using her Combine
Limit Break. Maintain Squall and your third party member at full-strength at all
times. The third character will serve as the designated medic. Make sure he/she
has a healthy stock of strong curative magic and/or access to fully-curative
items (junction the Recover ability if possible).
Begin each battle by attacking with Rinoa's Limit Break and the strongest attack
Squall and your third character have. If Squall or your third party member is
hit
with Everyone's Grudge, there's a good chance they'll be within Limit Break
range. When this happens, wait for both ATB gauges to fill and skip to the
healthy character. Initiate the curing process and quickly activate the other
character's Limit Break while the healing takes effect. (NOTE: Always, ALWAYS
wait until the animation begins before confirming your Limit Break. This quest
is
exhausting and you're likely to grow impatient. Maintain discipline and you
won't
get knocked out.)
Continue in this fashion until the Tonberry falls. Whenever the Tonberry gets
close enough to use Chef's Knife, Rinoa will be in grave danger. Restore her HP
immediately and finish the fight. At the beginning of the next battle, have
Rinoa
employ physical attacks to goad the Tonberry into Grudging her back within Limit
Break range. When you've finally vanquished enough Tonberries to raise the
Tonberry King's ire, Its Regalness will appear in place of the last fallen
Tonberry. You'll feel a rush of relief followed by a lump of anxiety as you
realize failing to defeat the King will mean having to start all over again.
TONBERRY KING
The battle with the Tonberry King will resemble every other Tonberry skirmish in
most ways. The difference being the King's greater diversity of attacks and a
weighty increase in maximum HP. Follow the same basic strategy with one major
difference: Rinoa will no longer be safe hovering in Limit Break land. You'll
have to keep her HP topped up with the others and use her strongest attacks.
This
battle could take a long time, but as long as you play it safe you should be
victorious. [TONBERRY joins your party + 20 AP]
CC Group
GF Report
Leviathan Card
Carbuncle Card
Gilgamesh Card
After you defeat Edea for the second time, you'll be able to seek out and play
cards against members of the CC Group, a secret clique of card lovers who seek
out and challenge worthy opponents. When you win enough games at the Garden to
earn a reputation as the man to beat, the lowest-ranking member of the Group
will
accept your challenge. Each time you defeat a member of the CC Group, you'll be
able to challenge the next-highest-ranking member.
Listed below you'll find the code-name of each CC Group Member followed by
information regarding the card-player's location and any one-of-a-kind cards
that
member holds.
Jack: Hall (You'll find him walking around near the Directory.)
Joker (Card Magician): Training Center (You'll find him standing on a small pier
in the area beyond the right paddock gate. Defeat him and he'll upgrade your
Battle Meter to include the GF REPORT, showing information regarding kills and
KOs for each GF. Also has the LEVIATHAN CARD.)
Club (Card Knight): Hall (You'll find him walking around in the far quadrant.)
Spade (Card Prince): 2F Hallway (You'll find him standing on the right side of
another person near the elevator.)
Diamond (Card Princess): Hall (You'll find them talking to each other next to
the
Directory.)
Heart (Card Queen): Headmaster's Office (You'll find her standing on the bridge
to the right of Nida. She has the CARBUNCLE CARD.)
King (Card Master): Dormitory Single (After you defeat Heart, head for the
Infirmary and challenge Dr. Kadowaki. She'll tell you she used to be the King
until her title was passed to another. She suggests you'll soon encounter the
current King. Go to your dorm room and go to sleep. King will challenge you in
the middle of the night. She has the GILGAMESH CARD.)
Balamb
Combat King 003
After you defeat Edea for the second time make sure Zell is in your party and
head for Balamb. Talk to the young woman standing near the gate and she'll tell
you a girl from Garden came by Zell's house the other day. Go to The Dincht's
and
Zell will ask his mother about it. Ma Dincht will tell you she hasn't seen the
girl. Go to the Hotel and pay 100 Gil to stay. When you wake up, you'll discover
Zell is missing. Head downstairs and you'll overhear Zell talking to the Library
Girl with a Pigtail. During the conversation she'll give Zell a copy of COMBAT
KING 003.
(If you didn't obtain the Pandemona Card from the Hotel Owner's daughter during
the Galbadian occupation of Balamb you can win it from the Hotel Owner himself.
He's standing in the Town Square just outside the Hotel.)
Obel Lake
Luck-J Scroll
Three Stars
If you've been obnoxiously thorough in your examination of the landscape you may
have come across a few cryptic carvings on various objects in disparate parts of
the world. The answers to your burning questions lie waiting in the serenity of
Obel Lake located in Timber north of the city. Examine the farthest edge of the
earthen pier jutting into the lake from the east and you'll be presented with
two
options: 'Throw a rock' or 'Try humming.' Hum and a black shadow will rise to
the
surface. Hum again and you'll befriend the benevolent Black Shadow of Obel Lake.
Talk to the creature and it will ask you to find its friend, Mr. Monkey.
Continue
to talk to it and it will give you two clues: 'Mr. Monkey should be in a forest
somewhere' and 'perhaps he took a train towards Dollet.' Head for the northern
part of Hasberry Plains in Dollet and walk around in the forest until you spot
the monkey. No matter what you do the monkey will bark 'You suck!' and disappear
into the forest. Return to Obel Lake and relay to Black Shadow the whereabouts
of
the contemptible little simian. The shadow will thank you and, each subsequent
time you talk to it, will give you a random clue about the location of one of
several objects of interest potentially leading to hidden rewards.
'Take a break at the railroad bridge.' This most likely refers to the two Draw
Points located on railroad bridges in the area. You'll find a Fire Draw Point on
the bridge north of East Academy Station on the train line between Timber and
Dollet. You'll also find an Aero Draw Point on the eastern bridge on the direct
line between Timber and Deling City.
'Take some time off at Eldbeak Peninsula.' Travel to the peninsula, located
northeast of Obel Lake on the west coast of Trabia, and examine its farthest
tip.
You'll find a stone pillar with the inscription [TRETIMEASUREAT MINOFFDEISLE].
Per Black Shadow's suggestion remove the words 'time' and 'off' and you'll be
left with the message: 'Treasure at Minde Isle.' Pilot the Ragnarok to Minde
Island, located in southern Esthar in the channel between Abadan Plains and
Kashkabald Desert. Examine the area just southeast of the center of the island
and you'll find a LUCK-J SCROLL.
'At the beach in Balamb, something special washes ashore at times.' Travel to
Balamb and explore the beach on the south coast. Keep examining the rocks until
you find the one with the carving [S T S L R M].
'You'll find something on an island east of Timber, too.' Travel to Mandy Beach
southeast of the lake and explore the eastern end of the long narrow island
north
of the Horizon Bridge. You'll find a rock with the carving [R E A I D R].
'There's also something on top of a mountain with a lake and a cavern.' Pilot
the
Ragnarok to Monterosa Plateau west of the lake and set down on the highlands
north of the train tracks running directly between Timber and Deling City.
Examine the edge of the cliff immediately above the cavern from which the river
flows and you'll find a bird warming and egg. Check it out and the birds will
attack you. Defeat them and you'll discover the egg is in fact a rock with the
carving [E A S N P D]. If you're more a pacifist you may want to leave the egg
alone, wander around for a bit, and examine the area again a little while later.
Eventually the bird will go to look for food allowing you to pick up the rock
without resorting to violence.
'Mr. Monkey had a rock like this I think...' Black Shadow will give you this
clue
if you talk to it after you've found at least one of the three rocks above.
Before you head for Hasberry Plains to hunt for the monkey try throwing a few
rocks into Obel Lake. He won't even give you the time of day unless you're an
accomplished stone-skipper. Throw rocks until one skips 'many many times' (this
occurs randomly) and head for the Mr. Monkey's forest. Find him and throw rocks
at him until he throws one back at you and runs away. Mr. Monkey's rock bears
the
carving [U R H A E O].
After obtaining all four rocks return to Obel Lake and talk to Black Shadow
until
it notices your discovery. The shadow will arrange the rocks in the proper order
and you'll be able to decipher their meaning (reading from top to bottom, left
to
right): 'Mordred Plains has treasure.' Pilot the Ragnarok to northern Esthar and
set down in the center of the valley between the Nortes Mountains and the Vienne
Mountains of Trabia. Examine the ground and you'll find 'The Liar Rocks'. As you
search the plains the multicolored rocks will talk to you. The blue-faced rock
doesn't know where the treasure is but it'll give you random clues about how to
interpret the other rocks. The red-faced rock will tell you the opposite of what
you need to know and with this in mind you'll be led directly to the treasure.
When it says 'The treasure's not here!' you've found it. Examine the same spot
again and you'll find THREE STARS.
'Back in the day, south of here, there used to be a small but beautiful village
surrounded by deep forests. Everyone lived a happy life there.' This most likely
refers to an area surrounded by the eastern forests of Lenown Plains in the
Almaj
Mountains of southern Centra. Travel to the area and explore the center of the
conspicuous clearing in the midst of the forests. You'll find rubble lying among
the grass but nothing more.
UFO?
Aegis Amulet
Accelerator OR PuPu Card
If you've been an avid reader of Occult Fan Magazine you've probably heard about
the mysterious Unidentified Flying Object. You may already be a believer if
you've had any close encounters of your own during your travels. Whether you
have
an appetite for the unexplained or just an appetite for rare items solving this
mystery should prove worth your while. Begin by tracking the UFO in each of the
following four locations in any order:
Mandy Beach: Travel to Timber and explore the beach east of the city. You'll
spot
the UFO abducting a moai statue.
Winhill Bluffs: Travel to Winhill in the southern region of the Galbadia
continent and explore the area southeast of the village and west of the rocky
path where Winhill Bluffs meets Lallapalooza Canyon. You'll spot the UFO
abducting a cow.
Kashkabald Desert: Travel to Kashkabald Desert in southern Esthar and explore
the
western part of the desert. You'll spot the UFO abducting a pyramid.
Heath Peninsula: Travel to Heath Peninsula in eastern Trabia and explore the
small island east of the peninsula. You'll spot the UFO abducting a crop circle.
After you've made all four sightings pilot the Ragnarok to Grandidi Forest in
northern Esthar and set down on the highlands just north of Chocobo's Holy
Forest. Explore the area and you'll encounter the UFO up close. Unfortunately
you
must destroy that which you do not understand. Any attack will do, the UFO won't
fight back, but you may want to take the opportunity to stock up on Demi first.
When the damage is done the crippled craft will fly off and crash in the
distance. You'll be rewarded for your heroism with an AEGIS AMULET.
If you're still curious about the extra-terrestrial visitor you'll have to
travel
to Balamb to find it. Explore the area near the crater where Balamb Garden used
to rest and you'll encounter PuPu. There are two ways to deal with the creature:
if you're bona fide blood-thirsty you can butcher the defenseless and decidedly
cute little alien for an ACCELERATOR. If atonement is on your mind you may
recall
from reading Occult Fan IV the UFO was searching for Status Full Recovery
Medicine. To offer amends make sure you have the Item ability junctioned to at
least one member of your party and five Elixirs in your inventory before you
engage PuPu. At the beginning of the battle the alien will ask for Elixir. Grant
PuPu's request and the doe-eyed Oliver Twist will ask for more. Continue giving
the creature Elixir and, when adequate health care has been delivered, PuPu will
thank you by giving you the PUPU CARD. In either scenario you may want to take
the opportunity to stock up on magic before administering PuPu's fate.
Queen of Cards
Kiros Card
Irvine Card
Chubby Chocobo Card
Doomtrain Card
Phoenix Card
If you've developed a positively burning passion for acquiring every card in the
game, you'll need to deal with the Queen of Cards sooner or later. Initially,
you'll find her standing on the right side of the steps to the train station in
Balamb. She'll remain glued to this spot until you lose one of your high-level
cards (Level 8 and higher) to her in a game of Triple Triad. If you talk to her
afterward, she'll tell you she's bored of this region and will be heading for
another part of the world. This is her idiom and she'll behave in this manner
every time you win or lose a high-level card from/to her. Pursue her around the
world until she decides to go to Dollet. This is her hometown and when you talk
to her in the Dollet Pub, you'll have the option of asking her about her father.
She'll tell you he's an artist and a creator of cards. She'll mention a card she
wants to give to him so he can create a new card. Lose the requested card to her
and she'll do just that. The new card will show up in the hands of a card player
somewhere in the world. To reclaim the cards she requests from you, you'll have
to go to her father's residence (located down the street from the Pub toward
Lapin Beach). The painter's grandson will have custody of the cards. Challenge
him to win them back.
Listed below you'll find the name of each card the Queen of Cards will request
followed by the card her father will create and details about how to find the
player with the new card.
[MiniMog = Kiros]/Deling City (a man in black, standing in the middle of the
sidewalk on the left side of the street in the Mall)
[Sacred = Irvine] /Fishermans Horizon (Mayor Dobe's wife, Flo, sitting on the
second floor of the Mayor's Residence)
[Chicobo = Chubby Chocobo]/Balamb Garden (a student, sitting in the Hall outside
the Library with his arms crossed)
[Alexander = Doomtrain]/Timber (the Bartender, standing at the bar in the far-
right corner)
[Doomtrain = Phoenix]/Esthar (the Presidential Aide, standing inside the room at
the Presidential Palace where you left Rinoa during your initial visit)
Cactuar Island
Cactuar [GF]
Cactuar Island is the tiny oasis of sand located east of Kashkabald Desert in
southern Esthar. You'll know you're on the right island if you see a green
cactoid figure roaming the dunes. Land the Ragnarok on the island and prepare
for
battle. Catch the Jumbo Cactuar to engage it in battle.
JUMBO CACTUAR
[Preparation] Jumbo Cactuar is weak against Water and vulnerable to Slow.
Junction Water to Elem-Atk and Slow to ST-Atk. Junction magic and stat
multipliers prioritizing strength and speed. Jumbo Cactuar has an indefensible
counterattack called 10,000 Needles. As its name suggests, it inflicts 10,000
points of damage, bringing instant death to any character. Be prepared with
access to invincibility (e.g. Hero, Holy War and/or Rinoa's Invincible Moon
Limit
Break). Consider refining 10 Holy Wars from the Gilgamesh Card or 100 Heroes
from
the Laguna Card. [Battle] Begin the battle by casting Aura on your entire party
and follow up with invincibility for everyone. Drawing from Jumbo Cactuar, cast
Meltdown to evaporate its defenses. Unload continuous volleys of Limit Breaks
and
the Jumbo Cactuar should come crashing down. [CACTUAR joins your party + 20 AP]
Deep Sea Research Center
Bahamut [GF]
Bahamut Card
Eden [GF]
Eden Card
The Deep Sea Research Center, also known as 'Battleship Island', is a mobile
research facility abandoned in the remotest part of the ocean. The easiest way
to
find it is by using the flat map World Map Display. Board the Ragnarok and plot
a
course for the lower-left corner of the map. Explore the area until you find it
and touch down on the landing pad. Once inside the facility, you'll discover a
glowing blue core and an ominous voice will tell you to turn back. Approach the
core very cautiously. While it resonates, the encounter rate will be extremely
high and the Enc-None ability will be ineffective. Freeze until the glow
subsides
and take only a few steps at a time. When you reach the core, the ominous voice
will engage you in a conversation. Each time you respond, you'll be attacked by
a
Ruby Dragon. Defeat it and you'll advance to the next question. Respond
correctly
to the third question and you'll taken into the core to face Bahamut.
[So you wish to challenge me...]: It's not our will to fight
[Begging me for mercy?]: Never
[Damned imbeciles. Why do you wish to fight?]: It's our nature... (hidden
beneath
the second option)
BAHAMUT
[Preparation] The Ruby Dragons are weak against Ice, Junction Blizzaga to Elem-
Atk. Bahamut is vulnerable to Darkness. Junction Blind to ST-Def. [Battle]
Bahamut often uses physical attacks. Begin by afflicting Bahamut with Darkness
and you'll severely limit its ability to harm your party. It also uses an
extremely powerful attack that targets your entire party called Mega Flare.
Designate a medic and cast Triple on that character so you can restore your
party
in a single turn. Keep your HP at or near maximum while you stock up on magic
and
mug Bahamut. When you're ready to end the battle, attack with GFs or cast
Meltdown and use physical attacks (cast Aura to use Limit Breaks). [BAHAMUT
joins
your party + BAHAMUT CARD + 40 AP]
When you leave and return to the Deep Sea Research Center, you'll find a new
path
leading to the gaping hole left by the destruction of the core. Climb down the
debris and you'll see a terminal buried underneath the rubble on the left side
of
the room. Examine it to read the report about the Level Energy System that
controls the six-level pillar structure leading to a ruin at the bottom of the
ocean. Your task will be to use Reserve Steam Pressure to rotate the lower
levels
and gain access to the excavation site. You'll begin with 20 units of energy. 4
units will be spent opening the door to level 2, leaving you with 16 for the
completion of your objective. Go down the stairs to level 2. Each level from 3
to
5 has three sectors: a high-cost sector, a mid-cost sector and a low-cost
sector.
High-cost sectors (1, 4 and 7) require 4 units of energy to access. Mid-cost
sectors (2, 5 and 8) require 2 units of energy and low-cost sectors (3, 6 and 9)
require 1 unit of energy. When you access levels 3 and 4, your subsequent
choices
will be limited to sectors of equal or lesser cost. When you access level 5,
your
choice will be limited to the sector of the same cost. Once you reach level 6,
you'll need 4 units of energy to access the Deep Sea Deposit. At the bottom of
the Deposit, you'll need another 10 units to activate the control device.
Examine
the levers on each level to select the amount of steam pressure to expend. How
you proceed depends entirely on who's in your party.
Without Zell: On level 2, expend 2 units to access sector 2 [14 RSP]. On level
3,
expend 4 units to access the Steam Room [10 RSP] and use the terminal to add 7
units to your supply [17 RSP]. Return to sector 2 and expend 1 unit to access
sector 6 [16 RSP]. On level 4, expend 1 unit to access sector 9 [15 RSP]. On
level 5, expend 1 unit to access level 6 [14 RSP]. On level 6, expend 4 units to
access the Deep Sea Deposit [10 RSP].
With Zell: On level 2, expend 1 unit to access sector 3 [15 RSP]. On level 3,
expend 1 unit to access sector 6 [14 RSP]. On level 4, expend 1 unit to access
sector 9 [13 RSP]. On level 5, expend 1 unit to access level 6 [12 RSP]. When
you
reach level 6, approach the levers and Zell will claim he can operate the
machine. Let him take care of it and he'll be able to access the Deep Sea
Deposit
without expending any RSP [12 RSP].
In the Deep Sea Deposit, you'll face an extremely high and irreducible encounter
rate. What's more, the monsters roaming the excavation site are very strong and
only get stronger as you venture deeper. When you reach the bottom, junction
Move-
Find and use the hidden Save Point on the left. Prepare for your battle with
Ultima Weapon and activate the control device when you're ready.
ULTIMA WEAPON
[Preparation] Ultima Weapon has no elemental weakness. Remove all magic
junctioned to Elem-Atk. Raise each character's maximum HP as high as possible
(via magic junctioned to HP and if necessary an HP multiplier) and junction
magic
and stat multipliers placing an emphasis on physical attack attributes (such as
Str and Spd). Ultima Weapon can use an indefensible attack called Light Pillar,
instantly slaying a single target. Make sure you have the means to revive party
members. Consider refining 100 Elixirs from the Angelo Card. You may also want
access to invincibility (e.g. Hero, Holy War and/or Rinoa's Invincible Moon
Limit
Break). Consider refining 10 Holy Wars from the Gilgamesh Card or 100 Heroes
from
the Laguna Card. Open the Item Menu and move the required items to the first
page
of the battle window. Recommended Party: Zell, Squall and Rinoa. Recommended
Setup: Start with everyone's HP in Limit Break territory. Low HP plus Aura will
increase the effectiveness of their Limit Breaks (most notably improving the
probability Rinoa will execute Invincible Moon). With 9999 maximum HP or close
to
it, you should be able to achieve this while maintaining a comfortable buffer
zone against unexpected attacks. [Battle] Begin by casting Meltdown. Use your
next turn to cast Triple on the third character and in turn use Triple to cast
Aura on everyone. Consider following up with invincibility for your entire
party.
You may wish to gamble on Rinoa's Invincible Moon Limit Break or play it safe by
using items. Draw Eden immediately then let loose on Ultima Weapon with repeated
Limit Breaks. When Zell performs his Limit Break, stick to moves you can input
quickly. You may sacrifice power per punch, but you'll be able to inflict a
staggering amount of damage by simply alternating between Punch Rush and Booya.
Be prepared for Aura to wear off before invincibility. When this occurs, persist
in using the Limit Breaks of those characters with low enough HP or simply
continue hammering away with normal attacks. In the unlikely event Ultima Weapon
is still on its feet when invincibility wears off, use Triple to re-cast Aura
and
resume the onslaught until Ultima Weapon gives in. [EDEN joins your party + EDEN
CARD + 100 AP]