| +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 6. T i m e C o m p r e s s i o n +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ =================== Sections appearing: =================== 6a. Final Lunatic Pandora Continued 6b. Commencement Room 6c. Time-Compressed Overworld (optional) 6d. Ragnarok Revisited (optional) 6e. Ultimecia's Castle 6f. Ultimecia's Castle: Master Room ####################################################################### 6a. [Final Lunatic Pandora Continued] Draw Points: Break ####################################################################### If you observe carefully, you'll notice a structure to the right, which leads to the upper regions of the Pandora in the next screen. Ascend the first ladder, then climb the next ladder for a 'Break' draw point. Descend, then proceed left to run up the tilting white pole. Take a right when you reach the top, then head into the opening in the next screen. There'll be an invisible save point along the way; use Siren's 'Move-Find' party ability to see it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Adel HP: 50,000+ Draw List: Firaga, Thundaga, Blizzaga, Flare ALLY: Rinoa HP: Variable Draw List: Esuna, Dispell, Regen Total AP: 0 You'll have two targets to choose from here, and you MUST NOT let Rinoa die in this battle. Adel has quite a formidable arsenal of magical attacks, and occasionally she'll drain Rinoa's HPs. Counter this by junctioning spells to Rinoa's HP parameter prior to this, and casting Regen on her at the start of the fight. You can't use spells such as Ultima, Squall's Renzokuken or any G.Fs here as they'll also damage Rinoa, so stick to physical attacks on Adel. A 'Meltdown' spell on her before that should make your task easier. Heal Rinoa when needed. Limit breaks which work here include Zell's 'Duel' and Irvine's 'Shot'. Just make sure you don't accidentally trigger any of their 'hit all targets' attacks. Side note: Actually, I had no idea about the Renzokuken damaging Rinoa, and sorta used it on Adel. Strangely enough, even though the finishing blow (Blasting Zone) did 9,999 damage to both Adel and Rinoa, I didn't get a Game Over. I took Adel down with this move though. Apparently, as long as Adel is defeated, the game doesn't bother to check if Rinoa's still alive. This method's a bit risky, though. This is where I get the majority of mails from befuddled gamers com -plaining about why Squall does only 400+ damage to Adel with a physical attack; try reading the Menu Tutorial section carefully... the Junction System is really vital to survival in FF VIII. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ######################################################################## 6b. [Commencement Room] ######################################################################## Ellone will initiate time compression here... after a nice FMV you'll find yourselves in the Commencement Room. Save, then trudge your way through the numerous save points that appear. Head for the door in the background. Squall and company will have to combat the sorceress of each era, and every fight takes place on a different battlefield, cumulating in a show-down with the final Sorceress. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSSES: Sorceress A x6 HP: 3,390 Draw List: Firaga, Thundaga, Blizzaga BOSSES: Sorceress B x5 HP: 4,496 Draw List: Haste, Double Total AP: 0 The battles are continuous here, but fortunately these sorceresses are quite easy to take down. Both physical attacks and spells which affect all targets (i.e. Ultima, Meteor) should allow you to breeze through them. BOSS: Sorceress C HP: 50,000+ Draw List: Flare, Holy AP: 55 She can hit you pretty hard in a single counter-attack, which takes away roughly 1,000 HPs from one character. Also, when she finishes her count-down, she'll unleash 'Ultima' on your party, something which you won't want. In any case, hit her with a Meltdown-Aura -Renzokuken combo, and have the remaining cast heal or summon powerful G.Fs such as Bahamut and Eden. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Edea's Orphanage] Head up, take a right, then proceed up again for a cool FMV introducing Ultimecia's Castle. Make your way north still, and along the way you should come across a thick metal chain. There should be a total of 3 doors to the left; press 'X' (U.S) or 'Circle' (Japanese) near them to leap towards them. Just head for the portal to the upper-left or the one in the middle to get out first. Here's where they lead to: Upper-left portal: Region near the Chocobo Sanctuary (Coastal area of Grandidi Forest) Middle-left portal: Region near the Centra Ruins (Serengetti Plains) Lower-left portal: Region near Deling City (Wilburn Hill) ####################################################################### 6c. [Time-Compressed Overworld] (note: Although optional, I highly recommend you at least recover the Ragnarok) ####################################################################### Depending on which portal you chose in the previous section, you'll be able to access the Ragnarok in 2 different ways. I'll detail the portal which leads to the region near the Chocobo Sanctuary first: You'll emerge at the shoreline near the Chocobo Sanctuary (the forested cliffs north-east of Esthar). Head inland and locate the camouflaged dome-like Sanctuary, which should be in the north of Grandidi Forest. Make sure you equip Diablos' 'Encounter None' party ability while searching for the Chocobo Sanctuary; the enemies here can get annoying. Once you've got that free chocobo, ride it south along the eastern coasts of the Esthar continent, then across the shallow waters at the southern tips of the continent towards Kashkabald Desert. There's a beach south-east of the desert; get your Chocobo onto the Centra continent via the shore, and head towards the center of the desert to find the Ragnarok. The air-ship appears as a red dot on your world map, btw. And here's the alternate way to get to the Ragnarok, if you chose the middle portal previously: You'll emerge on the Centra continent, somewhere near the Centra Ruins. Head north-west, and keep a lookout for a mountain wrapped around a Chocobo Forest on the north-east tip of this island. Enter the forest, get a Chocobo (or pay the Chocoboy 1,200 gil to ride one), then ride the Chocobo south. You'll eventually find a beach; cross the shallow waters to get to the opposite island (Edea's Orphanage should be nearby). Head north-east from here, through a narrow pass in a mountain range to reach Kashkabald Desert and the Ragnarok. The air-ship appears as a red dot on the world map, btw. You'll notice that with the exception of dungeons and chocobo forests, all other areas are blocked off. There's not much you can do about the strange barriers surrounding each town, so don't bother about them too much. Still, I suggest you take a trip down to the Heaven and Hell Islands to stock up on spells first. Once you've done that, try taking a look inside the Ragnarok. ####################################################################### 6d. [Ragnarok Revisited] Rare Cards: All ####################################################################### Here's where you can complete your collection of rare cards, as well as purchase supplies. You must have defeated CC Group's King at Balamb Garden previously, either in Disc Two or Three. You should meet up with Xu at the Entrance of the ship. And as for the rest of the CC Group, they're scattered all over the Ragnarok, but shouldn't pose a problem in locating them. Note that the Joker near the elevator sells you items, in addition to providing weapon remodeling services. To play King, put 'him' in your main party, then talk to 'him' using 'Square' while in the Air Room of the Ragnarok. Each CC Group member plays accordingly to a certain region's rules. Jack: Aisle, near Entrance (Balamb's rules) Club: Aisle, near Air Room (Dollet's rules) Diamond: Hangar (Trabia's rules) Spade: Hangar, near save point (Esthar's rules) Heart: Entrance (F.H's rules) King: Air Room (Lunar Base's rules) Joker: Aisle, near Passenger Deck (Centra's rules) The CC Group holds virtually all the rare cards (except for those exclusive to the Card Queen Quest) you've yet to collect, so take time off to win them. However, they won't be your only source of rare cards in Disc Four, as the Card Queen can still be found on the Overworld itself. She's located at one of the southern tips of the Esthar continent, in the Abadan Plains. You can't see her on the Overworld directly; you'll need to actually run into the specific area to enter a field screen. Btw, this is the same field screen where you re-discovered Piet and the crashed escape pod in Disc Three. She holds the 5 cards exclusive to the Card Queen Quest. [Returning to Ultimecia's Castle] When you're ready, fly over to Kashkabald Desert and look for a portal in the north-west. This opens up yet another door to the right of the metal chain leading to Ultimecia's Castle. Run up from there to reach the final dungeon of FF VIII. Save before you enter. ####################################################################### 6e. [Ultimecia's Castle] Enemies: All Draw Points: Meteor, Slow, Dispel, Ultima, Holy, Cura, Curaga, Full-life, Aura, Meltdown, Triple, Stop G.Fs: Siren (Tri-Point), Carbuncle (Krysta), Leviathan (Trauma), Pandemona (Red Giant), Cerberus (Gargantua), Alexander (Catoblepas), Eden (Tiamat) Weapons: Omega ^_^ ####################################################################### Upon your entrance, Squall will have 8 commands sealed off: Item, Magic, G.F, Draw, Command Abilities, Limit Breaks, Resurrection and Save. This handicap is temporary; you can either leave the castle to get back your abilities, or defeat the 8 bosses hidden within the dungeon to reclaim them. In addition, you have to work in 2 parties here. Here're my recommendations: Main Party: Squall, Rinoa, Zell Secondary Party: Quistis, Selphie, Irvine Here's where you have to divide and junction G.Fs evenly among your party members. I used Diablos' 'Encounter None' party ability most of the time here, so you may have to exchange Diablos each time you change parties, via the 'Junction Exchange' option in the menu screen, under the 'Switch' command (U.S version only). Throughout the castle you'll find spinning green Switch Spots. Stepping onto them produces 3 options: - Switch to the other party. - Change party members (both parties must be standing at the same Switch Spot). - Cancel. Now that you have a rough idea of what's going on, it's time to start: (walkthrough of Ultimecia's Castle and all bosses stats - with the exception of Ultimecia's - courtesy of Scott Ong's Final Fantasy VIII FAQ Part I) Main Party: You should start in the Hall. Head north and climb the stairs to face Sphinxaur. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Sphinxaur HP: 12,000+ Draw List: Firaga, Thundaga, Blizzaga AP: 30 Since you'll only have the 'Attack' command available here, make sure your party is properly junctioned when it comes to their HP and Strength parameter. Just beat on Sphinxaur using physical attacks (Squall's R1 Gunblade trigger comes into play here), and ignore the monsters he summons. Junctioning 'Blizzaga' to Elemental Defense may help to absorb the damage if Sphinxaur decides to cast Ice magic. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Choose to unlock 'Magic' after the fight. Remember to add this command to your command list immediately in the menu screen! Magic lets you heal your characters, plus you now have access to (hopefully) various powerful spells that you've stocked up. Tip: (U.S version only!) If you've missed out on any of the G.Fs listed in the area information section above, choose to unlock 'Draw' instead. The remaining 7 bosses carry the G.Fs in their draw list. Then, be very careful of the abilities you unlock next; I suggest Magic, Limit Breaks, G.F, Resurrection, then Command Abilities, in that order. I've left out Save and Items, seeing how you could always run out of the Castle to save after every boss fight (take note of your previous location first), and healing can be achieved via Magic. Main Party: Head up the stairs. Ignore the door in front of you and make your way right instead. Go through the door in the south-east. In the Eastern Stairway Hall of the castle, run to your right and descend the stairs. You should see a string attached to a bell at the foot of the stairs. Ringing it with the 'X' (U.S) or 'Circle' (Japanese) button produces a timer in the top-left corner of the screen, but you won't be needing that now. Just keep the location of this bell in mind. Proceed through the door in the background, past the green Switch Spot. You should be in the Art Gallery now. First, take a look at each of the 4 paintings on the 1st floor of the Gallery (ignore the largest one to the left), then climb the steps to the right. View the other 8 paintings on the 2nd Floor (there's a 'Shell' Draw Point here, btw). Btw, it's imperative you examine ALL 12 paintings. Here are their titles: Ignus (Fire) Inandantia (Flood) Iudicium (Judgement) Intervigilium (Sleep) Vigil (Watchman) Vividarium (Garden) Viator (Messenger) Venus (Love) Xiphias (Swordfish) Xerampelinae (Red Clothes) Xystus (Tree-lined Road) Inaudax (Cowardice) Now return to the large painting to the left on the 1st floor, the one which I told you to ignore previously. Examine it and enter 'Vividarium', 'Intervigilium' and 'Viator', in that order. Trauma should appear now. To solve the puzzle... try going up to the 2nd floor of the Art Gallery. You'll see a clock painted onto the floor below; take note of the numbers the hands point to: VIII, IIII, VI. The 'V' indicates you should select only titles beginning with 'V', while the following 'I's give you the exact number of 'I's in each correct title. So 'VIII' would represent 'VIvIdarIum', 'IIII' would represent 'IntervIgIlIum' and 'VI' represents 'VIator'. These are read in the order of hour, minute and second. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Trauma HP: 28,809 Weak: Wind Draw List: Flare, Leviathan SUB-BOSS: Drama HP: 2,518 Weak: Wind Draw List: Esuna, Dispell Total AP: 30 Cast 'Meltdown' on Trauma, then bash away at him using physical attacks. You can also use 'Tornado' coupled with 'Triple' to do damage, but I advise you ignore the Dramas he summons; they come in unlimited numbers. Junction 'Tornado' to Elemental Attack if you can, and be wary of Trauma's 'Mega Pulse Cannon'. It isn't pretty when it hits. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Choose to unlock 'Limit Breaks' here (that is, if you've already un-sealed 'Magic' previously). You're pretty much a powerhouse now with Squall's Renzokuken usable. Proceed into the background and step through the door. Further up ahead you'll find a Switch Spot. Now take over your secondary party. Secondary Party: Equip Diablos over to the party members here for his 'Encounter None' ability if you wish to. Head up the stairs and into the door in the north. Run onto the chandelier; it should fall, and you'll wind up in the Grand Hall. Examine the nearby hatch in the floor to descend into the Wine Cellar. Tri-Point awaits. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Tri-Point HP: 22,000 Weak: Fire OR Ice Strong vs.: Thunder Draw List: Haste, Tornado, Bio, Siren AP: 30 Tri-Point counters with a very damaging Mega Spark each time you attack it (takes off about 3,000 HP from everyone), so make sure you junction 'Thundaga' to Elemental Defense before the fight. Then just hit it with 'Firaga', 'Blizzaga' (Tri-Point changes its weakness) or physical attacks (cast 'Meltdown' and junction 'Firaga' or 'Blizzaga' to Elemental Attack) for an easy victory. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Release the seal on 'G.F' or 'Save' here. If you have yet to unseal 'Limit Breaks', choose that in favour of 'G.F' or 'Save'. Climb back up to the Grand Hall, and head through the door in the background to reach a Switch Spot in the Courtyard. Change over to your main party. Main Party: If you chose to unlock 'Save' after felling Tri-Point, you can climb the stairs to the left and head through the left opening to reach a save point at the end of the corridor. Otherwise, just go through the door in front of the Switch Spot to reach the Floodgate (remember to swap Diablos over). Go for the door to the left in the basement. It should shut behind you. Take the key from the skeleton's hand. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Red Giant HP: 30,000 Strong vs.: Physical attacks Draw List: Demi, Pandemona AP: 30 This guy has a ridiculously high defense, but that's easily countered by casting 'Meltdown' on him and whacking him with a Renzokuken. Also, summoning Diablos, Cactuar and Doomtrain work well, in addition to casting 'Demi'. Other than the above 4 methods, there's no other way you can hurt him. Try using 'Blind' on him, too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Choose to unlock either 'G.F' or 'Save' here, depending on which you have yet to release. Return back to the Switch Spot leading to the Floodgate (you can save if you want to beforehand at the save point mentioned above). Change your party. Secondary Party: You should be at the Courtyard. Head for the door in the background (ignore the path leading to the right). The Chapel offers a playable organ in the upper-left corner. You can bang on it all you want first, but remember its position. Climb the staircase to the right of the screen. Eventually you'll reach a wooden bridge. Notice a sparkling object on it? WALK towards it to pick it up. Now return to the Switch Spot in the Courtyard. If the key appears to fall off, don't fret; you haven't lost it. Main Party: Go back into the Floodgate again. Examine the canal to the right of the screen to pick up the Armoury Key. If you managed to pick up the key without it falling off the bridge earlier, then just use it on the door to the right and enter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Gargantua (Head) HP: 10,626 Weak: Holy Draw List: Esuna, Haste, Bio BOSS: Gargantua (Left Hand) HP: 6,884 Weak: Holy Draw List: Shell, Protect BOSS: Gargantua (Right Hand) HP: 6,884 Weak: Holy Draw List: Bio, Demi, Quake, Regen Summon 'Siren' to halt their magical spells, then follow up with 'Alexander' to take them out. You can cast 'Holy' on them if you want. The full version of Gargantua will appear after you defeat the 3 parts. BOSS: Gargantua (Whole) HP: 15,000 Draw List: Bio, Quake, Reflect, Cerberus Total AP: 42 He likes to cast various status maladies, so make sure your party members are properly junctioned for Status Defense. Junction Berserk, Blind and Slow in this case for ST-Def. Take him out with a Doomtrain-Aura-Renzokuken combination, and remember to heal when needed. Hitting him with a physical attack results in a 'Counter Twist' by Gargantua (takes off 2,000+ HP), so cast spells or summon G.Fs such as Alexander, Bahamut, Cactuar or Eden. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hey, notice the green blood dripping from the sword on the wall here? It was coloured red in the Japanese version ^_^ Remove the seal on 'Items' or 'Resurrection'. Now return to the Switch Spot outside the Dungeon (save if you want to first). Tip: For the upcoming section to play out correctly, your main party has to consist of more males than females, and vice versa for your secondary party. It's okay if you followed my recommendations for both parties straight from the start. Secondary Party: From the Courtyard, head back one screen, move left towards a door, transverse the corridor and step through the door at the end of it to get back to the Hall. Climb the stairs again, but this time head left towards another door to reach the Western Stairway Hall. Descend the stairs to the left, head past the Switch Spot into the door, and keep moving into the background in the next screen. Take the left Switch Spot at the Elevator Hall. Main Party: Starting from outside the Floodgate, climb the stairs to the left, into the left opening and past the save point. Step onto the elevator and switch over to the other party. Secondary Party: You'll be elevated to the 2nd floor. Proceed left into a Storage Room. Check around to find a 'Floodgate Key'. Return back to the elevator and switch. Main Party: Head all the way back to the Floodgate. There should be a switch next to the door on the left. Have Squall examine it twice to drain the water. Now head for the Courtyard and look for a sparkling object in the fountain. Pick up the 'Treasure Vault Key'. Go back into the Grand Hall and step onto the Switch Spot to the right. This prevents the chandelier above from falling temporarily. Switch. Side events: Before you return to the Grand Hall, try heading into (Main Party) the Chapel. At the organ, press all 8 keys simultaneously. Now back-track to the Courtyard and take the right path. A new route (previously blocked by a steel gate) should've been opened up; follow the one-way trail. At the end of the Waterway you'll find a Rosetta Stone, plus open up a shortcut to the Floodgate. If the steel gate is still there, try re-playing the organ. You must hold down all 8 buttons until the notes fade away. Secondary Party: From the Elevator Hall, head back a screen to the dark corridor. Look for a door to the left (which is partially hidden). It's somewhere down the middle stretch, behind a pillar. Inside the Treasure Vault will be 4 coffins. Just open all of them up to get Catoblepas to appear. Tip: To open all the coffins, start by closing the leftmost one, then the rightmost coffin, followed by the 2nd-to-left coffin. Finally, open the 2nd-to-right coffin. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Catoblepas HP: 31,500 Weak: Earth, Water Strong vs.: Thunder Draw List: Meteor, Alexander AP: 30 Summon G.F. Brothers or Leviathan to do damage (or junction either 'Quake' or 'Water' to Elemental Attack). The Doomtrain-Aura-Shot (Irvine's limit break) combination works nicely too. His attacks consist of mainly single-target spells like Thundaga, so don't worry too much. Draw a few 'Meteor' spells if you can, but beware Catoblepas' final attack: a Meteor spell. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unlock either 'Item' or 'Resurrection' (depends on your previous selection after downing the Gargantua). Now head back to the Hall, through the door to the north, over the now stable chandelier and into the door over at the other end. Krysta awaits at the Terrace. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Krysta HP: 12,000 Strong vs.: Ice Draw List: Holy, Carbuncle AP: 30 Krysta has a few pretty nasty moves, and has the ability to counter every attack you throw at it, with the exception of summoned G.Fs. Just use a (you guessed it) Doomtrain-Aura-Shot combo to take care of it. Krysta will cast 'Ultima' as a last resort after you finish it off, so keep your HPs high towards the end of the fight. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ You'll have only 'Draw' and 'Command Abilities' left unlocked. I suggest taking the latter. You won't be needing the 'Draw' command much here anyway (assuming you didn't miss any G.Fs in your quest). Besides, commands such as 'Level Down', 'Recover' and 'Revive' will come in useful. Return to the Switch Spot in the Hall. Main Party: Proceed into the Chapel, and head up the right staircase. Cross the wooden bridge and enter the door to the left. The ladder to the right leads to a dead-end, btw. On the very 1st floor of the Clock Tower should be an invisible save point (use Siren's 'Move-Find' party ability to see it). Climb up the extensive winding path until you reach a swinging bell. Position yourselves at the edge opposite to the lone ledge the bell swings to, and press the 'X' (U.S) or 'Circle' (Japanese) button to jump onto the bell. Enter the opening on the ledge to reach the exterior balcony of the Clock Tower... and your most powerful adversary thus far in Ultimecia's Castle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Tiamat HP: 89,800 Strong vs.: Fire, Thunder, Wind Draw List: Flare, Eden AP: 30 Tiamat has an above average magic defense parameter, and his 'Dark Flare' does a pretty hefty amount of damage (about 4,000+ if you're properly junctioned) to everyone. Try to minimise this by casting 'Shell' at the start of the fight, then quickly attack him using a Doomtrain-Aura-Renzokuken combination. You probably need to have Squall unleash his limit break twice to actually take Tiamat down. Likewise, if you do it fast enough, Tiamat won't get a chance to pull his 'Dark Flare' off, so you might want to have Squall equipped with a high offensive and speed rating. Cerberus' 'Auto Haste' character ability works well here. You can also slow down Tiamat by summoning G.F Doomtrain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unseal your final command here, and you're left with only the last boss to face. Head back into the Clock Tower, leap onto the bell, then travel up the remaining winding path to the top. When the path splits, go up for a 'Stop' Draw Point, then head south. Main Party (still): Run across the hands of the clock face, climb down the ladder and move right to reach another ladder, which you'll have to descend using. The bridge thereafter leads to Ultimecia's Room. Save at the save point outside, recover all 6 of your characters, stock up on supplies (Tonberry's 'Call Shop' ability comes into play here) and do a final check on your junctioning and spells. Enter Ultimecia's Room when you're ready. Side events: Ultimecia's Castle holds virtually all the enemies (even some old bosses!) you've ever encountered. Try fighting in different regions of the castle to face all of them, and pick up any rare items you may have missed. Another special side event I'll like to highlight here is finding and taking down the Omega Weapon. Unlike its cousin, the Ultima Weapon, this guy has the ability to kick your butt so hard, it'll be sore for months to come. So unless you really want to test your skills, I suggest you leave him for now, and come back later when you're properly prepared. For those who feel confident enough, here's what you'll need: 20 Hero's Medicine (modify Laguna's card) or a few Holy War Medicine (modify Gilgamesh's card), 'Death' junctioned to Status Defense if anyone in your main party has a level which is a multiple of 5 (i.e. lv. 65, 70 or 100), a 'Meltdown' spell, 10 Aura Stones (or 'Aura' spells), and a high offensive-cum-HP rating (255 and 9,999 respectively) for Squall. That's for the cheap way to defeat him though ^_^ I'll detail the other traditional method below. Saving before the fight helps too! First off, take your main party and position them at the Switch Spot in the Courtyard, outside the Chapel. Have the secondary party make their way to the Eastern Stairway Hall of the castle, outside the Art Gallery where the bell is. Ring it once, then quickly step into the nearby Switch Spot. Proceed into the Chapel as your main party, where you'll find Omega Weapon waiting for you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SPECIAL BOSS: Omega Weapon HP: 1,000,000+ Strong vs.: All Elements Draw List: Flare, Holy, Meteor, Ultima AP: 250 The Omega Weapon has several kick-ass attacks at its disposal, some of which include the Megido Flame (9,998 damage to everyone), the Light Pillar (9,999 damage to a single character) and the all-powerful Terra Break, which hits everyone for approximately 12,000 HP worth of damage. Fortunately, the Hero's Medicine should render all these attacks useless, as it puts a single party member into 'Invincible' status. You'll get a 'Proof of Omega' in your Tutorial screen after defeating it. Cheap method: Omega will use 'Level 5 Death' at the start, so make sure everyone is protected from that. Have the party use Hero's Medicine on Rinoa and Zell, with Squall casting a 'Meltdown' spell on Omega. Your opponent will hit you with the 'Meteor' spell now, so recover Squall's HPs back to 9,999 (Leviathan's 'Recover' command works fine here) using a character. You can let the other cast 'Haste' on Squall if you want, but leave Squall with a full time bar. Omega Weapon should launch its Megido Flame now, reducing Squall's HP to only 1. Have him unleash his Renzokuken, while another party member uses a Hero's Medicine on him. Now your main task will be to keep everyone in 'Invincible' status, as Squall repeatedly launches a flurry of limit break attacks to take Omega Weapon down. You don't have to bother with the rest of Omega's moves. Should Squall fall in this battle later on, I suggest using Aura (Stones) on him instead of waiting for his HP to be reduced back to critical status (after reviving him 1st with Full-life or Revive, that is). The 'Other' method: This is for those who find themselves missing the Hero's Medicine. You'll need (as many as you can get) G.Fs with a high HP rating (i.e. Eden), everyone in your main party with maximum HPs (9,999), good parameter ratings plus a ton of recovery spells and items. I suggest modifying Bahamut's card to obtain 100 Megalixirs. Omega always begins a fight with 'Level 5 Death', so ensure full protection against that in your party. Summon Cerberus now to put everyone in 'Triple' status, then follow this up with a Meltdown-Aura -Renzokuken combo. Recover everyone's HPs back to 9,999 after Omega's 'Meteor' spell. The Megido Flame should reduce that back to only 1; heal quickly after unleashing your limit breaks, but watch out for Omega Weapon's 'Gravija'. Recover your members after that spell hits. Next, summon G.Fs with high HPs, and let them absorb some of the damage when Omega uses his Terra Break (12,000+ damage to everyone). Unleash your limit breaks if possible; Omega will cast 'Gravija' or 'Ultima', followed by his Light Pillar which WILL take a member now. Use a 'Full-life' spell to get him or her back, followed by a flurry of recovery items (a single Megalixir works nicely here) to restore everyone's HP back to maximum. Omega will settle into a random pattern of attacks from here on; your tasks will be to hit him hard with limit breaks while predicting what he'll try to do next, and curing with a Megalixir when needed. And if you're lucky, Rinoa's 'Combine' limit break might see Angelo using 'Invincible Moon', which would double as a 'Holy War'. Good luck! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ######################################################################## 6f. [Ultimecia's Castle -- Master Room] ######################################################################## Ultimecia will express her fury at SeeD for interfering with her plans of time compression, before she engages you in combat. The participants are picked randomly here (and that includes Squall as well), so make sure your G.Fs are evenly spread out. Ultimecia will remove fallen companions in battle with her 'Angel' move, but if you're quick enough you can beat her to it with a well-timed 'Full-life' spell. Of course, if that fallen member has no G.Fs junctioned, then allow Ultimecia to remove him or her. She comes in 5 (well, 4 and a half to be more accurate) forms, which you'll need to fight consecutively. You can use Hero's Medicine for a way too easy victory if you want to (it's the final battle, anyway). And if you're wanting more Heroes, but lack either Laguna's or Gilgamesh's card, here's a tedious method of obtaining Heroes: 1. Defeat and collect 10,000 Curse Spikes from Forbiddens at levels 30 and above (skeletons armed with 2 swords). Seriously. 2. With G.F Siren at level 100, use her 'Tools-RF' to refine 10,000 Curse Spikes to 100 Shaman Stones. 3. With G.F Doomtrain at level 100, use its 'Forbidden Med-RF' to refine 100 Shaman Stones to 10 Hero Trials. 4. Use G.F Alexander's 'Med LV Up' to refine 10 Hero Trials to a single Hero. The profits aren't all that great, so I don't really recommend this procedure. If you have everyone properly junctioned, then Heroes are basically optional in the final battle. Here's a list detailing the specific attack method for each character: Squall: Have him unleash his Renzokuken (duh). Rinoa: Her 'Combine' limit break works okay, but keep her primarily as a healer of sorts. You can try using 'Angel Wing', but seeing how you'll lose control of Rinoa, I advise against it. Zell: His 'Duel' should be his main offense. Quistis: Support the party with her 'Mighty Guard' and 'White Wind' blue magic. For offense, use 'Shockwave Pulsar' if you have it. Otherwise, stick to 'Ray-Bomb' or 'Gatling Gun'. Irvine: Go trigger-happy with his 'Shot' limit break. His 'Armour Piercing Ammo', 'Demolition Ammo' and 'Pulse Ammo' work fine. If you're a quick tapper, and have a full stock of 'Fast Ammo', try using them against Ultimecia's final form. Selphie: Her 'Slot' limit break won't help much here, and it isn't worth it cycling through the list to try to get the rarer spells... make Selphie a healer instead. It's pretty obvious you need a chunk of Aura (Stones) for this last battle. However, should Squall be chosen as one of the participants (this occurs quite frequently, actually), I suggest letting him do all the attacking instead. The rest should simply support him by casting 'Meltdown' to destroy the enemy's defense, and healing Squall when needed. Make sure Squall has a Strength rating of 255 and his final weapon, the Lion Heart. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Ultimecia HP: 43,000 Weak: Poison Strong vs.: Holy Draw List: Haste, Slow, Reflect, Demi The 1st form of Ultimecia can be taken down effortlessly with a single Meltdown-Aura-Renzokuken combination. However, I suggest you make use of this one to prepare for the upcoming battles; put everyone in 'Triple', 'Protect', 'Shell', 'Haste' and 'Regen' (Quistis' 'Mighty Guard' Blue Magic comes in handy here), followed by 'Aura' status if possible. Ultimecia will attempt to spoil the party with 'Quake' and her 'Mael -strom' (causes status maladies and heavy HP damage to all), but counter that with a Megalixir (modify Bahamut's card). BOSS G.F: Griever HP: 120,000+ Strong vs.: Earth, Poison Draw List: Bio, Quake, Tornado Griever has a status ailment attack, tends to cast 'Gravija' and 'Doom', and has an annoying habit of drawing spells from your party. Counter 'Doom' with either a Remedy Plus or a Megalixir, and hit him repeatedly with Renzokukens (remember to reduce his defense to zero with 'Meltdown' 1st). Casting 'Ultima' coupled with 'Triple' works well too, but I suggest you learn Eden's 'Expendx3-1' character ability first. Griever'll occasionally remove an entire set of spells (i.e. a 100 Full-life spells) from your magic list, thus forcing you to lose that junction (i.e. if you've junctioned Full-life to HP, it'll fall back to its original value). Also note that from Griever onwards, the bosses have the ability to kill off any of your G.Fs in a single blow, so don't bother with summoning them. Griever will use his Shockwave Pulsar at the end (or earlier if you aren't quick enough in taking him out), which takes off about 3,000 HP from everyone (that's if you have a decent Spirit rating -- try junctioning 'Reflect' to it and having 'Spirit +60%' equipped), or 1,500 if you're under a 'Shell' condition. BOSS: Ultimecia-Griever HP: 180,000+ Draw List: Firaga, Thundaga, Blizzaga SUB-BOSS: Helix HP: 25,000+ Draw List: Esuna, Dispell Ultimecia will junction with Griever for a truly nasty package. This 3rd form likes to cast 'Tornado', 'Meteor' and 'Holy', plus she'll occasionally remove an entire set of spells from your magic list too. She's also capable of casting the Shockwave Pulsar at anytime now. Other than that, tiny cronies will appear to help in the duration of the fight. If you stall for too long until 2 Helixes appear, watch out for Ultimecia's 'Great Attractor', a (visually stunning) physical attack which does 4,000+ damage to the entire party. Stick to your tried-and-proven Meltdown-Aura-Renzokuken combination to take her down. If she de-attaches a part of herself, it means she's close to defeat -- keep it going! FINAL BOSS: True Ultimecia HP: 250,000+ Draw List: Holy, Flare BOSS: Ultimecia (Lower half) HP: 16,000+ Draw List: Apocalypse Total AP: 0 Ultimecia, in all her final form glory, now has more offensive moves at her disposal; her Hell's Judgement can bring everyone down to 1 HP (easier time getting limit breaks though; in fact, you can just use a Hero's Medicine on Squall, and have him launch his Renzokuken repeatedly). She'll also cast 'Ultima', 'Flare' and 'Holy' on you, and when her lower body appears in the course of the fight, she'll draw 'Apocalypse' from it, which hits the entire party for roughly 3,500+ worth of damage. Take note that you can do the same to her, by beating her to drawing 'Apocalypse'. Ultimecia will retain the annoying ability to remove an entire set of spells from you, too. Simply keep the Meltdown-Aura-Renzokuken combinations (I think you've gotten tired of that already ^_^) coming, and heal immediately when she hits you with a Hell's Judgement -- she might cast 'Ultima' as her next move. Try to dispose of her lower body first when it does appear. When Ultimecia is near defeat, she'll start uttering lines in battle. During this period, you have to pound on her about 4 to 5 times until she finishes what she has to say; each attack usually results in her speaking another line. Only when you've seen all she has to say then can you strike the finishing blow. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enjoy the ending! *major spoiler here... skip this section if you want to see the ending for yourself* As an added bonus for those playing the Japanese version, I'll give you the following dialogue in the ending sequence as it appears in the U.S version. It isn't really accurate, so I hope you'll bear with it: Irvine: Is it over? Let's go! Let's go back to our time! Zell: Shut up! Just calm down now and think where we have to go. Selphie: Careful guys, don't pick the wrong time! Quistis: Whatever you do, don't fall into a time warp! Rinoa: (Time... Places... Who I wanna be with...) (I wanna go there! Where Squall and I promised.) Rinoa: Squall! Let's go home! Where are you!? Squall: (... Where am I?) (turns to see young Squall, and Edea) Edea: Squall! Where are you going!? Young Squall: I'm gonna find Sis! (runs off) Edea: Squall! Squall: (... Matron) Edea: Excuse me. Have you seen a little boy? Squall: You don't have to worry. The boy won't go anywhere. Edea: I think so, too. Poor thing... (Ultimecia appears) Squall: .... You're alive!? (draws his Gunblade) Edea: ... The sorceress? Squall: Yes, Matron. We had defeated her... Matron, stand back. Edea: It's ok. There's no more need to fight. The sorceress is just looking for someone to pass her powers on to. In order to die in peace, a sorceress must be free of all her powers. I know... for I am one, too. I shall take over that sorceress' powers. I do not want one of the children to become one. Ultimecia: I.... can't... disappear yet. (Edea goes over to her) Squall: Matron! Edea: Is this... the end? Squall: ... Most likely. Edea: You called me Matron. Just who... are you? Squall: A SeeD. A SeeD from Balamb Garden. Edea: SeeD? Garden? Squall: Both Garden and SeeD were your ideas. Garden trains SeeD. SeeDs are trained to defeat the sorceress. Edea: What are you saying? You're... that boy from the future? Squall: ... Matron. Edea: Please return. You do not belong here. Young Squall: I can't find Sis. ...Am I... all alone? (notices the older Squall) Who's he? Edea: Nobody. You don't need to know. The only Squall permitted here is you. (turns to the older Squall) Do you know where to go back to? Do you know how? Will you be all right by yourself? Squall: (... I'll be all right, Matron.) (Because I'm not alone.) (the screen fades) (... I'm not alone.) (... If I call out, they will answer.) Squall: Where is everyone!? Rinoa! Where are you? Zell! Selphie! Quistis! Irvine! Rinoa! (Am I... alone?) (Rinoa? I want to hear your voice.) (Which way... do I go?) (I can't make it back... alone.) Squall: Rinoa? (Am I... all alone again?) (Where... am I?) *end spoiler* You should see the ending FMV now... and don't turn the power off until the words 'The End' appear on your screen, or you'll miss a short movie after the credits. Thanks for reading my walkthrough. ======================================================================== VIII. A P P E N D I X ======================================================================== Basically, the Appendix section is a quick reference guide for all the locations of the G.Fs, magazines, blue magic, weapon remodeling lists, rare cards and shopping lists. If you want a list of G.Fs, spells, refinement abilities and other miscellaneous information, I suggest you check out the game's Tutorial or Part II of Scott Ong's 'Final Fantasy VIII FAQ' at www.gamefaqs.com. Tip: In fact, I highly encourage you to take a closer look at the in-game Tutorial; you'll be surprised at the info it contains (especially in the Information section). Many people have written in asking about abilities without knowing they've got all the data right under their noses, in the game itself. a. [G.F. Locations] Quezacotl: Study Panel at Balamb Garden 2F Classroom Shiva: Study Panel at Balamb Garden 2F Classroom Ifrit: Defeat Ifrit at Fire Cavern (Disc One) Siren: Draw from Elvoret in Dollet (Disc One) Brothers: Defeat Brothers at Tomb of Unknown King Diablos: Summon using 'Magical Lamp' given by Cid, and defeat Diablos ('Magical Lamp' item --> Disc One) Carbuncle: Draw from Iguion in Deling City, Presidential Residence (Disc One) Leviathan: Draw from NORG in Basement of Balamb Garden (Disc Two) Pandemona: Draw from Fujin at Balamb Hotel (Disc Two) Cerberus: Defeat Cerberus at Galbadia Garden (Disc Two) Alexander: Draw from Edea at Galbadia Garden (Disc Two) Doomtrain (Ghoulish): Have 6 Steel Pipes, 6 Malboro Tentacles, 6 Remedy Pluses, locate and use Solomon's Ring found at Tears' Point (Disc Three onwards) Bahamut: Defeat Bahamut at Deep Sea Research Center (Disc Three onwards) Cactuar (Sabotender): Defeat Jumbo Cactuar (Sabotender) at Cactuar Island in Centra region (Disc Three onwards) Tonberry: Defeat 20-plus Tonberries at Centra Ruins, then take down subsequent Tonberry King (Disc Two onwards) Eden: Draw from Ultima Weapon at bottom of Deep Sea Research Center (Disc Three onwards) Phoenix: Receive 'Phoenix Pinion' from Elder at Shumi Village (Disc Two onwards) Boko the Chocobo: Summon using Gysahl Greens purchased from Chocobo Forests (Disc Two onwards) Odin: Locate and defeat Odin at Centra Ruins (Disc Two onwards) Gilgamesh: Acquire Odin before fighting Seifer at the end of Disc Three in Lunatic Pandora MiniMog, Moomba: These G.Fs are only obtainable via the Pocket Station mini-game, 'Chocobo World'. Once you miss a drawable G.F, you can still draw it from the 7 bosses in Ultimecia's Castle in Disc Four. These G.Fs include: Siren, Carbuncle, Leviathan, Pandemona, Cerberus, Alexander and Eden. This method applies only to the U.S version. b. [Magazine Locations] {Timber Maniacs Magazines Locations} 1. At Balamb Hotel/Train Station 7. At the Repair Shop in F.H 2. At Timber Maniacs Building 8. At F.H Hotel 2F 3. At Timber Hotel 2F 9. At the Inn/Artisan's house in 4. At Hotel Dollet 2F the Shumi Tribe Village 5. At Dollet Pub 10. At Trabia Garden's cemetery 6. At Galbadia Hotel 2F 11. At Edea's Orphanage 12. On the White SeeD View these magazines using Squall's Study Panel at the 2F Classroom in Balamb Garden. They're under the 'School Festival Committee's homepage. {Weapons Monthly Magazines Locations} March: Defeat the Elvoret at Dollet (Disc One) April: On Squall's table in his single room dormitory at Balamb Garden May: In the Deling Sewers June: Defeat BGH251F2 at the Missile Base (Disc Two) July: At Balamb Garden's Training Center (Disc Three) August: 5 steps south of gargoyle statue at Trabia Garden First: Lunatic Pandora Laboratory (Final Laguna Scenario) These are also purchasable from the Esthar Shopping Mall using G.F Tonberry's 'Familiar' menu ability. {Pet Pals Locations} Vol. 1: On train en route to Timber (Disc One) Vol. 2: In Resistance Base during Timber Kidnap Operation (Disc One) Vol. 3: Timber Pet Store Vol. 4: Timber Pet Store Vol. 5: Esthar Pet Store Vol. 6: Esthar Pet Store These are also purchasable from the Esthar Shopping Mall using G.F Tonberry's 'Familiar' menu ability. {Combat King Locations} 001: D-District Prison, Floor One (Disc Two) 002: Defeat Raijin and Fujin at Balamb City (Disc Two) 003: Random event triggered by resting at Balamb Hotel (Disc Two onwards) 004: Esthar soldier before Lunatic Pandora invasion event (Disc Three) 005: Lunatic Pandora crystal halls (Disc Three) These are also purchasable from the Esthar Shopping Mall using G.F Tonberry's 'Familiar' menu ability. {Occult Fans Locations} Volume I: In Library bookshelf at Balamb Garden Volume II: In private room of Master Card Player at 2F Dollet Pub Volume III: Apologise to Master Fisherman at F.H. after Balamb Garden collision (Disc Two) Volume IV: In Presidential Palace at Esthar; talk to Presidential Secretary within after speaking to the Presidential Aide near the Air-Station before or after the events at Lunar Gate (Disc Three) These are also purchasable from the Esthar Shopping Mall using G.F Tonberry's 'Familiar' menu ability. The only exceptions are Volumes III and IV, which you have to find. c. [Blue Magic List] (Laser Eye} Learnt from beginning {Ultra Waves} Item: Spider Web Defeat/Mug: Caterchipillar Card: Caterchipillar {Electrocute} Item: Coral Fragment Defeat/Mug: Blitz, Creeps, Cockatrice Card: Creeps {LV?Death} Item: Curse Spike Defeat/Mug: Forbidden, Imp, Malboro, Tri-Face Card: Tri-Face {Degenerator} Item: Black Hole Defeat/Mug: Gesper, Wendigo Card: Diablos, Gesper {Aqua Breath} Item: Water Crystal Defeat/Mug: Chimera, Fastitocalon-F, Fastitocalon, Grand Mantis Card: Fastitocalon-F, Fastitocalon {Micro Missile} Item: Missile Defeat/Mug: Death Claw, GIM52A {Acid} Item: Mystery Fluid Defeat/Mug: Gayla Card: Gayla {Gatling Gun} Item: Running Fire (Fang Machine Gun) Defeat/Mug: Iron Giant, SAM08G Card: SAM08G {Fire Breath} Item: Inferno Fang Defeat/Mug: Hexadragon, Ruby Dragon Card: Ruby Dragon {Bad Breath} Item: Malboro Tentacle Defeat/Mug: Malboro Card: Malboro {White Wind} Item: Whisper (Wind Whisper} Defeat/Mug: Adamantoise {Homing Laser} Item: Laser Cannon Defeat/Mug: Belhelmel, Elastoid, Mobile Type 8 BIS {Mighty Guard} Item: Barrier Defeat/Mug: Behemoth Card: Behemoth {Ray-Bomb} Item: Power Generator Mug (rare): Blitz Find: Lunatic Pandora {Shockwave Pulsar} Item: Dark Matter Refine: 100 Curse Spike (only when G.F Siren at level 100) d. [Weapon Remodeling List] I've only detailed the final weapons here, and created a list on how to get the rest of the raw materials for the other lower level weapons. Only the more common methods will be listed: +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Betrayal Blade: Mug Blitz or defeat level 1 - 19 Forbiddens. | | Modify Forbidden cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Bomb Fragment: Mug or defeat Bombs. | | Modify Bomb cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Chef's Knife: Mug or defeat Tonberries. | | Modify Tonberry cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Cockatrice Pinion: Mug or defeat Cockatrices at levels 20 - 100. | | Modify Cockatrice cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Dino Bone: Mug or defeat T-Rexaurs. | | Modify Armadodo cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Dragon Fin: Mug or defeat Grendels. | | Modify Grendel cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Dragon Skin: Defeat Anacondaurs at levels 30 - 100. | | Card modifying is not possible. | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Dynamo Stone: Defeat Blitz at levels 30 - 100. | | Modify Blitz cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Fish Fin: Mug or defeat Fastitocalon-Fs. | | Card modifying is not possible. | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Fury Fragment: Mug Blue Dragons. | | Modify Blue Dragon cards (4 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Inferno Fang: Mug Ruby Dragons. | | Modify Ruby Dragon cards (10 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Life Ring: Mug Lefty or defeat levels 30 - 100 Turtapods. | | Modify Turtapod cards (5 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Magic Stone: Mug or defeat Bite Bugs at levels 20 - 29 | | Modify Buel cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Mesmerize Blade: Mug or defeat Mesmerizes at any level. | | Modify Mesmerize cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | M-Stone Piece: Mug or defeat Bite Bugs at levels 1 - 19 | | Modify Bite Bug cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Ochu Tentacle: Mug or defeat Ochus. | | Modify Ochu cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Red Fang: Mug Chimeras or Hexadragons. | | Modify Hexadragon cards (3 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Saw Blade: Mug or defeat Belhelmels. | | Modify Belhelmel cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Screw: Mug or defeat Geezards at any level. | | Modify Geezard cards (1 for 5) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Sharp Spike: Mug or defeat Grand Mantis. | | Modify Grand Mantis cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Shear Feather: Mug Thrustaevis at levels 1 - 29. | | Modify Thrustaevis cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Spider Web: Mug or defeat Caterchipillars. | | Modify Caterchipillar cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Star Fragment: Mug Iron Giants. | | Modify Iron Giant cards (3 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Steel Orb: Defeat Wendigoes at any level. | | Modify Wendigo cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Steel Pipe: Mug Wendigoes at any level. | | Modify Elastoid cards (1 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Turtle Shell: Mug or defeat Armadodoes at levels 30 - 100. | | Modify Adamantoise cards (3 for 1) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ {Squall} Revolver: 6 Magic Stone Pieces, 2 Screws Shear Trigger: 1 Steel Pipe, 4 Screws Cutting Trigger: 1 Mesmerize Blade, 8 Screws Flame Saber: 1 Betrayal Blade, 1 Turtle Shell, 4 Screws Twin Lance: 1 Dino Bone, 2 Red Fangs, 12 Screws Punishment: 1 Chef's Knife, 2 Star Fragments, 1 Turtle Shell, 8 Screws Lion Heart: I get so much mail about this weapon! Here's the method -- 1 Adamantine: Adamantoises found on Long Horn Island, north-west of Dollet drop it occasionally. They ONLY appear on the shores of Long Horn Island. 4 Dragon Fangs: Blue Dragons on the Island Closest to Hell (western -most island on Galbadian continent) drop it. 12 Pulse Ammo: Elnoyles found in Esthar Capital, after Lunar Cry event drop Energy Crystals at levels 40 and above. They're extremely rare, but you can pin-point their locations using the map of Esthar I've drawn up in Disc Three (event 4n) of the 'Walkthrough' section. It's marked with an 'E'. Use Ifrit's 'Refine Ammo' menu ability to refine 10 Pulse Ammo from 1 Energy Crystal. I recommend you get Lion Heart in Disc Three, after receiving the Ragnarok. Getting it any earlier than that might prove difficult, even though it's still possible to do so; you'll simply have to play a lot of Card Battles to get the required raw materials. {Rinoa} Pinwheel: 3 Magic Stone Pieces Valkyrie: 1 Shear Feather, 1 Magic Stone Rising Sun: 1 Saw Blade, 8 Screws Cardinal: 1 Cockatrice Pinion, 1 Mesmerize Blade, 1 Sharp Spike Shooting Star: Here's how -- 2 Windmills: Steal from Thrustaevis in the Timber or Galbadian region. They carry it occasionally. 1 Regen Ring: Steal from Toramas on Esthar continent after 'Lunar Cry' event in Disc Three. 1 Force Armlet: Purchase from Esthar City's Pet Store. You must have learnt GF Tonberry's 'Familiar' menu ability. 2 Energy Crystals: Levels 40 and above Elnoyles in Esthar City drop this item after the 'Lunar Cry' event. {Zell} Metal Knuckle: 1 Fish Fin, 4 Magic Stone Pieces Maverick: 1 Dragon Fin, 1 Spider Web Gauntlet: 1 Dragon Skin, 1 Fury Fragment Ehrgeiz: You can get this weapon relatively easily -- 1 Adamantine: Adamantoises on Long Horn Island north-west of Dollet drop them occasionally. 4 Dragon Skins: Levels 30 and above Anacondaurs near the cliffs of Dollet drop them. 1 Fury Fragment: Plunder Blue Dragons on the Island Closest to Hell. {Quistis} Chain Whip: 2 Magic Stone Pieces, 1 Spider Web Slaying Tail: 2 Magic Stones, 1 Sharp Spike Red Scorpion: 2 Ochu Tentacles, 2 Dragon Skins Save the Queen: Here's the method -- 2 Malboro Tentacles: Steal from Malboros on the Heaven/Hell Islands. 4 Sharp Spikes: Steal from Grand Mantis in the Centra forests. 4 Energy Crystals: Levels 40 and above Elnoyles in Esthar City drop this item after the 'Lunar Cry' event. {Irvine} Valiant: 1 Steel Pipe, 4 Screws Ulysses: 1 Steel Pipe, 1 Bomb Fragment, 2 Screws Bismarck: 1 Steel Pipe, 4 Dynamo Stones, 8 Screws Exeter: Here's how -- 2 Dino Bones: Steal from T-Rexaurs in Balamb Garden's training center. 1 Moon Stone: Plunder from Elnoyles in Esthar City. 2 Star Fragments: Steal from Iron Giants in the Esthar region after 'Lunar Cry' event. 18 Screws: Geezards carry and drop Screws. They're found in the Timber and Galbadian regions. {Selphie} Flail: 2 Magic Stone Pieces, 1 Bomb Fragment Morning Star: 2 Steel Orbs, 3 Sharp Spikes Crescent Wish: 1 Inferno Fang, 1 Life Ring, 4 Sharp Spikes Strange Vision: This weapon has a 255% Hit rate -- 1 Adamantine: Adamantoises on Long Horn Island north-west of Dollet drop it occasionally. They appear ONLY on the shores of Long Horn Island. 3 Star Fragments: Steal from Iron Giants in the Esthar region after 'Lunar Cry' event. 2 Curse Spikes: Forbiddens in the Centra Ruins drop this item at levels 30 and above. You don't need Weapons Monthly magazines to remodel your weapons. Just the necessary raw materials and Gil will do. e. [Rare Card Locations] -Level 5 Monster Cards- {PuPu} Win: Complete 'UFO Sightings' side event in Disc Three. Encounter PuPu at Balamb region and give it 5 Elixirs Mod: 1 Hungry Cookpot -Level 8 G.F Cards- {Chubby Chocobo} Win: Card Queen quest -- Student sitting on a bench outside Balamb Garden's Library Mod: 100 LuvLuvGs {Angelo} Win: Watts Mod: 100 Elixirs {Gilgamesh} Win: CC Group quest -- CC Group King at Balamb Garden Dormitory or 3F Bridge Mod: 10 Holy Wars {MiniMog} Win: Boy jogging around 1F Balamb Garden Mod: 100 Pet Houses {Chicobo} Win: Complete 'Chocobo Forests' side event in Disc Two or Three Mod: 100 Gysahl Greens {Quezacotl} Win: Mayor Dobe at Fishermans Horizon Mod: 100 Dynamo Stones {Shiva} Win: Exchange 'Girl Next Door' magazine for free with Zone aboard White SeeD ship in Disc Three Mod: 100 North Winds {Ifrit} Win: Defeat Fire Cavern's boss in Disc One Mod: 3 Elem Atks {Siren} Win: Master Card Player at 2F Dollet Pub Mod: 3 Status Atks {Sacred} Win: Defeat Brothers in Tomb of Unknown King Mod: 100 Dino Bones {Minotaur} Win: Defeat Brothers in Tomb of Unknown King Mod: 10 Adamantines -Level 9 G.F Cards- {Carbuncle} Win: CC Group quest -- CC Group Heart at Balamb Garden 3F Bridge Mod: 3 Glow Curtains {Diablos} Win: Summon Diablos using 'Magical Lamp' given by Cid in Disc One after Timber mission briefing and defeat Diablos Mod: 100 Black Holes {Leviathan} Win: CC Group quest -- CC Group Joker at Balamb Garden Training Center Mod: 3 Doc's Codes {Odin} Win: Defeat Odin at Centra Ruins Mod: 100 Dead Spirits {Pandemona} Win: Hotel Owner outside Balamb Hotel, after liberating Balamb City from Galbadia in Disc Two Mod: 100 Windmills {Cerberus} Win: Defeat Cerberus at Galbadia Garden in Disc Two Mod: 100 Lightweights {Alexander} Win: Piet at Lunar Base or Escape Pod Crash Site in Disc Three Mod: 3 Moon Curtains {Phoenix} Win: Card Queen quest -- Presidential Assistant in Esthar's Presidential Palace room Mod: 3 Phoenix Spirits {Bahamut} Win: Defeat Bahamut at Deep Sea Research Center Mod: 100 Megalixirs {Doomtrain} Win: Card Queen quest -- Aphora Pub owner in Timber Mod: 3 Status Guards {Eden} Win: Defeat Ultima Weapon at Deep Sea Deposit Mod: 3 Monk's Codes -Level 10 Player Cards- {Ward} Win: Dr. Odine at Esthar City in Disc Three Mod: 3 Gaea's Rings {Kiros} Win: Card Queen quest -- Man in black at Deling City's Shopping Arcade Mod: 3 Accelerators {Laguna} Win: Ellone at Lunar Base in Disc Three Mod: 100 Heroes {Selphie} Win: Selphie's classmate near gargoyle statue in Trabia Garden Mod: 3 Elem Guards {Quistis} Win: Any member of the 'Trepies' in Balamb Garden -- the 2 girls in 2F classroom or wishful student at Cafeteria Mod: 3 Samantha Souls {Irvine} Win: Card Queen quest -- Mayor Dobe's wife, Flo at Fishermans Horizon Mod: 3 Rocket Engines {Zell} Win: Ma Dincht at Zell's house in Balamb City. Zell must be with you Mod: 3 Hyper Wrists {Rinoa} Win: Lose Ifrit card to General Caraway, then win Rinoa's card. The lost Ifrit card is with Martine at Fishermans Horizon Mod: 3 Magic Armlets {Edea} Win: Edea at Edea's Orphanage in Disc Three Mod: 3 Royal Crowns {Seifer} Win: Cid at Balamb Garden (Disc One and Two) or Edea's Orphanage (Disc Three) Mod: 3 Diamond Armours {Squall} Win: Laguna at Esthar's Presidential Palace or aboard Ragnarok in Disc Three Mod: 3 Three Stars Assuming you've done the 'CC Group' side quest in Balamb Garden, the members of the CC Group will reappear aboard the Ragnarok in Disc Four; they should hold almost all the rare cards at this point. The CC Group, PuPu and Card Queen side-quests are covered in events 4h, 5h and 5n respectively in the Walkthrough section. f. [Shopping Lists] {Balamb City/Man from Balamb Garden} (Timber/Dollet/Deling City/Winhill/Fishermans Horizon} -ITEMS ON SALE- -GIL- Potion 100 Hi-Potion 500 Phoenix Down 500 Antidote 100 Eye Drops 100 Soft 100 Echo Screen 100 Holy Water 100 Remedy 1000 Tent 1000 Fuel 3000 Normal Ammo 20 Shotgun Ammo 40 G-Potion 200 *G-Hi-Potion 600 G-Returner 500 (Timber Pet Store} G-Potion 200 G-Hi-Potion 600 G-Returner 500 Pet House 1000 Magic Scroll 5000 GF Scroll 5000 Draw Scroll 5000 Item Scroll 5000 Amnesia Greens 5000 *HP-J Scroll 10000 *Str-J Scroll 10000 *Vit-J Scroll 10000 *Mag-J Scroll 10000 *Spr-J Scroll 10000 Pet Pals Vol 3 1000 Pet Pals Vol 4 1000 And below are the lists for Esthar's Shopping Mall: {Cloud's Shop} Hi-Potion 500 Phoenix Down 500 Eye Drops 100 Soft 100 Remedy 1000 Tent 1000 Fuel 3000 Normal Ammo 20 Shotgun Ammo 40 Dark Ammo 300 Fire Ammo 500 *Demolition Ammo 800 *Fast Ammo 100 G-Potion 200 G-Hi-Potion 600 G-Returner 500 {RinRin's Store} G-Potion 200 G-Hi-Potion 600 G-Returner 500 Pet House 1000 Amnesia Greens 5000 HP-J Scroll 10000 Str-J Scroll 10000 Vit-J Scroll 10000 Mag-J Scroll 10000 Spr-J Scroll 10000 Pet Pals Vol 5 1000 Pet Pals Vol 6 1000 *Giant's Ring 20000 *Power Wrist 20000 *Force Armlet 20000 *Hypno Crown 20000 {Karen's Store} *Weapons Mon 1st 50000 Weapons Mon Mar 1000 Weapons Mon Apr 1000 Weapons Mon May 1000 Weapons Mon Jun 1000 Weapons Mon Jul 1000 Weapons Mon Aug 1000 Combat King 001 1000 Combat King 002 1000 Combat King 003 1000 *Combat King 004 1000 *Combat King 005 30000 Pet Pals Vol 1 1000 Pet Pals Vol 2 1000 *Occult Fans I 35000 *Occult Fans II 35000 {Johnny's Shop} Potion 100 Hi-Potion 500 *X-Potion 5000 *Mega-Potion 10000 Phoenix Down 500 *Mega-Phoenix 10000 *Elixir 50000 Antidote 100 Soft 100 Eye Drops 100 Echo Screen 100 Holy Water 100 Remedy 1000 Tent 1000 *Cottage 1800 G-Potion 200 A '*' beside an item name denotes additional items available for sale when you've learnt G.F Tonberry's 'Familiar' menu ability. All prices are listed without G.F Tonberry's 'Haggle' menu ability. g. [EXP and AP Havens] For some serious EXP, head for the Island Closest to Hell, or the Island Closest to Heaven in Disc Three and Four. Gaining AP can be done relatively easily on Cactuar Island, which is in the Centra area, east of Kashkabald Desert. Btw, the Heaven and Hell islands also hold several (hidden) draw points on them. If you want to build up your party, but have yet to receive the Ragnarok, try Balamb Garden's Training Center for EXP, and Kashkabald Desert in the Centra area for AP. ======================================================================== IX. C R E D I T S ======================================================================== This walkthrough wouldn't have been possible without these great people; I'll like to thank them here: CJayC (gamefaqs@gamefaqs.com) for hosting this FAQ on his website. Scott Ong (kangning@mbox5.singnet.com.sg) for his permission to use Disc Four of his Final Fantasy VIII FAQ Part I. It's at www.gamefaqs.com, under Final Fantasy VIII. Also check out his website at http://risland.square-eternity.com (The Round Island). Heero Yuy (kanketsu@usa.net) for his permission to use his Final Fantasy VIII Walkthrough. It's at www.gamefaqs.com, under Final Fantasy VIII. Most of the decision points you see were referred from his guide. Steven Bruck (stevenbruck@bigfoot.com) for his permission to use his Guardian Force FAQ. It's at www.gamefaqs.com, under Final Fantasy VIII. The majority of translated abilities were taken from his guide. The Webmaster (tomo1657@aol.com) of http://ffmusic.vovoid.com (Musical World of Final Fantasy) for the lyrics to "Eyes on Me". "Eyes on Me" performed by Faye Wong, music composed by Nobuo Uematsu and lyrics by Kazumi Someya. John (kiros@ff8.org) for his translation guide. It's located at http://oro.simplenet.com/ff8 (The Unofficial Final Fantasy VIII Translation Homepage). Kao Megura (kmegura@yahoo.com), whose ff 7 FAQ prompted me to re-organize the format of this FAQ somewhat. GamePlayers Magazine from which most of the material in this guide was referred from. Buy this if you can read Chinese; they offer some of the most comprehensive guides, reviews and previews for games. The Final Fantasy VIII Official Strategy Guide by BradyGames for providing one of the most detailed Bestiary sections I've ever seen. Many of the Boss statistics in this FAQ were updated using it. The changes made to the SeeD Ranking System in the U.S version were also added using the Official Strategy Guide. The trio of Jon Chang, Hodaka Tsyuchida and Mark Gilson for letting me use their translation guide for reference purposes - thanks people! Btw, if you're looking to find it, it's at www.gamefaqs.com, under Final Fantasy VIII Demo. Final Author's Notes: Once again, I'll like to thank the rest of you out there for reading my guide; it's been great working on it, but perhaps it's best to end it all now. I hope that this FAQ has been of some help to you. Feel free to post any questions, I'll answer them as long as it doesn't take too much effort. Of course, mails on how to receive Squall's 'Lion Heart' weapon, plot -related questions, sending you my guide, vague requests, why your HP levels never seem to rise above 4,200, etc... will happily be tossed into the trash can. I hope you understand ^_^ As for any readers who may wish to post this guide on their website, all I request is for you to reproduce this document in its original state, and that you credit me for it. I do not wish to see it being cut up or altered, nor do I want to see information being blatantly rippped off it. And that's all. Disclaimer: This FAQ is intended for private and personal use, and can only be re -produced electronically if you contact me via e-mail first. This FAQ cannot be used for profitable purposes. All copyrights and trademarks that are not specifically mentioned in this FAQ are acknowledged. No parts of this FAQ may be altered in any way; please give credit where it is due. Permission is not granted for anyone to update this guide. "Final Fantasy VIII" (c) 1999 Squaresoft "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "An Unofficial Final Fantasy VIII Walkthrough" (c) 1998-1999 Cephiroth ============= T H E E N D ============= |