Final Fantasy 3/6j Character FAQ
Meeple Lard
Date: 7/13/06 Version: 3.0
Table of Contents:
FAQ History
Legal Stuff
1. Overview of the game itself
2. Introduction to the FAQ
3. Summary of the FAQ
4. The characters!
-Terra
-Locke
-Mog
-Edgar
-Sabin
-Shadow
-Cyan
-Celes
-Setzer
-Strago
-Relm
-Umaro
-Gogo
5. Character Growth Suggestions
6. Character Team Suggestions
7. Equipment Locations
8. Character Rankings
9. Frequently Asked Questions
10. Credits
FAQ History:
Version 1.0
-FAQs Creation. Nough said
Version 2.0
-Some grammar and content corrections
-Added a few points in arbitrary place
-Started the Character Rankings section
Version 3.0
-Some technical corrections
-Few things added in on content
-Changed a few words here or there to sound more neutral (like changing
one instance of the word "mediocre" to "average" cause I got lots of
complaints saying I was badmouthing said character)
-Added in "Equipment Location" section, due to popular request
Legal Stuff:
This FAQ is a copyright of Meeplelard, and should be found only at
GameFAQs.com. Should someone want to use Info from my FAQ for some
other source, or post it somewhere else, please contact me at
Meeplelard@Hotmail.com, or ask me directly on instant messenger, either
AIM (DbzFFlord) or MSN messenger (Meeplelard@Hotmail.com)
------------------------------
1. Overview of the Game Itself
------------------------------
Ok, some of you are wondering "WTF? We all know what this game is;
don't bother with an overview of the game itself!" True, this game
doesn't need much, but oh well, YOU CAN'T STOP ME! Anyway, I've also
done this in my other 5 FAQs, 3 of which were for games not released in
the US, so this is really just I being consistent with my other guides.
Anyway, this game has 2 known names. It's the 6th installment in the
Final Fantasy Series, one of the most famous Series of RPGs, and one of
the most successful of all time as well. In the US, it was the 3rd
Final Fantasy game of the main series (Final Fantasy Legends was really
Saga, Final Fantasy Adventure was really the first Seiken Densetsu Game
(aka the Mana Series), and Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was just a spin
off using the same name) to be released here, and thus, it was called
"Final Fantasy 3." Well, most people nowadays call it FF6, since
nearly everyone knows that it's really the 6th one, and to
avoid confusion from FF3j, the REAL FF3. Anyway, this game was
released for the SNES originally (or SFC if you're thinking Japanese),
and later, re-released on the PSX (or PS1 if you rather) in "Final
Fantasy Anthologies" along with FF5 (The first time the game LEGALLY
came to the US, not including all those imports).
For those who don't, FF6's background is 1000 years before the events
in the game; a great war called the "War of the Magi" occurred, which
was a war between Humans and Espers, Magical Semi Divine beings, so to
speak. In the end of the war, Civilization was lost and destroyed, the
World somewhat destroyed, and Man Kind forced to Start over, along with
the Espers creating their own world and living away from the war
stricken humans. 1000 years later, Man Kind and the World have made a
full recovery, and peace once again exists. However, a certain person
named Gestahl discovers the secret behind Magic, a powerful force which
has not existed for 1000 years, and decides to use it to take over the
world. Thus, another great war is about to ensue.
At one point, Narshe, a neutral coal mine city, discovers an Esper
frozen in their mines, and that gets the whole world's attention. The
Empire, which Gestahl's force is referred to as, sends out an attack
force using of 3 warriors in Magitek Armor, a giant mechanical suit of
armor infused with magical energy. 2 of these were just normal
soldiers, one of them however was a mysterious young woman, whom we
later learn is named Terra, who apparently has extraordinary Magical
Powers granted to her at birth, and has already wiped out 50 of the
best Magitek Knights (warriors of the Empire infused with Magic) in
under 3 minutes. Long story short, Vicks/Biggs (Depends version) and
Wedge, the 2 soldiers, die, and Terra gets knocked unconscious. She
wakes up with Amnesia, not knowing anything what happened in an old
man's house, and learns that she was being controlled DIRECTLY through
the use of the Slave Crown. Basically, that's the games intro; you
should either know the rest of it, or if you don't you'll find out
through playing the game. I don't want to get into those boring "A
game of magic, mystery, betrayal, friendship, etc." kind of BS,
so I'll just get to the point of this FAQ.
--------------------------
2. Introduction to the FAQ
--------------------------
Welcome to my Character FAQ for FF6! I know a bunch of you are
wondering what the point of this FAQ is, so I'll cut to the chase.
Reading a lot of comments about characters in FF6, it got me realizing
one thing; FF6 characters all filled with misconceptions somewhere
along the line, as far as game play goes. What do I mean? Some people
will overrate a character based on one concept alone, whether the
reasoning is worth the hype or not is a different story, they'll
overlook any flaws the character has for that one special trait,
despite how numerous and overbearing the flaws are.
On the flipside, some people take one look at a character during a
sequence they are forced to use them, and didn't like how they were, so
automatically say "this character sucks!" when its really that they
just gave up on them early, or they have no clue how to use them.
Lastly, I notice some admittedly good characters get love for the wrong
reasons. By that, I mean, someone will rave about something special
the character has, when its not all that great compared to what other
characters have, HOWEVER, the character is still good for reasons not
mentioned at all.
The point of this FAQ is to expose characters for what they are
objectively. This means I'll avoid trying to take one character's
side, but I won't ignore obvious flaws of a character (such as, say,
low defense, for a random example out of the blue) Likewise, I'll be
sure to mention their strengths, and of course, I'll mention how to
make characters potentially useful, and some good set ups for them.
I hope that after this FAQ, you understand what each FF6 character is
truly capable of, and end up not making a fool of yourself raving about
a mediocre ability, or calling a rather solid character bad.
---------------------
3. Summary of the FAQ
---------------------
Alright, how am I evaluating the characters now? First and foremost, I
am assuming REASONABLE levels. By that, I don't mean "I take it you
never level up" or whatever, rather, I take it you don't go out of your
way to randomly build characters up (EXP wise anyway), and thus,
characters don't end up stupidly high levels to the point where a blind
monkey with his hands tied behind his back forced to play with his feet
can win.
What are reasonable levels? Tough call. Yes, you CAN beat the game at
level 6~, lots of people have done this, but that just proves that
leveling isn't necessary. Most people won't be that low leveled unless
actually trying to be. Likewise, level 99 is NOT REASONABLE BY ANY
TRAIN OF THOUGHT. Yes, easy enough to get, but consider the time it
takes, and how you could have easily beaten the game at about half the
level…yeah. Reasonable is more along the lines of, say, no higher than
30 on the Floating Continent, and you shouldn't be far above 60 by the
final boss (mind, these aren't levels I usually take, just noting that
anything above those levels is likely excessive. Chances are, you'd be
lower level if you didn't go out of your way)
So…yeah, don't expect me to hype, say, Locke's infamous Genji Glove +
Offering + Atma Weapon + Valiant Knife + Quick = 9999 x 16 damage! Set
up, as that only happens at levels that are far and away unreasonable
by any standards.
Oh, I should warn you right now. If you haven't read any of my FAQs
for this game yet (The SCC and the NMG FAQs), then please note that I
do try to be humor toned at times (keyword: Try >_>), so don't take
EVERYTHING I say seriously. Expect some sarcasm and such to be thrown
in.
One last thing: I don't consider Hacked Super Monsters, EVER. This is
cause its not part of the game, and you only fight them for fun, and in
the end, each are tweaked so that there are only specific ways to kill
them (some absorb all elements while being anti Offering and Anti
Ultima, requiring Meteor or Flare to do good damage, others use some
combo that forces Runic, what have you) Basically, assume a normal
UNHAKCED Game. So yes, I'm factoring in that evade = worthless.
If you're wondering where Gau is, check the Frequently Asked Questions
part of the FAQ.
Anyway, ONTO THE CHARACTERS THEMSELVES!
------------------
4. The Characters!
------------------
Alright, heres the actual FAQ itself, so…yeah <_< >_>
I am doing this in order of appearance like my other FAQs. By
appearance I mean either you get to play as them, or you name them
(This is why Mog appears third) So yeah, this isn't in alphabetical
order, or order of greatness, or order of who looks prettiest, or
whatever…ok, I'll shut up, lets just get to the characters.
The character section is set up like this:
====
|Name|
====
Stats: Characters base stats listed below, w/out equipment or Esper
level ups.
Extra HP: The HP gains + This = Raw HP. Given how FF6's HP system
works, this is the ONLY difference in HP, so don't expect characters to
have varying HP scores
Extra MP: The MP version of the above
Vigor: Stat that determines physical damage. Generally, 1 point of
Vigor = 2 points of Battle Power, as a quick comparison
Speed: This + 20 = Characters Linear speed, or rather, how fast the ATB
gauge raises. Just need to note this so you know just how fast
characters are
Stamina: Stat that determines HP healed from Regen and Tintinabar,
damage done from Poison and Seizure, and the hit rate of certain
attacks…yeah, this stat sucks, just listing it for completion purposes
(same with Extra HP)
Magic Power: Determines damage dealt by magic attacks. All things
considered, this is a raw multiplier
Battle Power: Character's base battle power. This + Weapon's Battle
Power = True Battle Power. Note that the status screen will claim its
10 higher than this w/ no weapons. This is cause you're ACTUALLY
equipped with a weapon that has 10 Battle Power (Fists, or "Empty" as
the game calls it), odd as it sounds.
Defense: Characters base defense. This + Helmet + Shield + Armor +
Relics (if anyway) = True Defense. Higher this value, lower damage you
take from physicals.
Evade: Due to a bug, its only there to look pretty. Only mentioning
this for people curious who are curious about Evade Bug Fix patch
things
Magic Defense: See Defense, more or less, changing what should be
obvious.
M. Block: Evasion vs. ALL attacks. Note the percentage is ACTUALLY out
of 128%, so 100% M. Block =/= Perfect evasion, but 128% is.
Level Readjustment Factor: When character joins for the FIRST time,
this is how much a level boost they get compared to the average of all
characters you have recruited thus far, nixing Temporaries (Banon, Leo,
Ghosts, etc. I believe Shadow DOES count in the WoB, though)
Special ability: What their unique ability is.
Effects: Quick explanation of the special ability.
Character Analysis:
Lengthy look at the character, descriptive and such. The boring yada
yadas.
Strategies for Character X throughout the game:
Point by point tips for how to make the character effective at
different parts of the game.
Character X's Ultimate and Noteworthy equips:
Weapons:
Ultimate and/or Noteworthy weapons listed here (no particular order)
Helmets:
See above, replace Weapon with Helmet
Armor:
Figure this part out for yourself <_<
Note: I am skipping Shields, since for all characters, ultimate shields
are universal (sans Umaro, whose speshul) This just saves time, and
makes things look overall cleaner.
Note 2: Some items I'm just listing for completion purposes, even I
myself don't believe they are actually worth using. This is just to
avoid later complaints like "What about the X weapon!" or "You Forgot
Armor Omega!" and such. Its mostly just showing they have that option
available.
Ideal End game Set ups for Character X:
Several set ups, and descriptions about them for making a character
useful later in the game. Things to aim for, per se, in the WoR.
Set Ups are done in this order:
Right Hand (usually weapon)
Left Hand (usually Shield)
Headgear
Armor
Relic 1
Relic 2
Description of Set Up here.
Miscellaneous Info about Character:
Bringing up a few points about the character, be it positive, negative,
non factors or whatever, which just didn't seem to fit anywhere else,
for people to take as they will.
Skillset:
Lists the characters skillset, if they have one. For Terra and Celes,
this will be their natural magic. If character has an actual skillset
(meaning not just Steal, for example), and its NOT Magic, I'll give
thoughts about the abilities as well.
Final Thoughts: quick recap of the character, and my personal thoughts
on them.
The rest is self explanatory, more or less.
All Characters are set up like so
=======
| TERRA |
=======
Stats:
Extra HP: 40
Extra MP: 16
Vigor: 31
Speed: 33
Stamina: 28
Magic Power: 39
Battle Power: 12
Defense: 42
Evade: 5%
Magic Defense: 33
M. Block: 7%
Level Readjustment: +0
Special Ability: Morph/Revert
Effects: Morphs Terra into her Esper Form. Not usable until when she
rejoins after the Magitek Factory sequence. When morphed, her Physical
and Magic Damage both effectively double (unless they ignore defense
and are NOT rods), and magic damage (unless defense ignoring) is
halved. Doubles the healing from Regen, and damage done by Seizure and
Poison. How long Morph lasts depends on the Magic Points you win from
battle, between Morphs, if Magic Points < 8, then Morph is impossible.
Lastly, the initial Morph (IOWs, the turn she Morphs on) turn does NOT
reset the ATB Gauge. Revert simply undoes Morph Status, and that turn
follows the same rules as Morph (not resetting the ATB gauge and all)
Character Analysis:
Terra is arguably the best character in FF6, though she might not seem
like it at first glance. When she first joins, she is nothing special,
proving most useful at that point as the teams in battle healer with
Cure. Annoying thing about her early on is how she can't do much
damage without using MP, which at that point, actually matters (no
Osmose, and Tinctures are expensive) That, and the existence of Edgar
and Sabin doing considerably more than her for free adds insult to
injury. However, when she rejoins, some of her better points start to
show, such as now she can apply her high Magic Power with Esper usage,
along with some nice equipment options available. As the game goes on,
these advantages become more pronounced, making her even a bigger
force.
Her Special ability, Morph, makes her a nasty boss slayer. In fact,
with enough "twinkage", at level 20, Terra can do 9999 to an enemy, by
breaking a rod and hitting the element, if she's Morphed…and that's
without Esper Boosts. Useful? Not really, but just fun to point out.
Anyway, judging by her stats, you'd probably write her off instantly as
a mage, and treat her as nothing but that. Lots of people think this
too, and it's not surprising. She has good magic defense, 2nd best
Magic Power, starts with the Magic skill set, while, like typical RPG
mages, has low physical stats. However, this is not entirely true.
Yes, Terra makes a fine mage, but she's not a pure one by any means.
She makes a good fighter in addition to making an excellent Mage. This
is because of her good equipment draw. Stat wise, she's a Mage, no
questions asked, equipment wise however, she's a lot more like an FF
Knight. Being able to use Heavy Armor, Swords, all shields in the
game, etc. Her low physical stats are made up for quite well. Swords
in general have good battle power, so her physical damage isn't half
bad, and since most of your defense comes from your equipment, all the
low base defense means is where Terra falls compared to other armor
users.
Due to this, Terra ends up being a nicely balanced character, leaning
more towards the magic side obviously, but a competent fighter. This
versatility lets her adapt to different situations (as shown by her
SCC, if you've ever tried it), since she can switch equipment or
fighting style to take on most challenges in the game. This means
she'll fit nicely into pretty much any team. Its also nice in that it
means you can raise her to be a fighter (Vigor boosts) or Mage (Magic
Power boosts) and not end up disappointed either way. A nice bonus is
at the end of the WoB, one of her strongest weapons, the Morning Star,
ignores back row, so she can be placed in the back row with no
penalties, to up her defenses.
How you decide to raise Terra is up to you, she ends up being fine
either way. I personally raise her as a mage, as generally, Magic >
Physicals in FF6, but that's just me.
Getting a bit away of what Terra already has, what doesn't she have?
Well, Morph isn't exactly useful if you keep using it, making it nigh
useless for random encounters. Again, there is that whole annoying
early game mediocrity (albeit, she's still usable there, just nothing
special) which can be annoying. Beyond that? The girl doesn't have
many flaws, no. One thing that is worth noting, though, is that
besides her special ability, she's almost identical to Celes in
everyway.
What are some of Terra's "kick ass equips" you might be wondering?
Well, for starters, she can use Illumina. That alone says a lot. If
you don't like characters who rely on one of a kind equips that can be
given to multiple characters, the Enhancer makes a fine supplement if
you are going the Mage Route for her (hard to argue with +7 to Magic
Power and +20% M. Block for a Mage), or Atma Weapon if you are going
the Fighter Route, possibly swapping Man Eater on against certain foes.
Early on, she gets some nice armor options in things such as the Magus
Hat and White Dress (Both +5 to Magic Power), as well as elemental
weapons (good damage if hitting weakness (especially when the random
casting kicks in), can be supported by Genji Glove if desired, and
gives +2 to Magic Power) One of the nicest aspects about Terra's
equips is how early she gets some of them. The Mystery Veil comes to
mind. The Mystery Veil has a magic defense values that beats EVERY
World of Ruin store-bought helmet except the Oath Veil, and it has a
defense value that is only one point behind the fabled Circlet, along
with giving a nice +3 to magic Power, +1 to Speed, and best of all,
+10% to M. Block…and she gets this as early as Thamasa too. Pretty
nifty, if you ask me.
Among other things, she can use not only the Genji Armor like half the
cast, but the Force Armor and Minerva, the two arguably best Armors in
the game (up there with Snow Muffler). Even better is its possible to
have the Minerva when Terra rejoins in the WoR, w/out having to ever
set foot in Kefka's Tower.
One of the nicest features about her equipment is, well, she has
everything she needs, which means she'll never need to waste a relic
slot with the Merit Award for that one piece of equipment that
complements her nicely, as she likely already has is. That, or the
things she would want (Snow Muffler…) she can't use with Merit Award
anyway.
Yeah, its easy to see where Terra's strength lies; within her excellent
balance. Yes, her stats beg to differ, but she's clearly what some
would call a "Fighter/Mage", leaning more to the mage side. Having
Magic for randoms (with Osmose around in case she runs out of MP), and
a great equipment draw, she's ready for most situations. This is
portrayed further in how she tends to excel well even under most
challenges, she's easily one of the best characters.
Strategies for Terra throughout the game:
-When you first get her, put her in the back row. Her defense early
game isn't that impressive, and that low HP actually matters a bit
early on (late game, the difference is negligible) Since she's likely
being a healer, it'd be wise to make her fight defensively. Besides,
with Edgar around, who needs more offense?
-Giving her the Genji Glove or Atlas Armlet (Hyper Wrist aint cutting
it, due to how Vigor works) early on can help her physical damage
somewhat, conserving her MP. Wouldn't be a bad idea, when its
available, to give her the Rune Edge, but that wastes MP
-For the Narshe Battle sequence, Terra should defiantly equip the Silk
Robe. The extra Magic Power, and Magic Defense is more useful than the
negligible defense edge the Iron Armor gives, and it doesn't lower your
speed to boot. Should you not have enough Green berets, Magus Hat is
an obvious choice, should you have enough…decide whether you want more
defenses or higher damage, either works. Note that due to the Magus
Hat's existence, Terra should be one of the last characters to consider
giving your Green Berets too (no one else has decent supplements,
besides Celes anyway (other Magus hat users))
-When Terra rejoins, start working on getting her spells ASAP. Those
she should aim for are Cure 2 (fastest via Seraphim), Level 2's
(Fastest NET Gain is via Maduin, though, if you want just one Level 2
ASAP, Ifrit or Shiva work), and Osmose (quickest via Zoneseek) you can
give her other spells, but these should be priorities. As a side note,
don't bother teaching her Life; she'll learn that naturally.
-If going on random Veldt hikes for Gau, Terra's probably a good
character take so she can horde Magic Points for her Morph Gauge w/out
gaining EXP.
-Decide when Terra rejoins if you want her to be a mage or a fighter,
and then start raising her like that from then. This is especially
true for a Fighter, as the Vigor boosts need to be substantial to make
an impact, thus she'll need plenty of levels under Bismark.
-Terra should have the White Dress on throughout most of the WoB. The
+5 to magic Power is considerably better than any defensive options.
The Exception to this is Gaia Gear, which is arguably better for the
time you get it.
-For WoB weapons…if you have at least one of each elemental (Blizzard,
Thunder Blade, and Flame Sabre), and the Morning Star, she should be
set. The elemental weapons should be used to hit Weakness or for the
minor magic power boost. The Morning Star is good if you don't want to
waste relic slots with Dragoon Boots, and thus, it'll let her do
physical damage in the Back Row with no penalty, making it passable
(better if you give her a Hero Ring)
-Terra should pretty much always have the Mystery Veil on. Its more or
less her best Helmet from when you get it on. There are cases where
you might prefer other things (Like Red Cap for the Vigor Boost, or
Genji Helmet for the raw defenses), but typically hold onto that.
Thankfully, if you accidentally sell it, its one of the few WoB equips
that are still storebought (in the same place to boot) in the WoR.
-Minerva vs. Force Armor. Both are arguably the best armors in the
game, and Terra can use both. If you like to use Locke, Edgar, Cyan or
Setzer (Force Armor users who can't use the Minerva), probably best
with the Minerva, as it leaves Force Armors open for those characters
(assuming you don't have enough), though, it’s a no brainer which to
choose if you want 128% M. Block set ups (Force Armor)…unless you use
Illumina, in which case, you'd defiantly prefer the elemental
protection (128% M. Block guards most stuff, but things like Merton can
still trash you)
-For the most part, keep Terra with an Enhancer in the WoR, UNLESS you
are more or less using her strictly as a fighter. The 20% M. Block and
+7 Magic Power is considerably better than any attack boost you might
get. Granted, if one of those options you have at the moment is, say,
Illumina, which is superior to Enhancer in everyway…I'll let you figure
out what the wise idea is…
Terra's Ultimate and other Noteworthy equipment
Weapons (listed in no particular order):
Illumina
Atma Weapon (if you go the physical route only)
Enhancer
Ragnarok (useful if you…uhh…steal it from Girl for the final battle?
maybe?)
Helmets:
Genji Helmet
Mystery Veil
Oath Veil
Red Cap
Circlet
Armor:
Minerva
Genji Armor
Force Armor
Ideal End game Set Ups for Terra:
Set Up #1:
Illumina
Aegis Shield
Mystery Veil
Minerva
White Cape
White Cape
Comments: Potent "Fighter Terra" Set Up. Illumina's Auto Criticals
means you won't be needing that Offering, and the Minerva lets you give
that elusive Paladin Shield to someone else as she's decked out with
enough elemental defenses as is. The 128% M. Block makes her nigh
invincible too. The nice thing about this set up is not only is she a
great fighter, but due to Illumina, Mystery Veil and Minerva's stat
boosts, it raises her Magic Power tremendously, letting her double as
an effective mage as well. Aegis Shield used here instead of Force
Shield since it opens up set ups for other characters easier. If you
want, swap Force Shield for Aegis Shield, and you can trade in one of
those White Capes for something like an Atlas Armlet to increase your
damage (Don't use Offering, as Auto Criticals from Illumina make its
damage the same, and the random Pearl Castings make its average Damage
considerably better WITHOUT it), or better yet, a Hero Ring, so she can
raise her Magic Power too. Nice addition is her physical damage
doesn't take any penalties in the back row. Problems with this set up?
Giving Illumina to Terra means no one else can use it :/
Set Up #2:
Enhancer
Force Shield
Mystery Veil
Force Armor
White Cape
White Cape
If you never plan on using Terra's physical attack, I suggest this set
up over the above. While inferior, yes, its less costly for the
overall team (since you're not using Illumina, is the main reason).
This set up makes her quite a magic tank, and she still resists lots of
elements, unfortunately, aren't immune to any either. Still has that
nice 128% M. Block too, and her magic damage is still quite nice.
Probably the ideal set up for her if you plan on using Celes, Locke or
Edgar (or maybe a Merit Award user), since it doesn't hurt them all
that much (still enough Force Armors to go around, and she's not
stealing that Illumina)
Set Up #3:
Illumina
Aegis Shield
Mystery Veil
Force Armor
Gem Box
Yes, I'm missing a relic slot, but that's cause you could fill anything
in that slot, it shouldn't matter. Yet another 128% M. Block Set Up
for Terra, this one is very restrictive though, as it uses not only
Illumina, BUT ALSO the Gem Box. This set up is basically the all out
Magic Blitz Set Up for Terra, as she's dodging everything with 128% M.
Block, while nuking everything with X-magic. Funny fact is despite
this being her "Magic Nukage Set Up", she ends up being an Excellent
Fighter still, blame the overall brokenness of Illumina.
Note that for ANY of these set ups, if you ditch just 10% M. Block
somewhere, Terra will have 127% M. Block…just missing our perfect 128%.
If you feel that 1% away from perfect is good enough for you (and all
likely hood, unless playing an LLG, it is), then be my guest. I
personally would recommend removing 10% either in the Relics (so you
can keep her options open), OR in the Shield (replace Force with Aegis
(or Paladin, but I prefer to avoid that unless its being used for non
M. Block reasons, since there is only one), or Aegis with Tortoise
Shield), since the Good M. Block Shields (the 40% and 50% Ones) are in
limited quantity, so it'd help economize, per se. Your call. These
set ups, as a reminder, are just guides, you can twist them however you
want.
Note that this applies to ANY character. Should you not care about
missing a few points, best to take it off either from the Shield or the
Relic.
Miscellaneous stuff regarding Terra:
-Terra is one of the easiest characters to get in the WoR. Personally,
I suggest getting her as one of your first characters, as only Gau,
really, is easier to get. Its not like Phunbaba is a hard fight, or
requires an painstakingly long dungeon to reach him
-Terra learns Drain naturally, and at a low level to boot. Wouldn't
bring this up if Drain wasn't taught by only ONE Esper (Ifrit), and it
wasn't at a x1 Rate.
-Rods, despite ignoring defense, do NOT ignore Morph. Think about what
this would do to the likes of Flame Eater or Ultros who both have
costly elemental weaknesses
-Terra is one of four characters who can get 999 MP at level 99 only
using 3 levels of Crusader, assuming you use Crusader at the right
time, keep that in mind for those who must have characters with
straight 9s at level 99 for whatever reason
-Terra can be Morphed AND Imped at the same time. Basically, have
Terra Morph, then Imp her. Handy if you want the Ultimate Dragoon for
Boss Fights, for whatever reason (if you want to take it a step
further, give her Hero Ring/Atlas Armlet instead of Dragoon Boots
(Dragon Horn goes w/out saying), and have someone summon Palidor, then
watch the damage fly!)
-Unlimited Morph! Yeah, a somewhat known "bug" now a days, but thought
I'd bring it up. Basically, have Terra use Morph. When her Morph
Gauge is near empty, quickly cast Stop or Sleep on her (Freeze also
works, but that's kind of hard to apply) When the gauge runs out, if
she's still under one of those status', she will remain morphed when
the status wears off (if you are impatient, when the gauge wears off,
Cast Dispel or Remedy, or smack her, or whatever undoes the status),
but her ATB Gauge will be normal! She will thus remain Morphed the
entire fight unless she dies. Useful? Not really, as FF6 boss fights
are fast anyway, but fun to mess around with, maybe.
-Morph + Quick Loop. Another novelty strategy. Basically, this
combines the "Terra doesn't lose a turn when Morphing" with the cheese
that is the Quick Spell. Have Terra open by casting Quick. Use her
first turn normally. 2nd turn, have her Morph. The game will register
this as a turn used under Quick, so the Quick status is gone, HOWEVER,
the game will also register this as the Morph Turn, so Terra gets that
instantaneous turn right after, thus she gets ANOTHER Turn, one that
since its not under Quick, lets her cast Quick again! Have her cast
Quick, do the same, only swapping Morph with Revert, and the same thing
will occur. You can repeat this as many times as you want, more or
less, until Terra runs out of Morph "juice" Who'd have thunk that
Squaresoft implemented a lesser version Blue's evil Overdrive + Stasis
Rune combo from SaGa Frontier long before that game came out <_<
-Terra is one of the only characters who can max out her Magic Defense!
To do so, she needs the Force Shield, 2 White Capes, Imp Armor and
Titanium. All those things on, she'll hit maximum Magic Defense!
Granted, the flaw of this set up is that she'll die to a sneeze, but
still fun to note nonetheless (and potentially useful in the fanatics
tower…maybe?) Only two other characters (Mog and Gau) can pull this
off.
Skillset:
While Terra has no unique set of commands, she does gain magic
naturally, via Levels. The spells she gains look as follows:
Lv 1: Cure
Lv 3: Fire
Lv 6: Antdot
Lv 12: Drain
Lv 18: Life
Lv 22: Fire 2
Lv 26: Warp
Lv 33: Cure 2
Lv 37: Dispel
Lv 43: Fire 3
Lv 49: Life 2
Lv 57: Pearl
Lv 68: Break
Lv 75: Quartr
Lv 86: Merton
Lv 99: Ultima
Ending thought:
Its easy to see that Terra has many options by the end of the game.
Terra generally starts off slow, picks up somewhat later, and as the
game goes on, she gets better and better. This, combined with no real
flaws beyond being somewhat lackluster early game make her an
outstanding character, one defiantly worthy of being Top Tier, if not
the games best character. Once you start having full range of choices
in your team (in Terra's case, this would be at the Floating Continent,
seeing as she's forced into your team for the Sealed Cave. Imperial
Banquet fails to count for anything <_<), she's always a prime option
to consider.
=======
| LOCKE |
=======
Stats:
Extra HP: 48
Extra MP: 7
Vigor: 37
Speed: 40
Stamina: 31
Magic Power: 28
Battle Power: 14
Defense: 46
Evade: 15%
Magic Defense: 23
M. Block: 2%
Level Readjustment: +2
Special Ability: Steal/Capture
Effects: Steals an item from the opponent. Chance of success is based
on Locke's current level compared to the level of the monster he's
stealing from. Chance of success is doubled with Sneak Ring on. With
Thief Glove on, Steal becomes Capture, which works exactly like the
"Fight" command as if it had an "Add: Steal" attribute to it. Capture
ignores replacement effects (like Wing Edge's "X-death" ability), but
not addition affects (Blizzard's random Ice spells.)
Character Analysis:
You can probably tell right off the bat, based on Locke's stats, that
he's a fighter. And truth be told, you are correct. Sporting Magic
Power tied for third worst with Sabin, and a nice selection of Weapons,
Locke's main suit is melee combat. Well, fine, its not always melee,
as sometimes he's hiding in the back row throwing boomerangs at people,
which is more long range than melee, but that's besides the point.
However, there is no doubt that Locke does get overrated by a lot of
his fans. One of the most common things they say about him is
something along the lines of "Offering + Genji Glove + Valiant Knife +
Atma Weapon = 9999 x 8!" This is true, yes…at level 99 with nearly
maxed out Vigor, and in front row, assuming max HP so the Atma Weapon
doesn't do low damage. Clearly, that's not saying much, as all this
means is Locke has best damage potential, but only at the point where
things don't matter anymore, since anyone can dish out massive damage
without breaking a sweat. Don't get me wrong, Locke isn't a bad
character, but he's far from the best like some people might try and
claim.
One thing often raved about by Locke is his "amazing speed!" Yes, that
speed is the best of any character in the game, and yes, he has the
most speed boosting equips to complement this…but that's where it ends.
On paper, that sounds great, but in practice, due to how FF6's ATB
works, all this means is Locke might lap your OWN characters
occasionally (not the enemies, which matter), as well as getting the
first turn faster (matters only for running, all things considered)
Some people might go as far as to say "Locke gets 2 turns when everyone
else gets one, so he has double his damage!" which is a flat out lie,
unless your purposely giving Locke some "Free Time" by using Long
Animations attacks with the other characters, and Locke is using short
animation. Yeah, while having game best speed sounds great on paper,
in a game like FF6, it means very little. Anybody whose actually
played FF6, and wasn't obsessed with Locke will notice high speed means
(conversely, Low Speed isn't noticeable too, making people like Cyan
happy)
When Locke first joins, lets be blunt, he sucks. He has nothing going
for him besides decent weapons (Guardian and Air Lancet, for example),
but that's about it. His damage isn't too good, being far behind
Edgar's Tools, and he doesn't have any other special features, like how
Terra can be used for healing. Locke does have stealing, to be fair,
which is good for money making, or getting some early items (like
Bandana's from Brawlers) After a certain point, for Locke to show ANY
use in battle, he will basically require the Genji Glove (which to be
fair, fits him the best, as he has the strongest weapons, generally,
and other characters can do damage through other means), and possibly
the Atlas Armlet, for his damage to keep up with the others. At first
this sounds like not such a bad idea…keep in mind it does force him,
until the Narshe Battle sequence, to go in the Front Row to take full
advantage of his damage, and the loss of the shield does kind of make
things difficult for defense. After that fight, he gets some Long Range
weapons, which help, yes, but not long after that is the Magitek
Factory where enemies have defense values up the wazoo, forcing Locke
to be a mage if you want him to be worth anything (and since he's
forced into your team, that's likely not a bad idea)
Locke's equipment is fairly averages at first, and decent in the WoR.
Yes, he gets Long Range weapons, but…he gets them at the point of the
game when basic physicals are at their worst. His Armor options aren't
bad, but they aren't special either. Clothing class in the WoB does
have nice things like Ninja Gear, Power Sash, and Gaia Gear, but none
of them are all that particularly special (and in the case of Gaia
Gear, 10 of the 12 characters can use it anyway, so its more so a
disadvantage to those who can't use it then an advantage to those who
can) Helmet options like most non Females is pretty average-ish, only
thing that stands out is the Head Band, which is more an on paper thing
than anything else. He also gets Hawkeyes nearing the end of the WoB,
good as most enemies fly on the Floating Continent…at least, you'd
expect them to be good. Truth be told, he still needs Genji Glove for
the average damage to catch up, and even then, he's still lower end.
In fact, sadly, Relm's physical actually keeps up with Locke's on the
FC (just as many enemies weak to Fire, Ice and Lightning as there are
floating enemies), on average, due to her random level 2 castings (this
is to say nothing of her just outright casting a level 2)
WoR…Locke gets some nice equipment options. His main selling point,
the Valiant Knife, he even brings with him! This weapon ignores
defense and gains damage as he loses HP. This makes a nice choice for
the offering as the bonus damage (from the HP loss) ignores the
Offering's Damage penalty, making his damage quite solid. He also is
one of the few Force Armor users, so he can tweak his M. Block to
decent levels. Not to mention he can use Illumina too. However,
there's only one Illumina, and four users, and generally, the other
three tend to be more effective overall, for other reasons.
All in all, Locke is an alright character come end game, but he's
nothing particularly special ever. His WoB lagging is something that's
hard to ignore, since he truly lacks anything that makes him worthwhile
there.
As far as his special goes. Steal sounds great, yes. Getting
equipment early can't be a bad thing, right? This would be true if for
the most part, there were actual things worth stealing. There are a
few nice things, but for the most part, the stuff you steal you will
either be getting soon enough anyway, is a minor factor, or just flat
out isn't worth bothering over. Steal does have the nice commodity of
being a means of fattening your wallet though, especially in the WoB
when the Veldt is not available. So what of Capture? To be blunt,
that's a DOWNGRADE to Steal. Yes, Damage + Steal sounds good at
first…but consider that when you are stealing something, you want the
enemies to live as long as possible, and not worry about killing them.
Capture kind of defeats that purpose.
Capture does have a use, to be fair. In the WoB, paired with the Atma
Weapon, Locke effectively gains a 255 Powered weapon with no flaws that
ignores row, added aspect of stealing. Makes for some passable damage
for parts of the WoB, I guess. Hardly a saving grace though.
As far as a mage goes…you could use Locke as one, if you please, as he
could make up for his low Magic Power by equipping Genji Armor (+3 to
magic Power), Illumina (+7), and Circlet (+4), but…then again, lots of
characters can do similar things, and end up better anyway. Chances
are, if you are using Locke, you are using him for his physical
prowess, not for magic, even though for a brief moment (the Magitek
Factory, is one example), Magic might be his best means of offense.
Strategies for Locke throughout the game:
-When Locke first joins, try to steal as much as possible. Getting
Tonics early on for free can save a bit of money, as well as an
occasional antidote.
-Speaking about first joining, when you fight Marshall, don't kill him
til you get that Mithril Knife. You might die a few times, but
remember, dying there =/= game over, just forces you to restart. Just
keep trying til you succeed, THEN kill him. Mithril Knife is better
than what Locke already has, and besides, its extra money, right?
-When Edgar joins, give Locke his Mithril Blade. Edgar has no use for
such a weapon, and Locke likes the extra attack. Besides, saves money
from having to buy one for him in South Figaro anyway, and its his
strongest weapon until Mt. Koltz anyway.
-Grab the Hyper Wrist in South Figaro, and the Atlas Armlet on Mt.
Koltz, and give both to Locke. This makes his damage somewhat
passable, though, note that this set up has the flaw of harming Edgar's
damage from Auto Crossbow too, should you think that needs a boost.
-Whether you get the Genji Glove or Gauntlet is up to (though, take my
word for it, you'd be foolish to choose the Gauntlet), either way, it
should go to Locke. One of those with an Atlas Armlet makes his damage
good enough to kill off a Trooper in the Narshe Battle Sequence in one
hit!
-Steal from TunnelArmr to get a 2nd Air Lancet early on, at least
7/8ths of the time. This helps make Locke's damage a bit better (Air
Lancet isn't too much stronger than Guardian, but still helps) for
early parts, if you are using Genji Glove. Mind, if you got Gauntlet,
I would forget about the 2nd Air Lancent unless you plan on selling it
for a bit of extra cash.
-Locke should always be using Full Moon, or when its available,
Boomerang and stay in the back row, throughout the mid sections of the
WoB. The Little damage boost from the Elemental weapons won't be worth
back row compatibility, unless of course you are hitting a weakness,
which makes using those weapons a no-brainer of course (for example,
Thunder Blade against enemies in the Magitek Factory) That is of
course until…
-Locke has access to Hawk Eyes. Without a doubt, this weapon is
Locke's best weapon in the WoB. Highest attack power (besides Atma
Weapon, which has issues), random ability to do 1.5x damage to enemies
50% of the time, 3x if enemy is flying, and is back row compatible to
boot. If you are using Locke in the WoB, it should be obvious to equip
two of these on Locke, back them up with an Atlas Armlet, and leave him
in the Back Row. It’s the only way his damage is going to be worth
anything, really.
-Alternatively, if you want damage that's more consistent (though,
worse on average), equip Thief Glove, and give Locke the Atma Weapon,
and use Capture. Capture will ignore the Atma Weapon's extra level and
HP factors into the damage, (downside is it no longer is defense
ignoring albeit) for turning it effectively into a 255 Powered Back Row
compatible weapon. The stealing aspect is icing. If you wish, throw a
Genji Glove on with a Hawk Eye for more damage, or use Atlas Armlet if
you prefer to keep that Shield on.
-Despite how it might look on paper, the Power Sash is probably not
worth equipping for the FC. Stay with the Gaia Gear. Sure, that loss
of 5 Vigor seems bad, but the extra Magic Defense (defense increase Is
negligible), and Earth absorption at that point of the game probably
better investments.
-When Locke rejoins in the WoR, he should always have either Valiant
Knife, or Wing Edge on (or Illumina, if you feel like giving it to him)
Those two weapons are easily his best weapons in the WoR. Valiant
Knife is his best for raw damage, Wing Edge is just solid for being
Back Row compatible, boosting stats, and the random instant death.
-Locke can use the Force Armor. I highly suggest you take advantage of
this. Its arguably the best armor in the game, and only 6 characters
can use it. Remember, there are several suits around, and 2 of the
characters who use Force Armor have another viable option open, so one
being around for Locke shouldn't be that big an issue.
-If you are using Locke in the WoR, then I have one word to say:
Offering. Were it not for this one relic, Locke would be very hard
pressed to find use outside being another character who wields Illumina
(Something, again, three other characters who are likely to see more
use can do anyway), which even that wouldn't be enough to save him.
This weapon helps augment the one aspect Locke had going for him; his
good draw of weapons. This will double Locke's damage with the Fight
command, and if using Valiant Knife, QUADRUPLE the damage bonus from HP
Loss. It should be pointed out, though, that if Locke is using the
Offering, other characters who benefit greatly from it (like Setzer,
for example) can't use it. Keep this in mind when making teams
(especially in places like Kefka's tower)
Locke's Ultimate and other Noteworthy Equips:
Weapons:
Valiant Knife
Illumina
Wing Edge
Atma Weapon
Helmet:
Red Cap
Genji Helm
Bard's Hat
Circlet
Armor:
Force Armor
Genji Armor
Ideal Set ups for Locke:
Set Up #1:
Valiant Knife
Genji Shield
Red Cap
Genji Armor
Offering
Atlas Armlet
An ideal physical offense set up for Locke. Genji Shield and Genji
Armor help make up for the defense loss that Locke will be taking from
using the front row in this set up. Offering and Atlas Armlet work
nicely together, as its basically a 2.5x damage increase overall. Red
Cap works oddly nice with the Valiant Knife, as it means since your Max
HP is higher, you have more HP to lose, thus that much more to be added
to your damage, to say nothing of how the Red Cap and Genji Armor give
a net bonus of +9 Vigor.
Set Up #2:
Illumina
Aegis Shield
Bard's Hat
Force Armor
Any two Relics of your choice (I advise AGAINST using the Offering)
This is a standard 128% M. Block Set Up for Locke. Should you wish to
give him one, you MUST give him Illumina, unfortunately. I suggest
this one as it leaves those nice Force Shields open for those who don't
have Illumina around for their M. Block set ups, and doesn't really
hinder Locke in anyway. Illumina smackings should suffice for damage,
if you are afraid Locke's magic damage won't be particularly special,
even with the +7 to Magic Power.
Set Up #3:
Wing Edge
Genji Shield
Red Cap
Mirage Vest
Sneak Ring
Running Shoes
I know you are probably wondering what the heck is up with this set up?
Well, this one is the best possible Set Up Locke can use for speed
(Note you can swap Wing Edge with Illumina, if you desire), should you
want to make Locke an unholy speedster. This set up has uses of
probably being ideal for saving time in stealing, as it means Locke
gets his turns faster, and with the Sneak Ring around, he's still
getting the nice double steal odds bonus. Generally, not a very good
set up, but I know there are SOME people who love speed more than
anything else (Why? Who knows, maybe they think this something like
FF10, where speed mattered >.>), so this is here for all those
speedster fans.
Miscellaneous stuff regarding Locke:
-Offering + Thief Glove…the never ending myth. Sadly, while this combo
seems excellent on paper…its not as good as it seems. IIRC, there is a
bug where once you steal, the game will claim you steal that same
object several times in a row, regardless of target, even though you
only steal it once. Also, I seem to recall that the game doesn't make
the check to steal 4x…its actually only once, and the game just
reiterates the steal message multiple times. Not certain on this, but
basically, this combo isn't worth it at all. Better off just sticking
to Sneak Rings for raising steal odds.
-The never ending dungeon of doom! Well, ok, not really, but Locke is
quite possibly the hardest and most annoying character to get in the
WoR. He has easily the longest dungeon of any character (Phoenix
Cave), and said dungeon has annoying enemies too, and requires two
parties (though, one party, to be fair, could just be Mog solo w/ a
Moogle Charm). Granted…
-Locke is needed to get Ultima and/or Illumina, unless you like wasting
time getting Terra to level 99 (at which point, its useless) Both
Ragnarok AND the Paladin Shield require Locke to obtain. This is
probably the best reason to get him, as both are quite nasty equips
(Illumina more so since you can get it far easier)
-Sneak Rings DO NOT STACK. Well, ok, the speed boosts do, but not the
Steal aspect. Thought I should throw this out, as its an often enough
asked question. So don't bother equipping a 2nd Sneak Ring unless you
like another +5 to speed or something.
-Locke can hit 9999 x 8! However, this requires him to be at level 99,
with stupidly high Vigor, more or less, using Atma Weapon and Valiant
Knife. Yes, this is the best damage potential in the game, no, it
serves no purpose whatsoever, beyond being something random to throw
out.
Skillset:
Locke doesn't have any real skillset, per se. His Special ability,
Steal, is a single command that's already explained earlier. Capture
simply replaces Steal, should the Thief Glove be equipped.
Final Thoughts: Locke in the end isn't a particularly stellar
character, but he can be tweaked to being decent. He's never really
that good with Magic, given his low Magic Score, and lack of equips
outside of Illumina to compensate for this, and it really does take
time for his unique weapons to actually show anything (first one that
stands out are the Hawk Eyes) He picks up in the WoR, thankfully,
coming with the Valiant Knife, and the existence of the Offering now
around, as well as being able to use Illumina and Force Armor, though,
even Offering + Valiant Knife isn't all its cracked up to be, and other
characters can use that fine sword and nice flashy Armor. If you like
Locke, continue to use him, though, just know there are usually better
options around.
=====
| MOG |
=====
Stats:
Extra HP: 39
Extra MP: 16
Vigor: 29
Speed: 36
Stamina: 26
Magic Power: 35
Battle Power: 16
Defense: 52
Evade: 10%
Magic Defense: 36
M. Block: 12%
Level Readjustment: +5
Special ability: Dance
Effects: Adds "Dance" status to Mog. Under Dance status, Mog can use
one of four attacks, what attacks vary on each dance. All Dances have
frequencies spread out between 7/16 for first attack, 6/16 for second,
2/16 for the third, and 1/16 for the rarest. Dances have a 50% chance
of success upon initial attempt, and once successful, the dance will
never fail again unless Mog dies and then uses a different dance (The
Terrain changes when Mog uses a "Dance" successfully), UNLESS on Home
Terrain, in which case, said dance never fails. Dances are obtained by
finishing battles on new terrain with Mog in your party (yes, he can be
dead) All Dances are considered magical.
Character Analysis:
I'll be blunt with Mog; Square clearly wanted a character with no rhyme
or reason, and had arbitrary uses based on the time, and would go
against whatever his stats would claim. Yes, his stats for the most
part are Mage Like, having above average Magic, game best Magic
Defense, and bad physical stats…except defense where he ranks 2nd only
to Sabin (nixing Umaro since he's special) However, look at his
equipment when her first joins, as far as what is available to him:
Gold Class equips, Spears, low level mage equips Terra and Celes can
use (Silk Robe and Magus Hat)…the guy makes very little sense, to be
blunt. Mog is clearly a character who you basically have to DISCOVER
what his use is. For this reason alone, people will often discount him
for one reason or another, thinking he's bad. However, with some
knowledge, Mog can be made into quite a force.
When Mog first joins, his best defining feature is clearly his starting
5 levels above everyone else. This is a blessing and a curse. This
means Mog starts off with a huge HP advantage, and his damage will
likely be inflated due to it, however, it also means less Esper time
for him (and anybody who joins after him, since now his +5 to levels is
factored into the average), for those who are sticklers about leveling
up with Espers.
Mog when he first joins has one general use: Dances. Lets be frank.
Dances kick ass in the WoB. High MT damage, terrains tend to be in his
favor (Wind Song for the IAF sequence, an area where full Free MT
Healing would be nice, as well as a Wind Attack that hits BOTH sides,
in an area where enemies are weak to Wind…and both moves are common to
boot), passable ST damage…dances come in with a bang, make no mistake.
Later on, in the WoR, they die off, yes, but WoB, they are excellent,
their only flaw being unreliable. Mog's equipment is pretty good then
too. Spears aren't bad on power, AND they can be paired with Dragoon
Boots for double damage (other weapons only get 1.5x damage), AND it
makes them ignore row…IOWs, Mog suddenly becomes a decent fighter, as
well as a good Pseudo Mage. Magic stat isn't too shabby either, and
can be boosted to a degree, if you wish, so he makes a fine back up
mage. Oddly enough, he'll have game best defense here, despite lacking
a certain armor to be named later. This is what happens when you shove
the Gold Shield (best shield at the time) on someone with 2nd best
defense score. Yes, Mog can have better defense than the likes of
Edgar, scary, I know, even if the amount is negligible. More over, he
can use Gaia Gear at the same time, letting him reap the benefits of
that fine armor. Though, for the most part, if you are using Mog, you
are using him for his dances…he just brings a bunch of other random fun
stuff with him, in the WoB anyway.
While in the WoB, he's quite the offensive Power House, murdering
entire battle fields with ease, and doing good damage on bosses…he's
pretty much the exact opposite in the WoR. His damage takes a drop,
though it can be tweaked to be good with Dragon Horn + Dragoon Boots,
paired with a decent spear. On the flipside, Mog as a mage…is fairly
average-ish. He still has good base magic power, but less time for
Esper boosts can hurt. Basically, Mog goes from a good Mage character
who is a fine choice cause of his raw offense to a Physical Fighter who
is a fine choice because of his raw defense score. This is likely the
most drastic change for ANY character in FF6, and the funny thing is,
he does BOTH jobs fairly well.
There is an annoying feature to Mog though. In the WoR, should you not
bother taking the time to pick up the Snow Muffler (the armor that
makes his defense obscene), Mog's defense will suck. Mog's next best
armor is…the Diamond Vest…yes, that wimpy universal store bought PoS in
Nikeah. Without that, Mog drops from a rather solid character to…well,
a fairly bad one. So if you are using Mog late game, be sure to get
the Snow Muffler first, then use him to your hearts delight.
Either that, or you're using him for another feature: the Moogle Charm.
This is easily what people associate Mog with the most, and lots of
people will claim its his only reason to exist. Moogle Charm, for
those who don't know, lets you TOTALLY avoid random encounters, and is
something only Mog can equip; nifty for doing things like, say, raiding
the Fanatics Tower early on.
So in the end, if you plan on using Mog, make sure you know how to use
him. Lots of people will think Mog is all dances, and discount his use
entirely, when in fact, its not so much Mog sucks cause Dances suck now
(they really are unimpressive in the WoR), more so his use has taken a
complete 180, going from an offensive powerhouse to one who relies on
tanking, per se.
Strategies for Mog throughout the game:
-When you first get Mog, in the save Terra sequence, De-equip him.
This way, you can get an early Mithril Shield, and Mithril Pike. Note
that Mog comes back with this anyway when he rejoins later.
-You should always grab Mog instead of the Gold Hairpin. Yes, halving
MP costs sounds nice, but consider it takes up a whole relic slot, and
that you can't grab Water Rondo, and Mog loses even MORE Esper levels
than before (when he joins in the WoR, his Level readjustment won't
factor in if you got him early on) if you grab him late. That, and Mog
is actually a decent character here to boot.
-Shove Mog in the Back Row, and give him Dragoon Boots. That relic
should be somewhat a staple on Mog. Early on, Hero Ring is likely the
best option (boosts Jump's damage, AND his dance's damage), later,
better off with Dragon Horn, so his optimal damage (Jump) increases.
-NEVER give Mog the Genji Glove. Dragoon Boots will result in the same
thing, and doesn't sacrifice a shield.
-Likewise, forget that Mog can use the Gradeus. Yes, stronger than the
Pearl Lance, but when used with Jump, Pearl Lance does more since it’s
a spear (higher damage boost compared to daggers), AND gets those
random Pearl Castings in. The +3 to Magic Power can't hurt either
-When you first get Mog in the WoB, I suggest taking a quick dance hike
to grab all the dances you can get (all but Snowman Jazz are available)
ESPECIALLY Water Rondo, as the area coming up (the Sealed Cave)…to be
blunt, its not very fond of that dance, lets put it that way :P
(though, Mog does have 50% chance of failure, being not the home dance)
-For the Sealed Cave, Mog's best option is likely Water Rondo.
Unreliable, yes, but when he hits with El Nino, he hits HARD. Though,
Dusk Requiem isn't bad if you are fighting nothing but Zombones (Since
the only thing they are immune to is Poison Frog, the rarest of Dusk
Requiem's dances)
-IAF Sequence, Wind Song hands down. Provides not only consistant
Healing, but Wind Slash can kill those fights in one casting
(Earrings/Hero Rings can help insure this further) Plasma, while rare
and no favorable, WILL kill whatever it hits, and works nicely on Air
Force to boot. Cockatrice…too rare to consider, be it positive or
negative. Most evil part is, this dance is the home dance too, so no
real flaws into using it.
-Floating Continent, Earth Blues all the way. This dance is just
brutal, in general, and it’s the home dance too, should be quite
obvious as far as why to use it (it does have a flaw in that if Mog
uses Sonic Boom on an enemy immune to Instant Death, it’s a wasted
turn, but thems the breaks)
-Be sure to get the Snow Muffler before you are serious about using Mog
in the WoR.
-Mog is one of the few characters, late game, you should consider
raising his defense as high as possible, instead of M. Block. This is
cause Mog's Defense is high enough that it can potentially max, where
he takes 1 damage from physicals in the Front Row (0 in the Back Row)
Meanwhile, Mog's M. Block, despite being 2nd best, doesn't have much in
equips to raise it.
Mog's Ultimate and Noteworthy equips:
Weapons:
Pearl Lance
Aura Lance
Helmets:
Genji Helm
Bard's Hat
Circlet
Red Cap
Armor:
Snow Muffler
Ideal End game Set ups for Mog:
Set Up #1:
Pearl Lance
Paladin Shield
Red Cap
Snow Muffler
Dragon Horn
Dragoon Boots
This Set up should be quite obvious. It makes Mog really hard to kill,
all things considered. Yeah, I know, requires using the Paladin Shield
on him, but I listed it here since it fits him so nicely. Snow Muffler
gives him Maxed out Defense potentials, so he's got physical immunity,
Paladin Shield covers most of the Magic damage with giving +40% M.
Block, high magic defense, and makes Mog immune to every element in the
game. Red Cap fits nicely with this "Tank" set up, boosting ANOTHER
defensive Stat (HP), along with giving him a boost to Vigor to
complement the Dragoon Set up here. More or less, Mog won't be able to
be hit since he'll often be airborne with this set up. When he is not
airborne, enemies will have a hell of a time hurting him.
Note: IN general, I'll avoid Paladin Shield set ups, UNLESS they have
some actual strategic use, like this one here (covers Mog's lesser
defenses, making him even better at what he does best: hits)
Miscellaneous Info about Character:
-Mog is required for getting Umaro. This means that if you want
everything, you must use Mog at least at some point regardless
-Moogle Charm only works for one party, as a reminder. Mind, it helps
turn things like Phoenix Cave into a one party area, effectively, since
only one party is fighting, while Mog runs right through
-When Mog uses a dance, you lose control of him completely, unless he
dies. Keep this in mind before using Dance with Mog.
-Like Terra (and Gau), Mog can also get maxed out Magic Defense.
Similarly, this has no actual use beyond novelty, given how much it
murders your defense (and since the set up requires White Capes, being
an Imp is out of the question) Requires the same equipment as Terra to
pull this off.
Skillset:
Below are a list of Mog's dances, how to get them, and what they
contain. (note that abilities are being listed in order of Frequency)
Note that since this isn't an algorithm FAQ, I'm giving a
generalization of abilities only (same goes for any other character
from here on in)
Wind Song
Home Terrain: Plains, Coliseum, the Veldt, and Sky (such as fights on
the Airship)
Abilities:
Wind Slash: Wind damage to all.
Sun Bath: Heals party's HP
Plasma: Lightning elemental damage to one
Cockatrie: Inflicts Stone status on target. Note the game says it does
damage, however, the move misses entirely if enemy is immune to Stone
status, so that factor is moot.
Evaluation of Dance: Fairly solid. Wind Slash is good MT damage, and
Sun bath is effectively full healing. Cockatrie is a bit mehish,
though, it’s the rarest attack of the dance, thankfully. Plasma isn't
particularly special, but doesn't hurt either.
Forest Suite
Home Terrain: Forests
Abilities:
Rage: Non Elemental damage to all
Harvester: Recovers party from most negative status ailments
Elf Fire: Fire Damage to one
Wombat: Non elemental damage to one
Comments: Probably the worst dance in the game. Harvest being a
frequent attack really screws the dance's potential, and it has no real
tricks, beside Wombat which is oddly Mog's strongest damage dance…pity
its also the rarest.
Desert Aria:
Home Terrain: Deserts
Abilities:
Sand Storm: Wind Elemental damage to all
Antlion: Instant Death to one
Wind Slash: Wind Elemental damage to all
Kitty: Grants Haste status to the whole party
Comments: Pure novelty dance. Not particularly useful, but not scrubby
either. Main problem is there's no real use for a Desert Dance, in
general (if it had some good skills, that'd be one thing, but…it
doesn't)
Love Sonata:
Home Terrain: Towns and Indoors
Abilities:
Elf Fire: Fire damage to one
Specter: Confuses single target
Snare: Instant Death to one
Tapir: Recovers party from status
Comments: Nifty for the confusion, and chance of instant death, though
quite lacking on damage. Not much home terrain to take advantage of
this, the places that do its not worth it (Zozo, those few fights in
the Banquet sequence, among other things)
Earth Blues:
Home Terrain: Mountains, and the Floating Continent
Abilities:
Land Slide: Non Elemental damage to one
Sonic Boom: Reduces target's HP by 62.5%
Sun Bath: Heals the party's HP
Whump: Non elemental damage to one
Comments: Nice dance. Great when you consider the Floating Continent
is its home terrain as well. Land Slide does some nasty damage (its an
improved Flare, more or less), Sonic Boom is some Gravity damage, and
it has some healing, even if unreliable. Whump is kind of just there,
though.
Water Rondo:
Home Terrain: Lete River, and Serpent Trench
Abilities:
El Nino: Water elemental damage to all
Plasma: Lightning Damage to one
Specter: Confuses enemy
Wild Bear: Heals party's HP and from most negative status effects
Comments: This dance, frankly, kicks ass, pity the home terrain appears
almost never. El Nino is quite nasty when you first get it, and Plasma
isn't half bad. Wild Bear, while rare, is probably the best single
healing ability in the game, having no flaws in and of itself, while
healing ludicrously high amounts along with status. Specter is mostly
novelty, but isn't bad.
Dusk Requiem:
Home Terrain: Caves
Abilities:
Cave In: Reduces Target's HP by 75%, adds Seizure Status
Snare: Instant Death to one enemy
Elf Fire: Fire damage to one
Poison Frog: Poison Damage to one
Comments: Pretty average, this damage isn't much on raw damage, albeit,
since the only damage attacks are rare. This dance has a few terrain
areas, but thing is, the enemies there always seem to be geared against
it (high magic defense w/ instant death immunity, fire/poison
absorption, etc.)
Snowman Jazz:
Home Terrain: Snowy Hills behind Narshe
Abilities:
Snowball: Reduces enemy's HP by 50%
Surge: Ice damage to all
Snare: Instant Death to one
Ice Rabbit: Heals party's HP
Comments: Pretty sad, considering how late you get it. Only one area
is its home terrain, and the only thing worth fighting there (Ice
Dragon)…is immune to all its tricks. Nothing really worth noting about
this dance at all.
Final Thoughts: Mog is a solid character, all things considered; he
just takes some knowing how to make use of him. He's also the most
randomly thought out character in the game, as there's no rhyme or
reason for anything what he does (his equipment scheme is the most
inconsistent thing in the game) Granted, its that feature that makes
Mog fun. He's a decent investment, though, as a reminder, late game,
he really needs that Snow Muffler to see any use.
=======
| Edgar |
=======
Stats:
Extra HP: 49
Extra MP: 6
Vigor: 39
Speed: 30
Stamina: 34
Magic Power: 29
Battle Power: 20
Defense: 50
Evade: 4%
Magic Defense: 22
M. Block: 1%
Level Readjustment: +2
Special ability: Tools
Effects: Selects a Tool from a list of ones that are in your current
Inventory. Only one Tool of that type is needed to use the attack.
Tools can be used indefinably, with absolutely no penalties.
Character Analysis:
Edgar is probably the first character who joins who you will say "Man,
does this guy kick ass" or something along those lines. Frankly, when
he first joins, he does. Best damage dealer, which is also Multi
Target, AND it's free, also having Confusion to boot, and your best
defense at that, not to mention his damage ignores the back row. When
this damage starts to decline, he just gets better damage right after
it. Edgar is a favorite of new players due to how he comes in with a
bang, and said "bang" never exactly fades, or rather, its fading Is far
slower than other attacks, as Edgar builds up the skill set far faster
than other characters.
But how is Edgar in reality? Oddly, for all that he is hyped to hell
to the point where you'd think he's overrated, he is actually deserving
of it, in some sense. Mind, Edgar is a victim of an odd type of
characterization; the one who is a great character, but liked for all
the wrong reasons. What am I referring too?
Well, yes, in the WoB, Tools kick ass. No denying this. Chain Saw and
Drill are among the top damage dealing attacks, and have no flaws
whatsoever, really, besides being single target. Noise Blaster takes
down randoms by making them unable to attack you in a sense as well.
However, people will rave about these moves being great no matter what
part of the game. Truth be told, in the WoR, Chain Saw and Drill
aren't special attacks, in terms of damage. Sure, they aren't total
trash, but there are so many other BETTER ways to do damage later on,
and Edgar himself can even be put to better use than using Tools.
Anyway, enough ranting about how Edgar gets love for the wrong reasons
lets look at Edgar's character. You can tell by his stats that he's
defiantly a physical fighter, and his equipment would back this up too.
He more or less uses all the same stuff Terra and Celes has, just loses
the Female Specifics, Flails and early game mage equips, and replaces
it with…the Regal Crown, Red Jacket, and Spears. Ok, he's defiantly on
the losing end of armor, no mistake (come on, Minerva beats Red Jacket
in everything but Vigor, and Stamina), but he wins in weapons quite
cleanly (OH NOES! NOT FLAILS!) Overall equipment? Get to that later,
maybe. Anyway, this means Edgar's defense throughout most of the game
ends up being fairly good throughout. However, there is a flaw to his
equipment. In the WoB, he has no armors with anything special
attached. Sure, he gets the Gold Shield, but that's where the decency
in armor ends, really. He's restricted to using pure defensive gear,
or totally universal stuff (Bard's Hat and Green Beret, mainly),
meaning his options are quite limited. He's also one of two characters
who can't use the Gaia Gear, which hurts his Magic Defense, as well as
him being a good candidate for the Floating Continent. It’s not much
of a flaw, to be fair, but its kind of annoying.
WoR comes in, Edgar's equipment makes quite a jump. For starters, he
can use Force Armor. That alone shows how much better his equipment
options are. He also now gets the option of equipping the Enhancer, a
weapon that gives him some M. Block, AND boosts his Magic Power to the
point where he can have passable magic damage to fall back on, as it
makes up for his low base Magic Power. Even better is the existence of
the Dragon Horn. Like Mog, Edgar can use spears, so pairing him with
Dragoon Boots, Dragon Horn, and a decent spear really turns Edgar into
quote the powerhouse. And Edgar also happens to be one of the four
characters who can use the Illumina, not to mention is tied with Terra
for 2nd easiest character to reach 128% M. Block (since everything is
done in 10% intervals, that 1% and 7% in this case are effectively the
same) Yes, Edgar's equipment is pretty nifty, all things considered.
Definatly amongst the best in the game, at least end game, probably
only outdone by Terra and Celes (blame their female equips)
Anyway, Edgar's use basically goes from clearly tools in the WoB to
more so a character whose based around having options in equipment.
Its pretty interesting how Edgar manages to never actually get bad,
despite how his skill set stops getting better early on. Edgar's best
feature, IMHO, would be that he's a solid choice no matter what part of
the game you are in. Tools make him good early on, his equipment make
him a fine character in the WoR. All things considered, Edgar's a nice
character to have around.
Strategies for Edgar throughout the game:
-Remember that Spear you took from Mog? Give it to Edgar. Even though
he'll likely never use it, it'll let you give his Mithril Sword
directly to Locke and you won't feel like you're are hurting Edgar
either by forcing him to use that Dirk or Mithril Knife.
-NEVER use Edgar's Fight command early on, EVER. Auto Crossbow is
STRONGER than his weapons, and is MT, and can be used in the back row,
what have you…its just flat out superior in everyway. However, for a
boss…
-Bio Blaster will often be the better choice here. See, in random
encounters, Auto Crossbow often comes out on top since it ignores split
damage (the Damage/2 when hitting multiple enemies part), but for
bosses, Bio Blaster is hitting only one target, so it tends to come out
ahead. Mind, a noteworthy exception to this is Ultros, who has better
magic defense than Defense, so stick with Auto Crossbow there.
-Use Noiseblaster to no end. Yes, it doesn't do damage, but…it
confuses all enemies. And thus, they won't attack you. If you want to
KEEP them that way, have Terra cast Fire, Edgar use Bio Blaster, follow
up with Noiseblaster to reapply Confusion, and Locke steal. Pretty
insane move early on, really.
-When you get to Figaro a 2nd time, Grab the Drill and Flash. Should
be obvious, but just reminding you that new stuff is available.
-Not to mention make sure you get that Chainsaw in Zozo…
-For bosses…Drill vs. Chain Saw, the eternal debate…well, if you are
feeling lucky, go with Chain Saw, as its raw damage is better. If you
want to go by statistics, go with Drill. Its average damage is better
than Chain Saw's, when an enemy is immune to instant death. Granted,
if the enemy is not immune to Instant Death, Chain Saw should be an
obvious choice
-For the Magitek Factory, it's not a bad idea to give Edgar two
Earrings/Hero Rings, and let him use Flash. Its an MT damage attack
that does decent damage for the time, and its magical, so it doesn't
get hit by the enemies high defenses. Best option for Crowd Control
here by far, especially since confusion doesn't work on enemies here as
well as you'd expect. If you want single target damage, stay with the
usual two.
-In the WoR, get use to not relying on Chain Saw and Drill. Yeah,
they're still solid early on, but you'll note that their damage is
slowly declining. They will eventually fall behind, and end up being
average-ish damage at best. Its best to start experimenting with
Edgar's options as soon as you get the Falchon, so that you can make
the transition earlier, per se.
-Don't bother with the Regal Crown. Yeah, looks nice on paper, but…its
really inferior to the Circlet in most ways that matter, let alone
stuff like the Red Cap, or Genji Helmet, or just the Bard's Hat.
-Spear or Sword…this is something you'll likely find yourself trying to
figure out in the WoR. Depends on how you are treating Edgar. If you
want Edgar to play defensively, defiantly stick with the Sword,
specifically the Enhancer. Offensively, go with the Spear, and throw
on some Dragoon Boots and Dragon Horn. Either way works fine.
Edgar's Ultimate and Noteworthy Equips:
Weapons:
Pearl Lance
Aura Lance
Illumina
Enhancer
Atma Weapon
Helmets:
Bard's Hat
Red Cap
Genji Helmet
Regal Crown
Circlet
Armor:
Force Armor
Genji Armor
Red Jacket
Ideal End Game Set ups for Edgar:
Set Up #1:
Pearl Lance
Thunder Shield
Red Cap/Genji Helmet
Genji Armor
Dragoon Boots
Dragon Horn
Edgar's answer to Mog's dragoon set up. Genji Armor gives him a nice
defense and Magic defense boost, while also giving him a boost to Vigor
and Speed. Thunder Shield is used here since there's unlimited supply
of them, and gives some elemental resists, something this set up needs.
Red Cap vs. Genji Helmet can go either way; better defense vs. more HP
and a Vigor boost. Pearl Lance makes the damage not bad, as its quite
a step up from Partisan. Probably Edgar's best offensive set up
overall. However, note that this set up is generally inferior to Mog's
version, but the difference is this is ONE of the potential set ups
Edgar can opt for if he wants Damage. Alternatives to this set up
exist, mind. Force Armor vs. Genji Armor was a tough call here, mostly
comes down to the shield. For example, if you plan on using an
elemental shield, Genji Armor probably comes better than Force Armor
here, meanwhile, if using Force or Aegis Shield, Force Armor will most
defiantly be better. This was just a good set up regardless of party,
as it doesn't really interfere with anyone, since both Genji Shield and
Genji Armor come in unlimited quantities, more or less, while there's a
set amount of Force Armors, Force Shields, and Aegis shields each game
(and Elemental Shields tend to be a bit situational too)
Set Up #2:
Enhancer
Force Shield
Bard's Hat
Force Armor
White Cape
White Cape
Edgar's 128% M. block Set up, the one that doesn't require using that
elusive Illumina anyway. While Edgar's offense will likely be lacking
in this set up (no Dragoon Combo, and his magic isn't exactly stellar),
like all 128% M. Block characters, he'll be really freaking hard to
kill. A good insurance policy of sorts, basically. While not the
master of the "Play Defensively in the back row while slinging spells"
strategy, he does do it fine enough, making a decent 2ndary character
for the job should you will it.
Set Up #3:
Illumina
Aegis Shield
Bard's Hat
Force Armor
Hero Ring
This set up can use any relics, really, hence why I didn't list a 2nd
one. Hero Ring is listed however cause it just fits nicely into making
this setup's offense better (not only does it boost Illumina's damage,
but the Pearl it randomly casts afterwards gets a boost too)
Basically, this is the way Edgar goes if he wants to have that nasty
128% M. Block AND some good offense (Illumina smacks are surprisingly
painful) Flaw of this set up? Obviously, there's only one Illumina,
so using it on Edgar here means someone else can't use it, so be sure
you want Edgar wielding Illumina when you consider this set up, as its
possible someone else in your team might want it instead (but this
comes down to what you want, I'm just reminding you only one Illumina
exists)
Miscellaneous Stuff regarding Edgar:
-Edgar gets a 50% Discount if he's in the FRONT of your party at Figaro
shops (IE his sprite is the one being shown), for obvious reasons. The
game will give the same dialogue if he's in your team, but the discount
won't occur (maybe cause they have less respect for him following the
orders of someone else? Who knows)
-More interesting, in South Figaro, in the WoR, Edgar also gets the
discount, but the game never even hints you are getting one. Just have
Edgar talk to the guys, and someone else, and notice the price
difference. You'll be pleasantly surprised :) Doesn't work in South
Figaro when you first get there, unfortunately (when you could actually
use the discount)
-For reasons unknown, and quite arbitrarily, after Terra speaks to
Edgar for the first time, an Auto Crossbow gets added to your inventory
for free. This means if you think you are slick in buying an Auto
Crossbow before talking to Edgar, all you did was waste money, as you
are about to get one anyway. Quite nice how the game outright hands
one to you…possibly so Edgar always has at least ONE option for Tools
(you'll note that Noiseblaster and Bio Blaster are store bought in
South Figaro, but not Auto Crossbow)
-Edgar is one of the only characters forced into your team in the WoR,
so whether you like it or not, you're getting him!
Skillset:
Edgar's skillset, Tools, is based on what Tools he has. There are 8 of
them, all with unique abilities. I'll list what they do, and how to
get them, generally (meaning not EVERYWAY)
Auto Crossbow:
Obtained at: Figaro Castle, after Terra talks to Edgar, an Auto
Crossbow will be added to your inventory. Can also buy one at the shop
in Figaro
Effects: Physical damage to all foes.
Comments: This is really nasty early on, as its STRONGER than his
weapon, hits multiple enemies and ignores back row, having no flaws.
Problems? It becomes rather weak by the time you finish Narshe Battle
sequence, to the point where its use is no longer practical.
Bio Blaster:
Obtained at: Figaro Castle shop, and the weapon Shop in South Figaro.
Effects: Does Poison Elemental Magic damage to all enemies, inflicts
Poison status
Comments: Nice alternative for damage to the Auto Crossbow, this is
fairly solid early on, and the poison status is nifty too. Good for
bosses, in general. This thing single handedly rips apart the Narshe
Battle sequence too. However, like Auto Crossbow, this too becomes
obsolete.
Noiseblaster:
Obtained at: Obtained at: Figaro Castle shop, and the weapon Shop in
South Figaro.
Effects: Adds confusion status to all enemies
Comments: Really nasty throughout the entire WoB. Its Multitarget, and
it never fails barring immunity. Great for taking out randoms. Loses
use later on when enemies start becoming immune to its status, though,
its an excellent way to find out if an enemy can be confused or not
(since if it fails, you know the enemy is immune), assuming you're too
lazy to check the Monster Statistics Guide <_< >_>
Flash:
Obtained at: Figaro Castle, after the Narshe Battle sequence
Effects: Non elemental Magic damage to all
Comments: Replaces Bio Blaster and Auto Crossbow for Edgar's MT damage
later on. Decent, though not stellar. Its best use is in the Magitek
Factory, where enemies have high physical defense, this gives you some
crowd control. Not bad, but nothing to go crazy about.
Drill:
Obtained at: Obtained at: Figaro Castle, after the Narshe Battle
sequence
Effects: Non elemental physical damage to one foe
Comments: Great tool when you first get, its defiantly one of Edgar's
best. Does high damage, and ignores defenses so the damage is always
good too. One of Edgar's prime sources of offense, at least in the WoB
anyway.
Chain Saw:
Obtained at: Zozo, complete the clock puzzle
Effects: Non elemental physical damage to one foe, 25% of the time, it
instead will be turned into an attack that does no damage and just
inflicts instant death, indicated by animation (its basically 2 attacks
on one tool, a damage version and an instant Death version. The latter
NEVER does damage, for the record. Its hit or miss, like most instant
death)
Comments: Excellent Tool, no mistake. Does the best RAW damage of any
tool, and easily his best option if the enemy is vulnerable to instant
death, as the Drill's one advantage over it is gone. Mind, on bosses,
it’s a bit risky, as any time Edgar uses the Instant Death version,
it’s a wasted turn, you might want to use Drill instead. Regardless,
this is one of Edgar's selling points early on, be sure to take
advantage of it.
Debilitator:
Obtained at: Stealing from one of the Cranes or Air Force in the WoB,
Figaro Castle in the WoR.
Effects: Adds a random weakness from one of the 8 elements in the game.
IF enemy is already weak to an element, it skips that element, and
chooses an element he's not already weak too. Weaknesses dealt by
Debilitator override innate resistances
Comments: This tool sounds great in theory. I mean, what's better than
giving bosses weaknesses, right? To be frank, this is possibly his
worst tool. See, most enemies already have a weakness, especially to
the big 3 elements, making it an easy to apply elemental weakness
anyway. This tool is wasted on random encounters, since its single
target, and your net damage would be higher just using Edgar's turn to
do some damage. Lastly, unless you are using Shadow and have a healthy
stock of elemental weapons to throw, should it bring up an elemental
weakness to, say, Earth, a hard to apply element, that's just as good
as a wasted turn (especially if the enemy is floating, in the case of
Earth, as now a grand total of 3 attacks hit its weakness (Gravity Rod
physical, Throw Gravity Rod, and LifeShaver)) IOWs, I suggest you
avoid usage of this tool beyond novelty. It sounds useful in theory
and on paper…but its pretty bad in reality.
Air Anchor:
Obtained at: Secret Room in fanatics tower. Also gained by betting
Genji Armor at the coliseum.
Effect: Gives enemy a "Status" where after their next turn goes, they
die. Note that the death does NOT kick in until AFTER their turn, so
should the enemy kill you on their last turn, its game over. Does some
minor physical damage upon success.
Comments: This tool sounds great. What's more fun than watching
enemies kill themselves, or threatening them with the words "Move and
you're dust?" Well, beyond the novelty factor, how good is this tool?
Well, remember how I ranted about the Debilitator being a bad tool,
possibly his worst? I was wrong. THIS is his worst tool, easily. For
starters, its basically a standard Instant Death attack, one that has
perfect accuracy at the cost of letting the enemy live a whole turn.
This means that you could have just cast X-zone, Summoned Odin, or
whatever, and have gotten the same results, or better, as those are MT.
Air Anchor also has the little flaw of not doing damage unless the
enemy is hit with the instant death, so that Damage part is as useless
as Mog's Cockatrie's damage. The tool has NO use against bosses,
really, since all but the obscure scrub boss here and there are immune
to instant death. To be blunt, unless you want to laugh at the
enemies, I'd avoid this tool, and just cast the freaking Doom spell if
you want instant death. Sure, it can miss, but odds say it'll hit
anyway. Some Ultimate Tool, huh?
Final Thoughts: Edgar comes in with a bang, and keeps that fire
going…or something, I dunno. He's probably the only character who
starts off kick ass, and continues to be a good character throughout
(unlike characters such as Terra, who may end up better in the long
run, need some time to get going) Tools are great, but they are
somewhat overrated late in the game, which happens to the time when
Edgar gets a few new tricks to try out anyway from his nifty equips.
Yes, Edgar, similar to Terra, has strength in equips late game, its
best to use him for those. A very good character to invest in, both
newbies and vets would agree on this alike, even if the reasons are
completely different <_<
=======
| SABIN |
=======
Stats:
Extra HP: 58
Extra MP: 3
Vigor: 47
Speed: 37
Stamina: 39
Magic Power: 28
Battle Power: 26
Defense: 53
Evade: 12%
Magic Defense: 21
M. Block: 4%
Level Readjustment: +2
Special ability: Blitz
Effects: Using this prompts the player to enter a button combo. If
successful, a Blitz is used. Which blitz is determined by what button
sequence is pushed (For example, Left Right Left is Pummel) If Button
sequence does not correspond with a Blitz among those already learned,
then it’s a failure. Failures result in no attack, and a wasted turn.
Character Analysis:
Sabin can be classified quite easily; he's a favorite of new players
(if not THE favorite), and the "black sheep" of vets. Sabin has a lot
of misconceptions about him, mostly of him being looked up to as the
"Orlandu" of FF6 (sorry for the FFT term), involving such claims as
"Excellent physical fighter with decent magic!" or "Great all
arounder!" Truth be told, a lot of that is actually false. I'll get
more specific about it later. For the most part, though, Sabin gets
the most love for two words; Bum Rush. Yes, his trade mark attack, the
big massive damage move of the WoR that only he can use. That seems to
be the sole purpose of why he is praised…at least to a new player. If
you ask a vet, they'll likely say it's mostly his only saving grace.
Alright, so what type of character is Sabin? Surely a fighter, right?
I mean, look at Vigor, and Battle Power! They're #1 in both categories
(nixing Umaro, who fails to count as usual, and Gau for Battle Power
who can't use weapons)! And he has high stamina and game best base
defense too! And he's a martial artist, of course he's a fighter,
right? WRONG! Sabin is kind of the opposite of Mog, if you remove all
the weird crap surrounding Mog. See, while Mog ends up being an
effective physical fighter despite crap physical stats and good magic
stats, Sabin is actually more so a mage of sorts. See, Sabin's weapons
are really not special at all, so that Vigor goes to waste. And more
over, his Blitzes, besides Suplex and Pummel, are based off his Magic
Power. This ultimately leads to somewhat of a disaster, as Mage with
low Magic Power finds it harder to come back than a fighter with low
physical stats (Due to how Magic Power > Vigor, for their respective
attacks)
Sabin's equipment is amongst the worst in the game, if not THE worst.
WoB, its alright, only really lacking the Gold Shield. He gets the
Tiger Mask as an interesting semi-unique option of sorts; Fire Knuckles
are a strong weapon for the time you get them, and he can use Gaia
Gear. However, come the WoR, you'll notice his equipment woes. His
Best armor is the Red Jacket…you'll note that everyone but Gogo gets at
least Genji Armor or above for armor. He has no special helmets worth
noting (Regal Crown, again, isn't nearly as good in practice as it is
on paper) His weapon isn't that bad, as it gives some stat boosts, but
its nothing special in particular, as it has no quirks (no M. Block
boosting, defense ignoring, random spells, what have you) Yeah,
Sabin's equipment is rather mediocre, no matter how you look at it. On
the plus side, most of it is somewhat unique, so he doesn't interfere
with other character set ups, and it makes deciding what equips to give
him easier too! Fine that's not much, but its something…maybe? Oh,
bah.
Sabin isn't much of a fighter, despite his physical stats. You'll
notice the Good Fighters end game all either have a weapon that ignores
defense (Valiant Knife for example), an auto critical weapon
(Illumina), spears (Dragoon combo reason), or a weapon that's a class
by itself (Fixed Dice…) Sabin unfortunately has none of those. The
only weapons with special effects he has are the Fire Knuckles and the
Poison Claw, which cast random weak spells. Sabin's Blitzes being
magical, for the most part, support the concept of using him as a
fighter is a waste. Yes, believe it or not, the little 3 foot Moogle
has better potential as a fighter than the hulking Martial Artist.
So what about Blitzes? Are they worth the hype? In Short, no, they
aren't. Yes, they are good, but they aren't the be all, end all
attacks. When Sabin first joins, yes, they seem nice, however, they
are single target attacks, until Fire Dance, which isn't gotten til
considerably later. This makes Sabin more or less the same character
as Shadow and Cyan early on: Good at killing lone enemies.
Technically, he's your best boss fighter early on, but there aren't
that many bosses. Sabin's first actual attack that stands out is Fire
Dance. A Nice free MULTI TARGET damage attack with no flaws besides
its element. This is his main ability in the WoB, really, and his only
actual worth. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, Edgar's Flash is
every bit as good, as is Setzer's 7 Flush, which also Focuses doing
MORE damage than AURA BOLT to a single enemy. In the WoR, he gets Bum
Rush, which is great damage, make no mistake…alas, other means of doing
high damage exist, such like Shadow is now an actual option and not a
"Come and Go" Character, as well as things like the Gem Box, and
Offering now available. The nicest thing about Bum Rush, really, is
how early he can get it, and how there's no flaws to it, beyond the
inability to Target.
To be fair, though, if you take time to invest some Magic Power into
Sabin, his damage can be pretty nasty. His attacks do have high Spell
Powers; it's just his base Magic Power isn't much, so the damage they
do isn't as good as the spell power would imply. So if you plan on
using Sabin, Magic Power should be his top priority. As a reminder,
his physical blitzes pretty much never have a reason to be raised
(especially after he gets Bum Rush), since they are typically weaker,
and Vigor does less for them than Magic Power does for his other
blitzes (that, and both MT blitzes are magical, so reasons to raise
offensive stats after he hits the damage limit with Bum Rush STILL
support Magic Power)
To be frank, Sabin comes in with a bang, and at first glance, he seems
great, but the more you look into him, he's really just a lazy man
character. He seems good if you don't take time to build the other
characters, and at first, sounds like a great damage dealer, til you
actually look into the options of the other characters. All in all,
Sabin is a flawed character with a few tricks, but overall, you're
likely better off using someone else once you learn how to make them
good. One nice thing about Sabin, though, is that he will always have,
at worst, passable offense, so having him in your team means you have
at least someone with good damage, handy if you're using characters who
are busy learning their damaging moves (like Relm who requires good
spells to do good damage.)
Strategies for Sabin throughout the game:
-When Sabin first joins, be sure to give him a Shield. Mog's Mithril
Shield is likely a safe bet, as the other characters at the moment have
Heavy Shields, which while worse, are less of a step down than Sabin's
options (the Buckler)
-NEVER buy any weapons for Sabin. Trust me, they are a waste of money.
Early on, Sabin's damage comes entirely from Blitzes, are they are flat
out better than his physical in everyway, and later, he'll get Fire
Knuckles, which kicks the crap out of any weapons he can get until the
WoR, when he can finally get the Dragon Claw. Really, the only use to
Sabin's weapons in the WoB is if you pair him with the Black Belt.
-Speaking of Black Belt, that's not a bad idea to give Sabin, given the
Fire Knuckles IS the strongest weapon in the game for some time, it
means Sabin is likely to make the most use of it. Unfortunately, the
damage won't be impressive unless he's in the front row, and he
probably prefers defensive Relics or Earrings/Hero Rings anyway
-Speaking of Back Row, Sabin should always be there. Blitzes > his
fight command, and they ignore row anyway. Seems like a trivial
decision to me.
-Don't bother with Tiger Mask. Yeah, +3 to Vigor and +2 to Speed seem
nice, but really, Sabin isn't using his Vigor much, and Speed doesn't
do as much as you'd like in FF6. Better off shoving a Green Beret or
Bard's Hat, and using their defensive advantages
-Sabin should more or less rely on Fire Dance or Aura Bolt, depending
on Situation. Pummel is only useful for ST damage when the enemy has
high magic defense or is immune/absorbs Holy (Ifrit and Shiva come to
mind) Suplex never really sees much use in general.
-Mind, in the Sealed Cave, probably best to stick to Aura Bolt. Ings
there absorb Fire, so Aura Bolt is best option (especially since they
are weak) Zombones can have fun with Fire Dance though, providing they
aren't paired with Ings.
-WoR, use similar strategies as WoB, except when you get Air Blade, use
that instead of anything, and when you get Bum Rush, use that for his
ST damage. Note that the early parts of the WoR (Figaro Cave/Basement,
and Daryl's Tomb) have lots of Fire Weak enemies anyway, so Fire Dance
will still likely be a better option should you get Air Blade during
those scenarios. After that? Yeah, best to stick with that. Bum Rush
will pretty much always beat Aura Bolt in damage, though, weakness be
damned.
-NEVER use Spiraler. Killing off Sabin for full healing of the team is
not worth it when you could just do the same thing with Cure 3, and
still keep one a prime damage dealer alive to boot. And dangerous MT
Status moves aren't common enough to render the Status Healing
necessary either.
Sabin's Ultimate and Noteworthy Equips:
Weapons:
Tiger Fangs
Helmets:
Red Cap
Bard's Hat
Circlet
Genji Helmet
Armor:
Red Jacket
Ideal End game set-ups:
Set Up #1:
Tiger Fangs
Genji Shield
Circlet
Red Jacket
Hero Ring
Earrings
This set up makes the most of Bum Rush and Air Blade's damage, by
maxing out his magic damage. Genji Shield helps make up for the Red
Jacket's general scrubbiness. Tiger Fangs and Circlet give some boosts
to Magic Power, so they complement the set up nicely. This set up
might not be as brutal as the ones listed for the above characters, but
with limited equips, there's not much you can do. If you are wondering
why Earrings instead of a second Hero Ring…its cause physical boosters
don't stack, so a second Hero Ring is literally just acting like an
earring. Since Earrings are easier to get than Hero Ring, I figured
I'd just list that.
Miscellaneous Info on Sabin:
-Sabin can kill Vargas before the tutorial. Just use Pummel right on
the spot, and he dies. Or you could try and kill him with damage, but
given Vargas' HP, you'd need to be really high leveled…
-Sabin at Figaro also provokes lines from the shop keepers…pity they
don't give him his brother's discount
-For fun, have a confused Sabin use Aura Bolt, and see if he hits
himself. Or heck, do that with ANY Blitz. They are all hilarious to
watch him attack himself in nonsensical manners. Worth anything? No,
not really, just novelty.
-Sabin is the ONLY optional character you can get before the Falchon.
I suggest you make use of this.
-Sabin is required to start Gau's Father sequence. Why him? Who knows,
he just is (well, ok, he plays a big part in the scene, but lets not
get into that)
-Sabin is one of the only characters in the game who, should you wish
to max out MP, requires *5* levels, instead of the standard 4, of
Crusader, used at the proper time. Not a big deal, but noteworthy for
people who obsess over that perfect 999 MP at level 99. Note that if
you only use 4 levels, he misses by 1 MP, so yeah.
Skillset:
Sabin's Blitzes are all gained at different levels, except Bum Rush,
which can be gained in an optional plot sequence. All of them have a
special command sequence, though, you can check that up yourself in
game.
Pummel:
Gained at level 1
Effects: Physical damage to one enemy
Comments: Not bad early game, though, kind of obsolete from the get go,
since Sabin will have Aura Bolt, which is generally superior. Good if
you need a fail safe attack, I guess.
Aura Bolt:
Gained at Level 6
Effects: Holy elemental magic damage to one enemy
Comments: Sabin's best Blitz for raw ST damage for quite a while (until
he gets Air Blade, basically) Besides being elemental (which is a
double edged sword), this Blitz has no flaws, and is about on par with
a Level 2 spell for power.
Suplex:
Gained at level 10
Effects: physical damage to one enemy, fails against some enemies, does
half damage if more than one enemy is alive
Comments: I don't know WHAT Square was thinking but…seriously, a Single
Target attack that does NOT ignore Split? Well, that's not exactly
what it is, coding wise, but effectively, that's what they made it.
This move CAN be stronger than Aura Bolt, but generally, since multiple
enemies exist often, and Bosses tend to be immune to this, it’s a
pretty bad Blitz. Heck, if more than one enemy is alive, Pummel will
do more damage.
Fire Dance:
Gained at level 15
Effects; Fire elemental magic damage to all enemies
Comments: Solid Blitz. Not much for raw single target damage, but its
good for crowd control. Sabin's only decent means of taking out groups
throughout the WoB, and the WoR prior to Air Blade anyway.
Mantra:
Gained at level 23
Effects: Heals allies for an amount equal Sabin's current HP/party
members excluding Sabin, THIS DOES NOT TARGET Sabin. Also cures
several status ailments.
Comments: Pretty sad Blitz. By the time you get it, Status isn't much
of an issue, and you will likely already have Remedy and Cure 2 by then
anyway. The healing isn't worth much anyway, and Sabin MUST be at high
HP for it to even register as healing. Its nice, I guess, when you
first get Sabin in the WoR, since if Sabin's at full HP, its free full
healing to Celes, should she just have been hit with something nasty.
Air Blade:
Gained at level 30
Effects: Wind elemental damage to all enemies
Comments: Great Blitz. This is basically like a "Fire Dance 2" of
sorts, nixing the different element. Great for crowd control, and not
too shabby (though nothing special) on the raw damage department
either. One of the few Wind attacks in the game doesn't hurt either,
given how rarely that element is nulled/absorbed.
Spiraler:
Gained at level 42
Effects: Heals whole party for massive amounts, and recovers just about
every negative status in the game, removes Sabin from the battle, and
he is then considered dead (unlike a Sneezed character who is just
considered out of the battle, ala Run)
Comments: Horrible Blitz. Yay! Fully heal the team at the cost of one
character's Life that you can't recover until the end of the battle!
Chances are, by the time you get this, Cure 3 already exists anyway.
Avoid this Blitz unless you are absolutely desperate and are confident
you can win without Sabin!
Bum Rush:
Gained at level 70, or by meeting Duncan in his Hut
Effects: Non elemental magic damage to one foe
Comments: Sabin's best Blitz by far, at least for raw damage (you could
argue Air Blade is better for overall use.) This attack hurts make no
mistake. Its this move alone that Sabin gets love. While it's not as
good as broadcast, likely, it's still pretty damn effective. Sabin
should be doing nothing but using this whenever he gets a turn once
this move is available, besides maybe some turns he'd rather use Air
Blade. It's generally his best damage by far until really high levels,
when Offering physical out powers it (though, this goes for ANY
character, mind, not just Sabin)
Final Thoughts: Sabin at first seems great, but he's a rather average
character all things. No real tricks beyond some solid damage, and he
has arguably the worst equipment draw of ANY character in the game.
Yes, his Blitzes do good damage, however, with a bit of equipment
working, and some spell teaching (and no, I don't mean teach everyone
Ultima), other characters can compete with him in the only domain he
actually excelled in. Use Sabin if you like him, there's no real
penalty, but just understand that Sabin really isn't all that stellar a
character, all things considered.
========
| SHADOW |
========
Stats:
Extra HP: 51
Extra MP: 6
Vigor: 39
Speed: 38
Stamina: 30
Magic Power: 33
Battle Power: 23
Defense: 47
Evade: 28%
Magic Defense: 25
M. Block: 9%
Level Readjustment: +0
Special ability: Throw
Effects: Shadow chooses from a list of "Throw able" weapons. Throwing
one weapon causes permanent loss of the item. When a weapon is used in
this manner, its damage is doubled, and it ignores defense, and all
other factors but elemental affinities are ignored. When throwing
scrolls, the affect is based on the scroll itself.
Miscellaneous extra for Shadow:
Interceptor: Anytime a "basic physical" is used on Shadow, blockable
or not, there is a 50% chance Shadow will dodge it, via Interceptor.
The block can trigger any evade animation, however, so this might be
credited to the shield or weapon, despite Interceptor being the reason.
When the Dog Block animation occurs, there's a 50% chance of him
countering with Wild Fang or Take Down (equal chance of both), both
attacks being magical and unable to hit flying enemies. Status is
active on Shadow the entire game unless its on the Floating Continent,
or he is hit with Rippler.
Character Analysis:
Shadow is probably one of the only characters that gets all the love he
deserves, as a whole. Most people will agree he's a great character,
and only a very few will go as far as to deem him "the best" so the
level of overratedness (yay made up word!) is limited, per se. Shadow
is indeed a solid character overall, having no real glaring flaws to
hold him back.
So what kind of character is Shadow? On one hand, he's generally a
physical character, given his skillset is mostly physical. On the
flipside, he's a versatile one in the sense that he can be made a
decent back up mage in a pinch, and Skeans are good magic damage for
early parts (Effectively level 2.5s for damage) Mind, don't go
thinking you can suddenly transform him into a mage, and he'll be
performing as good as Celes in the department, I mean his magic is good
enough that should you need some secondary magic damage, he can do a
passable enough job of it. This ultimately leaves Shadow good for any
offensive situation, really, though for the most part, Throw will be
his best damage.
One nifty thing about Shadow is that he's the only character can
genuinely hit every elemental weakness in the game effectively (meaning
weak attacks like Bismark for Water don't count), due to there being at
least one store bought weapon for each element. Thus, Shadow can
pretty much ALWAYS apply weakness, should you need it. Granted, this
aspect is more just a fun tibit in his favor, more so than an actual
advantage, but hey, it's something.
Shadow has another nice feature in having some interesting equips.
Mind, I'll tell you now; his equipment options aren't particularly
stellar. However, they aren't bad either, like Sabin, lets say. Thief
Knife for example gives a minor boost to speed, and 10% M. Block, as
well as makes him a 2nd Thief (3rd if you have Gogo), of sorts.
Stunner is a unique random casting weapon in that it randomly uses
stop, a status that works on a surprising amount of enemies. And
there's the Striker and Assassin, two weapons that add instant death
randomly, and work well paired with offering (doesn't ignore
replacement effects) His Helmet options are like most males, in that
he gets…well, nothing special. His best armor is the Genji Armor,
which is a decent set up from Dark Gear, but again, nothing special for
an ultimate armor. Yeah, Shadow's has some interesting options in
weapons, but overall, his equips are fairly average-ish. He can use
the Memento Ring though, which is good as there are a limited supply of
(easy to get) Safety Bits, so using him in your party helps narrow down
who to give that Safety Bit too, since Memento Ring is identical
anyway, and doesn't conflict with any characters (but Relm…though,
there are two Memento Rings anyway, so it doesn't matter)
Shadow's main nuisance? Lack of usage early on. To be frank, Shadow
would RULE if you could use him in the WoB more often. His damage is
top notch, and having the little interceptor bit doesn't hurt…not to
mention his damage can be targeted. Granted, Square probably realized
this, and made him a hard to get character early on cause they hate us.
Also, this means Shadow misses out on some valuable Esper time in the
WoB to get some spells early on (like getting Cure 2 for the Floating
Continent)
Shadow is also quite anti physical. Interceptor already provides a 50%
chance to shield against just about any physical thrown at him, with a
small chance to counter with some Flaresque damage. Better yet, he's
the only character (besides Gogo), who can reapply the Image status
consistently in battle, meaning if timed correctly, you can make Shadow
continually immune to physical damage w/out worrying about Magic
attacks screwing it over in one shot, like Invis status causes.
Speaking of that, Shadow gets that as well…early in fact, nice for when
you're running into an area filled with lots of enemies.
I hate to use another character to describe Shadow's use, but its
fitting here. All things considered, Shadow is an improved Sabin. His
damage might be a touch below late game, but its close enough that
advantages of better equipment, interceptor, and some versatility in
weapons and attack strategies tend to more than outweigh this. He's
likely not the best character in the game, no, but he's still a very
solid one, worth using late game when he finally joins permanently in
the WoR.
Strategies for Shadow throughout the game:
-When you first get Shadow, be sure to buy 99 Shurikens. This way, he
can hurl them to his hearts delight, and you'll never worry about
running out. What about affording them? Shurikens cost 30 each, which
means 2970 is needed to buy them (that's 30 less than Drill before the
Discount, if you are curious), which isn't that expensive at all.
Shadow Edge and Invis Edge…you can grab some of those if you want, but
probably not necessary.
-Also, have an extra Buckler handy (likely you stripped from Terra or
Edgar, and didn't sell) for Shadow, as he doesn't come with a shield.
You should also have a helmet ready too, as he doesn't come with that
either. A little Extra defense can't hurt, no? This is assuming you
have stuff, of course
-Like most characters, Shadow should stay in the back row. Throw
ignores back row, as does interceptor, and Shadow almost never uses his
Fight command.
-Shadow should NEVER use his Fight command until late in the game.
Throw is flat out better, and you should always have enough ammo to get
you through a dungeon. Only weapons that have ample use on Shadow for
a fight command in the WoB are the Thief Knife (random capture), and
the Assassin (Random Instant death)
-Speaking of weapons, don't bother buying any weapons for Shadow
(unless its for throwing ammo), ever. Similar to Sabin, he's not going
to use his Fight command for damage ever. Again, both Thief Knife and
Assassin are the only ones you should bother giving him, the former
gives +10% M. Block and +2 speed, the latter gives a minor boost to
Magic Power instead of the M. Block
-Do NOT grab him during the Zozo arc. This is his favorite place to
leave you hanging dry, and worse, he costs 3000 GP to get. For all
that he's a great character there, that unreliability makes him more of
a liability, so just leave him alone for now.
-Even worse idea is getting him for the Opera House sequence, if you
skipped the former. Shadow WILL leave MID WAY through the Opera House,
FORCING you to use 3 characters for the Magitek Factory sequence (2 for
the 2nd fight with Ultros, and the Mine Cart sequence), which isn't
fun. More proof Square hates us, I say
-Speaking of Shadow leaving, any time he's about to leave, strip him of
his equips. Don't necessarily sell them, as they may still be his best
stuff, but why not let other characters equip them at the time, right?
Of course, remember to re-equip him when he joins.
-As usual, on the FC, the Gaia gear is your friend. Sure, he could use
the Power Sash for increased damage, but even with 2x defense ignoring
damage, the +5 to Vigor isn't as high as it seems.
-After you get Shadow in the WoR, you should invest all your money for
him. Most of the best stuff is not gotten in chests anyway, and items
are dirt cheap anyway (especially in Figaro Castle and South Figaro
with Edgar) I suggest first getting a healthy stock of Ninja Stars, as
they are cheap, and insure Shadow's damage is always good, then start
working on Elemental Weapons and Falchions. If you want, try to get
some Imp Halberds, as they are THE BEST throwing weapon in FF6 that can
be gotten in bulk. If you really want too, spend some time in the
Coliseum getting Tack Stars (bet Ninja Stars), but they aren't worth
it, IMHO, as Falchions do very similar damage anyway.
-What weapons to get for applying Elemental damage you say? Check the
Frequently Asked Questions section to answer this
Shadow's Ultimate and Noteworthy Equips:
Weapons:
Thief Knife
Assassin
Stunner
Striker
Helmets:
Red Cap
Bard's Hat
Circlet
Genji Helmet
Armor:
Genji Armor
Ideal End game set ups:
Set Up #1:
Thief Knife
Thunder Shield
Genji Helmet
Genji Armor
Hero Ring
Decent well balanced Set up. Thunder Shield covers some elemental
defenses, Genji Helmet gives that extra defensive boost he might like
using a weaker shield, while Thief Knife adds a bit of M. Block. Hero
Ring gives him a nice Boost to damage, Best part of this set up is it
doesn't really interfere with any other character's. As usual, fill
that 2nd Relic slot up with whatever you want (Marvel Shoes, some
status protection, what have you)
Set Up #2:
Assasin
Thunder Shield
Genji Helmet
Genji Armor
Offering
The Defensive gear is the same cause they all share the same purpose.
Offering + Assassin makes Shadow's "Fight" command actually worth
something, as chances are, he'll hit at least SOMETHING with the
instant death, while doing some OK damage in the process. Assassin also
gives him a minor magic boost, so in case you want Shadow to be a mage,
this set up isn't bad, I'd however, give him a Circlet (+4 to magic
Power) See above set up for what to do with that 2nd Relic slot.
Set Up #3:
Stunner
Thunder Shield
Genji Helmet
Genji Armor
Dragoon Boots
Dragon Horn
This is a great set up for the Coliseum, especially if Shadow knows
little magic. This lets Shadow hit the enemy several times for decent
damage, AND each shot checks for stop status, which helps a lot in the
Coliseum. Outside? Still a decent enough set up, not the greatest,
but hey, can't hurt to do damage and stop on the same turn, right?
Miscellaneous Info about Shadow:
-Most people know this, but anyway, I'll say it still. Sleep at an inn
with Shadow in your team, and there's a chance you might see a scene.
This scene is Shadow's dream, and a part of Shadow's past. There are
four dreams seen this way (NOT 7) Should you lose count, the last
Dream Shadow has is one where he's in Thamasa.
-Also common knowledge, but should be pointed out. On the floating
Continent, do NOT leave without waiting for Shadow. If you leave,
something will happen and he'll be gone for good. Instead, get there,
choose "Wait", and when the clock hits "0:05", Shadow will come, and
all is well :)
-If you are wondering, you can get a 5th Dream by just getting Shadow
in the WoR. This dream, unlike the others, always happens in the same
place (right after you beat Sr. Behemoth), and it doesn't matter WHICH
dreams you've seen or not, they'll always appear.
-Shadow does not have interceptor on the FC. Shame too…
-NEVER let Shadow get hit with Rippler. Or if he is, hope Strago/Gogo
is in your team and let them Rippler the enemy. Shadow getting
Ripplered loses Interceptor PERMANATLY. Having antoher ally rippler
interceptor will get him back, maybe not on the right character, but
hey, he's back! To give him back to Shadow, just have Shadow in a team
with a Rippler user, and have him confuse them just before they use
Rippler (IE have Shadow cast Muddle, before Shadow casts Muddle, tell
them to cast Rippler, but make sure Shadow's spell comes off first, and
only AFTER the Command to use Rippler was issued)
-Shadow is MALE. I know this is obvious, but so many people, thanks to
one minor text goof up where it’s the same line used for Relm, will
think he is a she, despite all the other Male pronouns used for him the
entire game. If you've seen Shadow's dreams, you should easily be able
to tell that was a mere typo in the text. So yeah, ignore that "Take
her back to thamasa!" line, as Shadow is male. The PSX Version even
fixed that Line, more proof it was a goof up. Sorry, not important,
but you'd be surprised how many people think Shadow is female cause of
ONE scene.
Skillset:
Shadow's Throw skillset can throw many weapons. Its hard to evaluate
them, though, I'll mention the "Throw Only" abilities, I guess.
Shuriken:
Bought at various shops
Effect: Physical damage to one foe.
Comments: Cheap, efficient, and easy to find. The damage is too good
for just 30 GP, and it has no flaws.
Ninja Star:
Bought at various shops
Effect: Physical damage to one foe.
Comments: The WoR's answer to the Shuriken, more or less. This is
better in everyway, just a bit more expensive, but still easy to horde
lots of. Shadow's main source of damage, kind of, in the WoR.
Tack Star:
Gotten in a few chests around the WoR, and through betting a Ninja Star
at the Coliseum
Effects: Physical damage to one foe
Comments: The "Ultimate" Star weapon. This would be good…if they
weren't a bit of a pain to get lots of. Yes, its easy enough, but
probably not worth your time, better to just buy some Falchions, or nab
some Imp Halberds, and use those instead.
Shadow Edge:
Bought at various shops
Effects: Adds Image status to Shadow
Comments: Nifty little trick. More fun than useful, likely, but it can
still serve some use.
Invis Edge:
Bought at various shops
Effects: Adds Invis status
Comments: Early on, it's decent. Later, though, you get the Vanish
Spell, which basically makes this ability kind of worthless, and a
waste of money.
Fire Skean:
Bought at various shops
Effects: Fire Elemental Magic damage to all enemies
Comments: A bit pricey when you first can get these, but for good
reason. This thing kicks ass. Its your best magic damage in the WoB
as far as consistent attacks go, and does massive damage when hitting
weakness. Think of this as a Level 2.5 for damage (Better than a level
2, but worse than a level 3) If you can afford these, stock up on lots
of these early, they are quite nice.
Water Edge:
Bought at various shops
Effects: Water Elemental Magic damage to all enemies
Comments: Also a fine item, though, I'd personally get least of these
of the 3 skeans. These are as strong, yes, but Water weakness is a bit
harder to come bye, so their more situational than the other two
skeans. Still worth getting a few, though.
Bolt Edge:
Bought at various shops
Effects: Lighting elemental Mgaic Damgae to all.
Comments: This thing is great when you can hit lighting weakness,
especially early on. The lightning version of Fire Skean. Probably
more reliable as Lighting Resistance is rarer than Fire resistance
though, on the flip side, far less enemies are weak to it, so it
balances out. Good idea to get an ample supply of these, like the
other two skeans.
Final Thoughts: Shadow is a fine well-balanced character. Throw gives
him good damage the entire game, and he can serve as a passable back up
mage should the time be needed. Some interesting equipment options in
weapons give him some variety, as well as being able to hit every
elemental weakness in the game fairly easily. I hate to say this, but
the more I think about it, the more Shadow just strikes me as an
improved Sabin.
======
| CYAN |
======
Stats:
Extra HP: 53
Extra MP: 5
Vigor: 40
Speed: 28
Stamina: 33
Magic Power: 25
Battle Power: 25
Defense: 48
Evade: 6%
Magic Defense: 20
M. Block: 1%
Level Readjustment: +2
Special ability: Sword Tech
Effects: If Cyan is equipped with a weapon that is tagged "Sword-tech",
then he will be able to access this command. Cyan will then be
prompted to wait for his meter to fill up. The longer he waits, the
higher level tech he uses. Bar initially starts at level 1, and
proceeds to whatever his highest level tech is. Should the bar exceed
the limit, then it resets back to 1. What tech is currently "ready" is
the highest number currently lit up.
Character Analysis:
There's not much to say about Cyan. Well, his sword techs, once taken
the time to charge up, do good damage, though whether they are worth
the time or not is another deal. And his equipment doesn't totally
suck ass. Then there's the tempest. But…that's about all I can say
about Cyan. He is a good example of a character gone wrong. His
Swordtechs are decent on paper, but the time they take to charge just
really sinks him. The damage they do…isn't much better than "to go"
attacks, really.
Alright, there is a way to make the charge times more barable, besides
Quick anyway (Which overpowers ANYTHING in FF6) If you have Cyan
charging his attacks while everyone goes, he won't slow down the team
as much, however, note that this kind of requires the team to first all
fill up their ATB gauge, THEN have them all go, THEN have Cyan start
charging. Unless you use Long Animation attacks (which tend to kill
things anyway), this often gets him to about Quadra Slam (Level 4) or
there abouts. However, realize this STILL slows down your team, as you
have to wait for the whole team to get their ATB gauge up, assuming it
doesn't fill up nicely (which is unlikely), so you'll be waiting
anyway.
What about not charging his attack up? Well, then you are left with
Dispatch, which while sufficient early on, fades away pretty fast.
This ultimately would make Cyan an inferior version of Edgar in
everyway.
Now, good equipment could save a character like this, right? To be
fair, he gets a nice weapon in the Tempest, and is the only character
who can equip two of them AND the offering at the same time. Tempest
is the only weapon that has an MT Special effect, hence why it stands
out. This is about the only real advantage Cyan has for equips. Well,
that, and the Force Armor, though, that's shared with 5 other
characters, so you could say the same for them, and likely find other
uses.
Worse, Cyan's magic stat is THE WORST in the game, and he has no Magic
boosting equips in the WoB, and nothing besides generic stuff (Circlet
and Genji Armor) in the WoR. So its hard to say "have him use magic
instead of Swordtechs" since I could throw in, say, Relm, who can also
use Magic, and at much better proficiency. So unlike some characters
who have subpar special abilities, Cyan doesn't make up for it by
performing decently in the area of magic.
One thing often hyped about Cyan is how he makes an excellent Genji
Glvoe + Offering Character, similar to Sabin. Unless you give him Two
Tempests and/or Scimitars, he's actually a pretty mediocre one, worse
than Sabin in everyway at it, to boot. Tempest and Scimitar at least
means that the odds of them kicking in will happen more often, so there
is some merit there, especially if you are using two. However, as far
as raw physical damage goes, your better off sticking with the
swordsmen (Terra, Edgar, Locke, and Celes) or Setzer for Offering set
ups. Again, Tempest + Offering isn't a bad strategy, though, but dual
Sky Renders (or rather, Dual anything not Tempest or Scimitar) is not a
good Offering set up at all (heck, MOG does comparable damage with 2
Aura Lances and the Offering as Cyan would with 2 Sky Renders) So
yeah, don't get swayed into thinking that Cyan makes a prime Physical
Fighter with the Offering, as he does not.
In fairness, you can use Quick to remedy the Charge Time issue,
however, it’s a spell gotten rather late, at a slow learning rate
(though Desert of Maranda can take care of that), which improves just
about anyone drastically. As some people put it, Quick merely makes
Cyan go from somewhat under whelming to usable, instead of good to
better like most characters get. Its more a case of Cyan gets a bigger
boost relatively than the other characters, but the other characters
still get huge benefits from said spell anyway, Cyan still ends up
trailing behind.
In the end, Cyan is a character with one decent weapon, and some good
moves that take more planning than they are worth to use effectively,
and even then, they slow your team down, and they don't exactly give
you what you want too. Seriously, as much as I hate to say it, Cyan is
far from an impressive character.
Strategies for Cyan throughout the game:
-When Cyan first joins, give him a Heavy Shield. You should have
gotten at least bought one extra at South Figaro, or conversely, give
him Locke's Shield, as Locke is likely using Genji Glove/Gauntlet now
anyway.
-Don't bother buying ANY weapons for Cyan, ever. Dispatch is pretty
much always stronger than his physical. So yes, keep him with Asura
the entire time, more or less. His Attacks are not strengthened by
Weapon, so an Asura Dispatch is every bit as strong as a Sky Render
one.
-However, should you pick up a better weapon via non money means, might
as well equip that, especially if its something like the Murasame that
can't be sold for any decent money. However, its best to just stick
too…
-The Tempest or Scimitar. These are the ONLY weapons with a reason to
be used over Dispatch. Tempest can randomly cause MT damage to
enemies, so its good if you want some quick crowd control. Scimitar,
meanwhile, randomly inflicts instant death, good if you know Dispatch
won't kill an enemy, so you're hoping for a 25% chance to kill with
less damage, instead of 0% chance with better damage.
-Until Cyan gets the Tempest, he should always be in the back row.
Sword Techs ignore row, so that option is obvious. After Tempest?
Tempest's Wind Slash doesn't ignore row, so where Cyan is placed
actually matters. Between better MT damage, or better defenses,
really.
-Cyan should equip Power Sash in the WoB. The stat boosts it gives are
overall better than the defensive edge the Gold Armor grants to Cyan.
Unfortunately, Cyan does not have the choice of Gaia Gear, which hurts
at that point of the game.
-Cyan's WoR weapons, besides Scimitar and Tempest, should all be bet at
the Coliseum and turned into Pearl Lances. Trust me, the Pearl Lance
is considerably more valuable than any of those weapons, as Cyan isn't
using them ever (Scimitar beats all but Sky Render (gotten too late
anyway) for Raw Power, let alone has instant death, Tempest just has a
kick ass special ability, which owns the damage increase the other
weapons grant)
Cyan's Ultimate and Noteworthy Equips:
Weapons:
Tempest
Scimitar
Sky Render
Helmets:
Bard's Hat
Circlet
Red Cap
Genji Helmet
Armor:
Genji Armor
Force Armor
Ideal End Game Set ups for Cyan:
Set Up #1:
Tempest
Genji Shield
Circlet
Force Armor
Hero Ring
Offering
This set up is based mostly around bashing enemies with the Tempest. 4
hits means 2 Wind Slashes on average, which is passable damage.
Circlet helps up those Wind Slashes damage, as does the Hero Ring.
Force Armor gives him some elemental protection and some M. Block,
Genji Shield covers up some defensive losses, while adding a