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   /                           /    T   A   C   T   I   C   S
			T h e   W a r   o f   t h e   L i o n s


            %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
            % FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS FAQ %
            %                Version 1.37                     %
            %              by Fritz Fraundorf                 %
            %               qumarsh@gmail.com                 %
            %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

%%%%TABLE OF CONTENTS%%%%

To jump to any section of this FAQ, press Ctrl+F to Find and type in the code
(beginning with 00) next to the section title.

I. Revision History                                   00rev
II. Frequently Asked Questions                        00faq
III. Walkthrough - Main Quest	
  Chapter I: The Meager                               00walk1
  Chapter II: The Manipulative & The Subservient      00walk2
  Chapter III: The Valiant                            00walk3
  Chapter IV: In the Name of Love                     00walk4
IV. Walkthrough - Subquests                           00sub
  Agrias's Birthday                                   00agr
  Gollund Colliery                                    00col
  Recruiting Balthier                                 00balt
  Nelveska Temple                                     00nel
  Recruiting Cloud                                    00cloud
  Disorder in the Order                               00dis
  Lionel's New Liege Lord                             00lio
  Midlight's Deep                                     00md
V. Battle Strategies
  Chapter I: The Meager                               00bs1
  Chapter II: The Manipulative & The Subservient      00bs2
  Chapter III: The Valiant                            00bs3
  Chapter IV: In the Name of Love                     00bs4
  Subquests                                           00bssub
  Midlight's Deep                                     00bsmd
VI. Jobs                                              
  General Information about Jobs                      00job0
  Standard Jobs                                       00job1
  Special Jobs                                        00job2
  Monsters                                            00mon
VII. Ability Strategies
  Ability Combos                                      00abil
  Character Strategies                                00char
  Party Strategies                                    00par
VIII. Statistics and Leveling
  Bravery and Faith                                   00brave
  EXP, JP, and Gil                                    00exp
  Quickly Raising EXP and JP                          00quick
  Automated Leveling                                  00auto
  Level-Downs and Stat Grinding                       00down
IX. Equipment and Items                               00equip
  Weapons                                             00weap
  Shields                                             00sh
  Headgear                                            00head
  Armor                                               00armor
  Accessories                                         00acc
  Items                                               00item
X. Finding Items
  Poached Items                                       00poach
  Shop Chart                                          00shop
  Rare Item Locations                                 00rare
  Missable Items and Events                           00miss
XI. Errands                                           00err
XII. Other Game Information
  Ivalician Calendar                                  00calendar
  Zodiac Compatibility                                00zodiac
  Party & Boss Zodiac Signs                           00boss
  Status Changes                                      00status
  Elemental Affinities                                00elem
  Arithmeticks Chart                                  00arith
  Random Battles                                      00rb
  Various Tricks                                      00tricks
XIII. Miscellaneous Reference
  Zodiac Stone Locations                              00stones
  FMV Movie List                                      00fmv
  FF References                                       00ffr
XIV. PSone -> PSP Changes
  Game Changes                                        00psone
  Name Conversion Chart                               00names
XV. Credits / Disclaimer                              00cred

*******************************************************************************
I. REVISION HISTORY                                                       00REV
*******************************************************************************

---Version 1.37 (1/10/08)---
- The Orator abilities Enlighten and Intimidate decrease Faith and Bravery by
  TWENTY, not five, as I'd typed.  Thanks to Drew Seleski for pointing out that
  my mistake; my apologies for taking so long to correct this error.  That's
  what happens when I indiscriminately copy-and-paste :P.
- Walkthrough and battle strategy changes:
    > Added more description of the different kinds of shops at the beginning
      of the Chapter I walkthrough, as well as more suggestions on mining the
      Warriors' Guild if you're so inclined.
    > In Chapter I, adding some notes about good Zodiac signs to use against
      the bosses (who are all Virgos).  Matching Zodiac signs tends to be 
      particularly useful in Chapter I since your characters tend to still be 
      more similar at this point, so you have more latitude to deploy based on 
      Zodiac sign.
    > Added another tip to the Chapter I Dorter battle, about how you can
      effectively extend the range of your Black Magick by targeting the tile
      in front of the enemy.  (This tactic starts becoming particularly useful 
      at Dorter since it's the first time the enemy has long-range attacks.)
    > Added some more recommended abilities to the beginning of the Chapter III
      walkthrough as ones to shoot for if you don't already have them,
      including Shirahadori, Dual Wield, and Ignore Elevation.
    > The second wave of errands in Chapter IV become available after Limberry,
      not Eagrose; I've corrected this in the walkthrough.  (It was already
      correct in the Errands section.)
    > Added a reminder to equip Nu Khai Armbands for Eagrose Castle to the 
      Chapter IV walkthrough.
    > In Chapter IV, there's an extra Blood Sword you can find using Treasure 
      Hunter at Eagrose Castle Keep.  I've added this to the walkthrough &
      battle strategy, as well as to the Rare Item Locations list.  Credit goes
      to the BradyGames guide for highlighting this one.
    > Added casting Atheist status on your characters as another tactic for the
      Elidibus battle, as well as a caution that this *won't* allow you to 
      learn Zodiark if put on your Summoner.  (You need to take at least 1 HP
      damage to learn the spell.)
    > Added Graviga as another good ability against major bosses, for the same
      reason as Lich.
- Updated Orlandeau's and Agrias's character strategies to note that
  Shirahadori and Move +3 could also be swapped out for Mana Shield / Manafont
  for a somewhat more defensive version of the character.  Thanks to Pat Polk
  for the suggestion.  Also updated Agrias's description to note that you may
  want to pick up Move +2 while you're working on unlocking Dark Knight and
  Move +3.
- Clarified the description of Lich; it does damage equal to half the target's
  maximum HP, like Graviga.
- Also updated Various Tricks with a Friendly And Unfriendly Fire note to
  summarize the various magick-targeting tactics.

---Version 1.36 (1/9/08)---
- Added an additional Archer-based character strategy, and updated Mustadio's
  (to reflect Arts of War as another possible action ability for him) and
  Beowulf's (to suggest the Excalibur for its auto-Haste effect, since his
  attack power isn't so important).
- Updated the Samurai's job description to note that Iaido attacks are based on
  magick attack strength and that raising a Samurai's magick attack is thus
  helpful.  Also updated the Time Mage job description to suggest Iaido as a 
  good secondary ability since it gives the Time Mage some offense and makes
  use of the Time Mage's high magick attack without consuming MP.
- The Faith and Atheist status actually change Faith to 100 or 0, respectively; 
  I've clarified this throughout the FAQ where it was unclear (or
  erroneous :P).
- New ability combos added: Geomancy + Move +1/2/3 or Teleport; Dance or Sing
  + Vanish (which I'd only had listed in the Party Strategies section, where
  it's easily missed), and Soulbind + Lifefont or Reraise.
- Noted in the walkthrough and weapons list that the Faerie Harp can actually
  be used to Charm any target, regardless of gender.
- Added to the Undead section in Various Tricks to note that Raise can be used
  to do damage equal to half an Undead character's max HP.
- Added an additional Various Trick, "Last-Second Silence Cure," describing how
  you can start casting magick while silenced and THEN cure yourself.
- Also added a trick concerning the Rod of Faith: you can lower a character's
  Faith to use him/her as a fighter, then only equip the Rod of Faith when you
  want to turn the character into a magick-user
- Updated the description of the pig family ability "Snort" to note that it's
  only effective on humans (not other monsters)
- Updated the Arithmetician's job description to clarify that you don't need to
  equip Black Magick, etc., to use those spells with Arithmeticks since they're
  all automatically included in the Arithmeticks command.  (I hadn't explicitly
  mentioned this earlier.)
- Clarified Meliadoul's job description (and mention in the walkthrough) to
  point out that if you want to make her a magick-user for her Faith, you
  probably won't want to leave her in her Divine Knight job since its magick
  attack is rather low.

---Version 1.35 (1/8/08)---
- Added a new section on Elemental Affinities.  This lists the abilities that
  have each elemental affinity and what can defend against each element, as 
  well as explaining in general how affinities work.  It's still missing a few
  of the enemy-only magicks but I'll get them in a future update.
- Finished fixing up the Character Strategies section for now.  I divided the
  section into Generic Character and Special Character strategies, and added a
  number more strategies for the special characters, as well as a Summoner and
  a Monk set-up to the generic section.  I realize this section is still pretty
  thin, so if anyone would like to recommend any other character set-ups they
  think would be good here, I'm all ears :)
- Started redoing the Status Changes section.  On the existing list of status
  changes, I corrected or clarified the appearance and effects of the various 
  status changes.  I also organized the list into good/bad/neutral status.  
  I'll have more detailed information on status effects in the next update.
- Triggering Mana Shield DOES depend on Bravery (as well as having at least 1
  MP, of course), so I've updated this throughout the FAQ.
- Corrected the description of Steal Heart and Plunder Heart -- it CAN be used
  on monsters, since monsters are of course considered to be of a different
  gender.  Sorry for the goof!
- Corrected the description of Defend; it reduces the enemy hit rate (for both
  physical and magickal attacks), not the damage you receive.
- Clarified the cut-off for critical HP (20% of max) in the descriptions of 
  Reaction Abilities and of the Tame ability.
- Cherche is the common poach from the Behemoth King and the Artemis Bow is the
  rare.  I previously had them the other way around, so I've corrected this
  throught the FAQ.  Thanks to J.J. Garcia again for the catch.
- Updated the description of the Parry ability to note that it doesn't work
  against rear attacks.
- I'd been writing "Oracle" when I meant "Mystic" more than a few times
  throughout the FAQ.  (Oracle was the PSone name for the same job -- old
  habits die hard!)  I've fixed them all now -- thanks to Tam Thanh Truong for
  the catch.
- Amended Meliadoul's job description to note that giving her a polearm or
  crossbow isn't such a good idea since it means she can't use her sword
  techniques.
- In the Summoner's job description, added the Mystic's Manafont as another
  ability that can be used to recover MP.
- Updated the Earning EXP/JP/Gil section to note how gil is awarded for picking
  up items from chests when you already have 99 of the item.
- Updated the Thunderstorm info. in various tricks to clarify that light rains
  have no effect on elemental damage.

---Version 1.33 (1/6/08)---
- Matt Dorothy pointed out that the Balthier quest is actually available sooner
  -- after the battle at Bervenia.  You don't have to wait until Zeltennia 
  Castle.  I've updated this throughout the FAQ.
- Expanded the Prime Numbers list into a larger Arithmeticks Chart that shows
  what multiple each number can be hit by, lists the numbers that CAN'T be hit 
  by Arithmeticks, and gives some tips on evading enemy Arithmeticks.
- Continuing with the Arithmeticks stuff, I updated the Level Downs section to
  point out that you may also want to level-down lv 99 characters when facing
  enemy Arithmeticians (so you can't be hit by Level Multiple of 3).  I also
  added a "All 9 Fever" trick to Various Tricks and to Statistics and Leveling:
  when you're maxed out at lv 99, it's easy to cast healing spells and buffs to
  the whole team using Level Multiple of 3.
- More walkthrough and battle strategy changes:
    > Added an alternate strategy from reader RalphTheBleeder for the Lionel 
      Castle Gate -- casting Black Magicks through the gate to KO Gaffgarion.
      I also suggested putting your melee fighters at the TOP of the deployment
      screen since they're attacked from the rear here.
    > Redid the Cuchulainn battle strategy, which was previously pretty thin.
      Thanks to Juan Mejia for suggesting a couple of useful abilities here.
    > Revised the Chapter III walkthrough to emphasize the value of trying to 
      recruit or poach some of the behemoths in the Zeklaus Desert battle.
    > Clarified the walkthrough for the Wiegraf battle to make it clear that
      you need to equip the abilities before you start part 1 of the battle
      (since you can't change partway through).  I also added a bit more to the
      alternate strategies for this battle (including using Hallowed Bolt as an
      attempt to silence Belias); thanks to readers Michael Wood and warren for 
      these suggestions.
    > Bervenia: Elaborated the "lure Meliadoul down into the town" tactic.
    > Dorter Chapter IV: Added stealing Cletienne's MP as another tactic.
    > Lost Halidom: Added Shirahadori and Auto-Potion as good defensive
      abilities, and recommending giving Rubber Boots to Reis (via a job
      change) if you're using her here, so that she won't get KOed by Tri-
      Thunder.
    > Clarified when the rumor for the Lionel's New Liege Lord quest appears
      (also after Bervenia, although you can't do the battles until much
      later).
    > The Oubliette: If you're jumping straight down to the bottom to look for 
      the exit, it's a good idea to make the character Invisible or use some 
      defensive ability to keep him/her from getting surrounded and KOed.
- Updated the Monsters section with more information about how the contents
  of monster eggs is determined.
- Also updated the Quickly Raising EXP section with a tip on how to use monster
  breeding to get high-level monsters.
- Updated the EXP section of Statistics and Leveling to clarify that physial
  attack, magick attack, and speed don't increase with every level up, since
  the old text made it sound unclear.  Thanks to Minh Vu for pointing out this
  was unclear.
- Updated the Level-Downs and Stat Grinding section with the specific location
  of the Degenerator in Zeklaus Desert, and with Mime as a good alternative to
  Onion Knight for level-up stat gains.  Thanks again to Minh Vu for the
  recommendation.
- Job section changes:
    > Added a note to Cloud's job description pointing out that his Limit 
      attacks depend on his Magick Attack strength, and clarified that the 
      other sword techniques are physical.  Thanks to winddraco for the 
      suggestion.
    > Added the stat ratings for Holy Dragon Reis and filled in the job
      description a bit more.
    > Added some discussion of Holy Breath to Reis's Dragonkin job description,
      and pointed out that the breath attacks can be strengthened by raising
      her Magick Attack.
    > Corrected the vertical range on the dragons' Breath attacks -- it's 2,
      not infinity :P.
    > Further clarified how/why Arithmeticians are slow to gain JP.
- Gaffgarion doesn't have a Blood Sword at the Lionel Castle Gate, only at the
  Gallows; I've corrected this throughout the FAQ.  Sorry for the goof!
- Since Sekhret can also be found fairly easily in Zeklaus Desert, I updated 
  the best locations to find Sekhret, in the Poaching & Rare Items lists and 
  elsewhere throughout the FAQ.
- Corrected the effects of thunderstorms on magick: thunder goes up 125% (not
  120%), fire goes down 75% (not 70%), and ice is unaffected.
- Expanded the "attack 2 enemies in 1 turn" trick to note that you can also use
  it with polearms (and other shorter-range weapons).
- Updated the Missable Items and Events list by adding the Pigs at Finnath 
  Creek as another good (though not necessary) place to get one.
- Corrected some more typos/other goofs ... I realize I kept referring to the
  "Entice" skill by its PSone name, "Invitation."  D'oh.
- Happy New Year!

---Version 1.31 (1/3/08)---
- More walkthrough and battle strategy changes:
    > Nelveska Temple: Noted that since Construct 7 is weak to lightning,
      Reis's Thunder Breath works well, but that Construct 7 is also immune to
      attacks of other elements (even non-magickal ones!)
    > Midlight's Deep Terminus: Recommended bringing someone who can cure 
      status ailments, and suggested Construct 8 + another character with
      Chantage as a way to survive Zodiark in a pinch.
- Added some new ability combos: Arts of War + Dual Wield, Vengeance or Blade 
  Beam + Reraise or Dragonheart, Graviga + Climhazzard, Immobilize or Leg Shot 
  + Jump, and Haste + Doom Fist or Condemn.
- Started work on revising the Character Strategies section.  I'll add more to
  this section in the next update; it certainly needs a lot of work!  Apologies
  for all the around cruddiness :P.  (Thanks to winddraco for some suggestions
  for Cloud here.)
- Corrected the poached items for Red Chocobo -- as you might expect, Remedy is
  the common idea and Barette the rare, not the other way around.  Thanks to
  J.J. Garcia for the catch.
- The Clockwork Faire errand isn't time-sensitive; it just appears in Chapter
  3.  I've fixed this in the Errands list; thanks to J.J. Garcia for this
  correction as well.
- Also updated the Poached Items list with some tips on poaching -- thanks to 
  Pat Polk for the suggestion.
- Updated Construct 8's job description to note that it's also immune to all
  *non*-Lightning elements.
- Corrected more typos, as always ;).  Thanks to J.J. Garcia for pointing out 
  thatI had the Thunder Rod listed as "Casts: Lightning" and not "Casts: 
  Thunder" ;)

(Older updates not listed.)

*******************************************************************************
II. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS                                            00FAQ
*******************************************************************************

Q. Is Cloud still in this version of the game, like he was in the PSone 
   release?
A. Yes.  In fact, you can actually recruit him earlier than you could before.

Q. How do I get Cloud to join my party?  And where do I find his sword?
A. See the "Walkthrough - Subquests" section of the FAQ.  You need to complete
   the Gollund Colliery, Nelveska Temple, and Recruiting Cloud quests in
   sequence.

Q. I didn't buy the flower when I had the chance.  Can I still get Cloud?
A. Unfortunately, it seems that you have only one chance to buy the flower.  If
   you declined to buy it, you are not able to get Cloud, or complete the other 
   sidequests that depend on the flower.  Sorry :(

Q. What's new in the PSP version of the game?
A. Check out the PSP Version Changes section - just hit Ctrl+F and type
   in 00psone to jump to that section of the FAQ.

Q. How do I beat Wiegraf?
A. Equip the Auto-Potion ability and a gun on Ramza.  Run from Wiegraf and 
   keep using the Tailwind ability to boost your speed.  Repeat until you are 
   getting seven or eight turns in a row, then start shooting at Wiegraf.  
   Against Belias, stand still and shoot at him until he dies.

Q. Where is Midlight's Deep?
A. After you beat Mullonde Holy Place, go to the Port City of Warjilis.  You 
   will see a scene at the bar, then the way to Midlight's Deep will appear.

Q. How do I beat / find items in Midlight's Deep?
A. See the cleverly-titled Midlight's Deep section of the walkthrough ;) .  
   Just hit Ctrl+F and type in 00md to jump to that section of the FAQ.

Q. OK, I think I understand the idea of finding the items, but how do I rotate
   the camera to get the correct perspective?
A. Use the analog stick (in the lower left of the PSP).  Every time you tap it
   left or right, the perspective changes.

Q. Are there items or events in this game that I can permanently miss?  What do
   I need to do to see them?
A. I've put together a Missable Items and Events list -- just press Ctrl+F and
   enter 00miss to jump to that section.

Q. How do I use the Samurai's ability Iaido?
A. First learn the ability you want to use.  Then buy several of the 
   corresponding Samurai sword.  During battle, you can use the ability if you 
   have the appropriate type of sword in your inventory (NOT equipped).  Note 
   that this may break the sword, so I'd buy several copies.

Q. How do I learn Ultima?
A. Only Ramza and Luso can learn Ultima.  Ramza or Luso must be in their base 
   job; then, if someone casts the spell on him, he will learn it.  (As long as 
   just one of the two characters learns it, you can have him cast it on the 
   other to learn it later.)  The best time to learn the spell is from the
   assassins outside Limberry Castle in Chapter IV, but you can also have Luso
   learn it on the Riovanes Castle Roof in Chapter III or from another player
   in the multiplayer mode.  (There's also a guest character who can learn 
   Ultima during the final battle if Ramza or Luso casts it on her.)

Q. How do I get the lipstick accessory?
A. First, you need to keep Agrias, Alicia, Lavian, and Mustadio on your roster
   until Chapter IV.  Once Chapter IV begins, travel back and forth between
   Gollund and Lesalia  until the calendar says 1 Cancer.  If you have at least 
   500,000 gil and are standing on a town (NOT a castle) when the calendar 
   turns 1 Cancer, you should get the scene where you acquire the Tynar Rouge 
   accessory.

Q. Help!  I beat the last boss and the game said it was saving afterwards, but
   when I load up my last save, I'm just at the last boss fight again.  Can I 
   go anywhere else?
A. Unfortunately, no :(.  The game clear save is just to unlock some of the 
   multiplayer missions.  If you want to continue roving the world map, you 
   need to keep a separate save from before you began the final sequence of 
   battles.

Q. How do I beat the Lionel Castle Gate?
A. Give Ramza the Chakra ability and have him use it every turn.  Don't open 
   the gate until the fight outside is finished.  For more tips, see the Battle 
   Strategies for Chapter II.  Press Ctrl+F and type in 00bs2 to jump there.

Q. How do I learn Zodiark?
A. You can only learn Zodiark from Elidibus, the boss of Midlight's Deep, by 
   having him cast it on one of your Summoners.  Equip the Mana Shield ability 
   to survive it.  (You only have a random chance to learn the spell when 
   you're hit with it, so you might not learn it the first time you're hit with
   it, but the odds are definitely in your favor!)

Q. How do I recruit monsters?
A. You need an Orator.  Then just use their Entice or Tame abilities on the 
   monsters.  (For more information, see "Recruiting Monsters" in the Monsters
   section.)

Q. How do I poach enemies?
A. Equip the Thief ability Poach and kill a monster with a regular attack.  
   Then go to a Poachers' Den in a trade city and you can purchase what
   you've poached.  Note that Poachers' Dens are NOT available in all cities;
   only Dorter, Warjilis, and Sal Ghidos have them, and they don't appear until
   the start of Chapter III.

Q. How do I get the Genji equipment?  Can I steal it from the boss who has it?
A. Unfortunately, you can never steal from that boss in the PSP version, so he 
   gets to keep his Genji gear to himself.  Alas!  However, you CAN get the
   Genji Armor and Masamune from the new "Lionel's New Liege Lord" subquest. 
   Press Ctrl+F and enter 00lio to jump to the guide for that quest.

Q. Aren't there some new jobs added to the PSP version that weren't in the
   PSone version?  How do I unlock them?
A. The PSP version of FF Tactics has two new jobs.  To make a character into an
   Onion Knight, simply get their Squire and Chemist jobs up to level 6.  To
   make a character into a Dark Knight, you first Master (learn all the
   abilities for) Knight and Black Mage, have Dragoon, Geomancer, Samurai,
   and Ninja at level 8, AND kill 20 enemies (not just KO--they must turn to
   chests or crystals) with the character.  Yikes! :)

Q. What are the new subquests in the PSP version?  How do I access them?
A. There are three new subquests in Chapter IV, one revolving around Beowulf 
   and the others revolving around Agrias.  Beowulf's subquest is available 
   after returning Reis to human form at Nelveska Temple and after completing 
   Mullonde Cathedral in the main storyline.  (Press Ctrl+F and enter 00lio to 
   jump to the section with all the details on the Lionel's New Liege Lord
   quest.)

   Agrias has a couple of different subquests.  First, if you still have Alicia
   and Lavian, the Tynar Rouge event can be accessed on 1 Cancer.  Second,
   after Mullonde, travel to Zeltennia to open up another battle accessed via 
   the Tavern at Gariland.  For details on these events, press Ctrl+F and 
   enter 00agr to jump to Agrias's Birthday or 00dis for Disorder in the
   Order, respectively.

Q. How do I recruit Luso and Balthier?
A. Luso is recruited automatically in Chapter III, as you head through the
   Zeklaus Desert on the way to Riovanes.

   Balthier isn't available until you've completed the battle at the Free City
   of Bervenia in Chapter IV.  Any time after that, read the "Rash of Thefts" 
   rumor at the Gariland tavern, then go to the Dorter tavern and read the 
   "Call for Guards" rumor.  Win the battle that ensues when you try to leave 
   town and Balthier joins.

Q. Is there a way I can quickly gain levels?
A. Sure, see the Quickly Raising EXP & JP (00quick) for strategies for this.
   With the right magicks, it's even possible to make this process completely
   automatic!  But keep in mind you never *need* to do this to finish the game.
   Usually, a change of strategy should be enough to get you past the next
   battle and you don't need to spend time leveling if you don't want to.

Q. How do I ride a Chocobo?
A. Move the character onto the same square as the Chocobo.

Q. What's the deal with Onion Knights?  They seem horrible.  Is there any way
   to make them stronger?
A. Actually, yes.  The Onion Knight's job level goes up as you master other
   jobs, and if you can get the Onion Knight up to job level 8, they'll become
   more powerful.  Also, if you play the game's multiplayer missions, you can 
   earn some powerful "Onion" equipment that only Onion Knights can equip.

Q. One of my characters is threatening to leave the team.  What do I do?
A. This is happening because your character has either a very low Bravery or
   a very high Faith.  Use Orator skills to increase his/her Bravery or lower
   his/her Faith a little.

Q. Is there any kind of New Game+ mode, so that I can start from the beginning 
   but keep all my levels and items?
A. Unfortunately, no.  FF Tactics dates back to a time before this feature
   started becoming common in RPGs.  Whenever you start a new game, you always
   have to start from scratch.

Q. Where do I get all the Zodiac Stones?
A. Look in the Zodiac Stones list near the end of the file.  Be warned that 
   this list contains some spoilers.

Q. Why don't any of the characters have noses?
A. Your guess is as good as mine.  Some genetic defect or something, I suppose.

*******************************************************************************
III. WALKTHROUGH - MAIN QUEST
*******************************************************************************

You'll begin by entering your name and birthdate.  If you want Ramza (the
protagonist) to end up with a certain Zodiac sign, see the Ivalician Calendar
section to match up the sign you want with what birthdate you should enter.  In
a regular game, it's not *too* important to give him a particular Zodiac sign,
so you can enter your own birthday or whatever else you want if you'd like.
But, if you want to maximize the damage he can do to enemy bosses, Capricorn is
probably your best bet; you'll get this sign if you enter a birthdate between
December 23rd and January 19th.  (Or, if you want as wide a range of Zodiac
signs as possible, you could make him a Taurus, Virgo, or Sagittarius, as no
other story characters have these signs.)

The game starts at Orbonne Monastery.  A band of enemy knights shows up, and 
you have to fight.  This battle is pretty much automatic, as everyone except 
Ramza is controlled by the computer.  Gaffgarion and Agrias will take care of 
most of the enemies without any trouble, so you can have Ramza just do pretty 
much whatever you want. It's possible that one or more of your weaker 
teammates--Alicia, Lavian, and Ladd--will get KOed.  Don't worry; none of them 
can die permanently in this battle.  After Gaffgarion and Agrias finish wiping 
out the enemies, there will be some story scenes, and Ramza will enter into an
extended flashback.

%%%CHAPTER I: THE MEAGER%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00walk1

All of Chapter I is a flashback to Ramza's days as a knight-in-training with 
the Order of the Northern Sky.  You (Ramza) and Delita will be at the academy 
in Gariland, where you receive the assignment to defeat some thieves entering 
the town.  You are automatically joined by four squires and two chemists, then 
the first battle begins.  See "Battle Strategies" for tips on the battles.

After you win the battle, you will go to the map screen.  You can click on 
Gariland to visit its shops.  The Tavern is used to hear information about the
game's story and world, and later to run Errands for extra JP and money and to
enter the multiplayer mode.  The Outfitter is used to buy items.  Finally, the 
Warriors' Guild allows you to recruit new human characters to your roster.

You may want to stop at the Warriors' Guild recruit some new characters.  In 
particular, look for characters with reasonably high Bravery, especially if 
your current characters don't have very good Bravery.  Bravery affects the 
your chance of using Reaction Abilities and the strength of some attacks -- 
higher is better, of course!  (Although there are abilities to raise everyone's 
Bravery later, you probably won't get them right away.)  You may also want a 
character or two with high Faith to turn into a magick-user.  A second thing to
look at is the character's Zodiac sign.  Taurus and Capricorn characters will 
be particularly effective against the bosses in this chapter and the next, so
getting some of those signs on your roster will give you a bit of a leg up.
If you want to spend the time, you can mine the Guild until you get just the 
character you want.  If you don't like the character that appears; simply 
select "Don't Hire."  You won't be charged anything and you can select Male
Soldier or Female Soldier to roll another character.  You can keep doing this
until you get some high Bravery characters -- though it's certainly not
necessary to spend the time here if you don't want.  Note that female recruits 
are 100 gil cheaper and probably more useful in the long run since some of the 
game's most powerful items can only be used by female characters.

This is probably the only time in the game that you'll want to use the 
Warriors' Guild.  If you lose any of your main team members later in the game, 
you're probably better off resetting.  It's tough to replace characters who 
have already been built up with a lot of abilities!

Stop by the Outfitter's in Gariland to buy some Potions.  If one or both of 
your Chemists has enough JP to learn the Phoenix Down ability, learn that 
ability and then buy a few (1-2) Phoenix Downs at the store.  Phoenix Downs are
great to have as they allow you to revive a KOed character.  You'll also want
to equip one of your Chemists with the Mythril Knife you picked up as a Battle
Trophy in the first battle; it's stronger than the Daggers they already have.

Save the game by pressing Triangle and choosing Data, then head west to 
Mandalia Plain.  As soon as you leave the city, you'll have a flashback (yes, a 
flashback within a flashback) to the death of Ramza's father Barbaneth.  After 
that sequence has ended, you'll be back in Gariland.  Click on Mandalia Plain 
once again and this time you'll actually get there.

At Mandalia Plain, you'll meet Argath, under attack by the Corpse Brigade.  You
can choose whether or not to help him (bottom option) or just go after the
Corpse Brigade (to option).  This has no long-term impact on the storyline;
it only affects the victory conditions for the upcoming battle:
 - If you choose not to help Argath (top choice), your goal is just to defeat
   all the enemies.  It doesn't matter if Argath is KOed during the battle
   or not.  Choosing this option also adds 10 points to the Bravery score of
   every character in your current squad, including Delita.  2 points of this 
   change will remain even after the battle.
 - Choosing to help Argath (bottom choice) adds an additional requirement to 
   the battle: you'll have to keep Argath from getting KOed during the battle. 
   This option has no effect on your team's Bravery. 
The first option both makes the battle easier AND gives you a boost in Bravery.
High Bravery is pretty useful since it increases some weapons' attack strength 
and your chance of using Reaction Abilities.  There's no benefit at all from
choosing the second option, so choose the first!

When the fight concludes, Argath will join as a guest regardless of which
option you choose before the battle.  Back on the map, go on up to Eagrose 
Castle.  You'll have a brief chat with Dycedarg, then Zalbaag will send you to 
rendezvous with his spy at Dorter.  

At this point, you might want to consider changing some of your characters to
new jobs.  Chemists are really more useful than either White Mages or Black 
Mages, so keep your Chemists as-is.  But you might want to change some of your 
Squires to Knights, since Knights have more HP and damage potential than 
Squires.  (Archers are also available at this time.  They're good in
general, but I'd skip them for the next few battles as melee combat is best
for them.)  I made Ramza into a Knight at this point.  It's probably a good 
idea to keep at least one Squire, though.  Why is that?  As long as you have at 
least one Squire active in battle, everyone will earn some JP towards that job, 
and that will help you buy useful Squire abilities like Counter Tackle, Move
+1, and JP Boost.  Move +1 and JP Boost are particulary useful -- JP Boost
increases the amount of JP you earn, and will help you learn all the other 
abilities faster--it's a good investment!  At any rate, if you do change
jobs, be sure to buy (and equip) new gear for those characters.

Before you leave Eagrose, stop by the Outfitter.  There's new equipment for
sale here.  Stock up on Potions, then arm your characters with the new gear.
Make sure all your Squires and Knights have Longswords, the best weapon
available to them right now.  In particular, if you changed any of your 
characters' jobs, be sure they have equipment that goes with the new jobs.  You
can safely skip the Mythril Knife, though--it'll just increase a Chemist's 
attack power by 1 point, and they don't do much fighting, anyway.  The shop 
also sells Battle Boots, which increase your movement range by 1 tile.  As 
handy is this, they're pricey, so you won't be able to afford them for your 
whole team.  If you buy them for anyone, give them to your Chemist, so he/she 
can get around the battlefield quickly enough to heal people.

Also stop by the shop at Gariland, which sells different items than the one at 
Eagrose.  The Eagrose has equipment for Knights and Archers, but the shop
offers Plumed Hats and Leather Clothing, which is better armor for your Squires 
and Chemists.  Pick up these upgrades as well; you want to make sure your
Chemists stay alive so they can heal people!  (Unlike in a lot of games,
armor in FF Tactics doesn't actually reduce the damage you take; it gives you
more HP or MP.  Still, it helps you stay alive longer!)  Don't forget that
you change Delita's and Argath's equipment, too, despite the fact that they're
guest characters.  You can (and should!) have them learn new abilities, too!

You may want to gain some levels before proceeding.  You can do this by 
strolling back and forth across the Mandalia Plain until you get into a random 
battle.  Note that while Ramza is required in story battles, you do NOT have to 
deploy Ramza during the random battles.  (Also, since Delita and Argath are 
Guest characters, they won't participate in random battles, only story ones.)

By the way, it'll help you out in some of the future battles if you're able to 
teach Argath a simple Black Magick spell.  This is pretty tricky, though, since 
he doesn't participate in any of the random battles and can only earn JP in the 
story battles.  So, the only way to do this is to have your Chemists take
enough actions during the story battles that Argath gains some JP in the 
Chemist job and is able to unlock the Black Mage job.  It's cool if you can do
this, but don't worry too much about it if you can't; it's not *necessary*.

Your next story destination is the Siedge Weald, to the east of Gariland.  Head 
down that direction.  When you get to Gariland, you'll see a scene promoting 
the multiplayer mode.  Continue on to the Weald and complete the battle there.

Before proceeding on to Dorter, make sure your Chemists have learned both
Potion and Phoenix Down.  You can skip the abilities for all the individual 
condition-curing items, though; most of the conditions are that bad and when
you get Remedies, those will cure *any* status change.  Other good abilities
to learn are Stone and Rush.  When you get the JP, pick up Move +1, Focus, and 
Counter Tackle.  Ramza can also use the Tailwind ability, which you'll want to 
get as well.  Chemists should have Potion and Phoenix Down.

When you enter Dorter, there will be a cutscene, and then you'll be tossed into 
a battle at the Dorter Slums.  This is a pretty tough battle.  If you don't win
at first, try again, or build up your levels first.  Upon your victory, you'll 
be able to visit the town.  There's no new equipment to buy, but stock up on
items.  You'll want at least 10 Potions and 4 Phoenix Downs.  Potions are cheap 
(50 gil each), so there's no reason not to carry plenty.  Also, winning the
battle at Dorter Slums netted you an Iron Sword, which is a better weapon than
anything you can find in stores.  Equip it one of your characters.

Again, you may want to build levels before proceeding to the next battle.  
When you're ready, go on up to the Zeklaus Desert, where you'll have a battle 
at the Sand Rat's Sieve.  This is a difficult fight--the toughest in Chapter
I--so it may take you a couple tries.  After you win, you'll rescue the 
Marquis.  You'll also pick up a Blind Knife.  It's not stronger than the other
knives you already have, but it does inflict Blind status on enemies (lowering
their hit rate), so give it to a Chemist.

Return to Eagrose Castle.  You'll meet Duke Larg, and then Dycedarg will let
Ramza and friends in on the next mission against the Corpse Brigade.  The
shops at all three towns will now be stocked with new items.  At Eagrose, you
can buy Iron Swords for both your Squires and Knights, as well as 
Escutcheons, Iron Helms, and Bronze Armor for any Knights you have.  Gariland
has better light armor, used by jobs other than Knights.  If you're using 
mages, you can buy new magick weapons at Gariland and Dorter, as well as Hempen 
Robes, which will raise their MP max.  All towns also carry a new accessory--
the Shoulder Cape, which will boost both your physical and magick evade rates 
by a little bit (10%).  It's not really as useful as the Battle Boots, though.

The most important new item isn't actually an equipment--it's the Hi-Potion,
which is now for sale under Items!  Hi-Potions restore 70 HP instead of the 30
you get from a regular Potion, and since you should have a lot more than
30 HP now, you'll need the healing boost.  You can't use Hi-Potions unless 
you've learned the Hi-Potion ability (under Chemist), so be sure to have your 
Chemist(s) learn this ability.

Buy as much of the new gear as you can.  There's a lot to buy, so you might not 
be able to afford it all.  Aside from restocking your item supply, the 
priorities are probably the Iron Swords and Bronze Armor at Eagrose, and the 
Leather Plate at Gariland, as well as  restocking your item supply.

After you're done shopping, your new destination is the Brigands' Den, south of 
the Mandalia Plain.  You may want to bring more male characters than female
ones here, as there's a chance that one of the enemies can charm a female
character--but it's pretty unlikely, so don't go out of your way to adjust your
roster.  Also, if you happen to have any characters on your roster who are 
Tauruses, Capricorns, or male Pisces, they're good to deploy here.  You'll be
facing your first boss character here, and she's a female Virgo.  The three 
Zodiac signs listed above will do the most damage to her.  Again, it's 
definitely not essential to have them, but it'll help you out if you do.

The Brigands' Den is easier than the Sand Rat's Sieve, so if you won 
there, you should be able to attain victory here.  Victory here nets you a
Bronze Shield, which is a more effective shield than anything else you've got
at this point.  Following the battle, there will be a cutscene at Eagrose as 
the Corpse Brigade strikes back.

Strip Argath of all his equipment, as he'll be leaving your party shortly.  Go 
back up to Eagrose.  A series of scenes will follow in which Ramza and Delita 
decide to rescue Tietra, and Argath leaves.

At this point, you'll probably  want to start changing jobs, if you haven't 
already.  If you change any of your characters to Monks, do so; they're very
strong fighters.  If any of your characters have enough JP to buy the Knight
abiity Equip Heavy Armor, a good strategy is to learn that ability and then
make the character into a Monk--the heavy armor will make up for the Monk's
otherwise poor HP count.  It would also help to have a Black Mage and Archer.  
However, you will still want to have a healer, so give one of your characters 
the Items ability.  Before switching out of the Chemist job, you need to learn 
(and equip) the  Throw Item ability ... otherwise, your items will have a range 
of 1, and, as Sonic would say, that's NO GOOD!

After you've finished changing jobs, be sure to buy matching equipment for 
them.  If you're just now switching to Archers, I'll explain the difference 
between bowguns and regular bows: bowguns only require one hand, allowing you 
to equip a shield, but bows deal more damage.  Since Archers are usually in the 
back line and don't get attacked too much, a shield isn't too important, so I 
almost always use regular bows.

Note, also, that the Fire, Ice, and Thunder Rods (for Black Mages) boost the 
damage dealt by your Fire-family, Blizzard-family, and Thunder-family magicks,
respectively.  A good trick, then, is to buy a particular Rod and then learn
some of the spells that go along with it (e.g., buy the Fire Rod and then try
to learn Fire and Fira).  This will increase the damage you can do with your
magick.  These rods also sometimes cast Fire, Blizzard, or Thunder when
executing a physical attack, if your Black Mage happens to get caught in a
melee.

Return to Gariland.  As you cross Mandalia Plain, an animated cutscene will
play.  Once you get to Gariland, buy plenty of Hi-Potions (12 or so) and 
Phoenix Down (6 should be sufficient).  If you weren't able to purchase all
the equipment upgrades you wanted before the Brigands' Den, you could do so now 
as well, but you're probably better off saving your money--there are even
better items coming soon.  But if any of your equipment was stolen by the 
Thieves in the last battle, be sure to replace it.

Go north from Gariland to the Lenalian Plateau.  You'll have another battle 
against Milleuda (Wiegraf's sister).  She is of course still a female Virgo,
so any Taurus, Capricorn, and male Pisces characters you have will be the most
effective against her.  After you win this battle, the shops will again update 
their shelves with new equipment.  As before, you'll find heavy armor and most 
kinds of weapons in Eagrose, and lighter armor in Gariland and Dorter.  Buy 
what you can and replace any items that Milleuda may have broken, then forge on 
the Fovoham Windflats.

At Fovoham Windflats, you'll square off against Wiegraf and his Chocobo Boco (a
reference to Final Fantasy V).  This battle isn't too difficult if you have 
good jobs.  If you want to exploit your Zodiac signs to maximize damage against
him, he's a male Virgo, so Taurus, Capricorn, and female Pisces will be the
most effective.

Nothing is added to the shops after the battle at Fovoham, so if your item 
supply is okay, you can continue directly on to Ziekden Fortress, the final 
battle of the chapter.  You'll probably want non-basic Jobs (particularly a 
Monk or an Archer) for this battle.  And, again, Taurus, Capricorn, and female
Pisces characters will be good against the boss.  If you need JP, you can 
always go to the Siedge Weald or the Mandalia Plain to fight some random 
battles.  

At Ziekden Fortress, you'll find Tietra being held captive by a Gragoroth, a 
Corpse Brigade knight.  Argath arrive with some troops, and you'll find
yourself battling an unexpected enemy.  After you kill him, there are a couple
FMV scenes, the fort blows up, and the chapter ends.  The game will give you a
chance to save, and then you'll move on to Chapter II.

%%%CHAPTER II: THE MANIPULATIVE & THE SUBSERVIENT%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00walk2

You now return to the present, at Orbonne Monastery.  Your current mission is 
to rescue Princess Ovelia.

After a brief chat, you'll be given a chance to add Ramza's fellow mercenary 
Ladd and both of Agrias's Knights (Alicia and Lavian) to the party.  There's no 
real reason not to take them along, so sign them up!  They start with a bare 
minimum of abilities, though, so they probably won't see much use compared to 
the characters you're carrying over from Chapter I.

Note that to do one of Agrias's Subquests in Chapter IV, you MUST keep Alicia 
and Lavian (as well as Agrias, of course) on your roster until the subquest,
even if you never use them in battle.  Don't dismiss them or let them get 
killed if you want to complete all the sidequests.

Agrias and Gaffgarion will also join as Guests.  You still have all your 
characters from Chapter I (except Delita) as well.

You'll see that Ramza's appearance has changed at the start of the chapter.  
His Squire job is now able to equip heavy armor and shields, plus he has a new 
ability to learn, Steel.  Steel gives a character a +5 Bravery boost during a 
battle, and some of this increase will remain even after the battle.  Raising 
your Bravery makes your Reaction Abilities and some attacks stronger, so this 
is a good ability to learn.  If Ramza has some spare turns near the end of a 
battle, you can spend them using Steel to boost up characters' Bravery.

If you have any abilities to learn, get them.  Since the Guest AI can be
somewhat poor at targeting spells, you may want to de-equip any spellcasting
abilities (Black Magick or Mystic Arts) that Agrias may have equipped.  When
you've got your team organized, go north to the only location available to you: 
Dorter, where a battle awaits you.  Win it (well, obviously) and you'll have 
access to all of the map again.  

At this point, you should have had all your characters upgraded from the 
beginning Jobs (Squire or Chemist) to more advanced ones.  In particular, 
you'll want to have a Monk, Archer, Black Mage, and White Mage somewhere in the 
party.  An Orator is also useful, but might take some time to get, as you have
to get the Mystic job up to job level 3, and Mystic itself requires job level 3 
of White Mage.  If you want to take the time to get it, you can also get the 
Thief Job, which is unlocked by getting Archer to job level 3.

You now have the ability to take Errands at taverns.  You can earn a lot of gil
and some JP from these jobs, so take them up (never more than one at a time, 
though).  Always choose to spend the maxinum number of days possible.  While 
the characters are away, you can continue on without them, or you have the main
group build up job levels with random battles.  Or, if you just want to pass
time, you can walk back and forth between two blue dots on the map, which will
never trigger any random battles.  (You can use Eagrose & Ziekden Fortress, or
Dorter & the Monastery.)

All the stores have new equipment, so pay them a visit to gear up your
characters.  Remember that you'll have to hike back to Eagrose to purchase
heavy armor and most weapons.  Conversely, you'll only find lighter armor at
the other two cities.  Don't buy any equipment for Gaffgarion. (It's OK 
to get stuff for Agrias, but her equipment is already really good.)  Stock up 
on Hi-Potions and Phoenix Downs.

Note you can have random battles at the Fovoham Windflats and the Zeklaus
Desert that occur on entirely different maps from the story battles there.
They also feature some advanced monsters, so try recruiting them with a Orator.
Just make sure to keep an eye on the number of eggs they produce; wipe out the 
majority of eggs before they clog your roster.

This is a good chance to build up your characters if you want.  As long as you
have the Jobs I recommended above and new equipment for your main squad of
characters, you should be fine.  When you feel confident that you're done
preparing, go to Araguay Woods, east of Dorter.  Here you have to save Boco 
the chocobo from goblins.  As when you met Argath, you're given two options, 
which will affect your victory conditions:
 - If you choose not to help Boco (top choice), your goal is just to defeat
   all the enemies, and you don't have to keep Boco from being KOed.  However,
   you'll also suffer a 10 point PENALTY to everyone's Bravery; 2 points of
   which will remain even after the battle.
 - Choosing to help Boco (bottom choice) means you must keep Boco from getting 
   KOed during the battle, but does not penalize your Bravery.
This time, the top choice still gives you an easier battle, but you'll take a
hit to your Bravery for selecting it.  Since protecting Boco during the battle
isn't hard at all, choose the second option to keep from losing Bravery.  After 
the battle, Boco will join.

Back on the map, go into your roster screen and change Gaffgarion into a Time
Mage or another crummy job.  If you have the auto-equip feature on, be sure to 
also strip off all his gear.  Equip it on one of your other characters.  He has 
good armor, and the Power Gauntlet will give you an attack boost.  (It's great 
for an Archer, or another character who doesn't need the movement bonus of the 
Battle Boots.)  Then continue on to Zeirchele Falls.  It's pretty here, but 
there's still a battle awaiting you.  Be sure to deploy an Archer for it.

After the battle, Delita will leave you with Ovelia.  Ramza sets a new course
for Lionel Castle, so Fort Besselat disappears from your map, not to return
until much later in the game.  Back on the map, help yourself to Gaffgarion's 
equipment if you didn't earlier.  If you need items, go back to Dorter.  
There's also some new equipment for sale at Dorter and at Eagrose, so it's 
probably worth making the trip as you'll want the new gear for the next battle.
However, you may want to pass on the Poison Rod for your Black Mages.  While
it does a little more damage physically (and sometimes poisons its target), it 
doesn't boost the power of any of your Black Magick like the Fire, Ice, and 
Thunder Rods do.  Since your Black Mages usually attack with magick most of the 
time (I assume ;) ), you're probably better off sticking your existing rod.

While Ovelia is listed on your roster as a Guest, she won't actually 
participate in any more battles.  So, you're safe de-equipping her Wizard's
Hat and Wizard's Robe and giving them to another character.  The Wizard's Robe
is an especially nice pick-up since you can't buy them stores yet.  It raises
your magick attack, so give it to one of your mages.  However, she WILL be able
to use some of her abilities later.  So, go into Ovelia's ability screen and 
teach her as many abilities under Princess as you can, then equip them.  
They'll come in handy in a few battles later down the road.

The next battle is a tough one, so be prepared.  You'll want Archers and Black
Mages, and, if you don't include a White Mage in the party, one of the
characters should have White Magick as a secondary ability.  A Black Chocobo 
also be helpful, if you can get one.  (Boco will randomly lay eggs and they may 
hatch into Black Chocobos, but there's obviously an element of luck/randomness 
to this.)  I ended up using Ramza, two Archers, and a Black Mage.  If you don't 
When you're ready, go south past the falls to the Castled City of Zaland.

You'll meet Mustadio, who is being chased by some bad guys.  Once again,
you're given two options for the upcoming battle:
- Choosing the first option means that you DO NOT have to keep Mustadio from
  getting KOed during the battle.  This option raises the Bravery of each
  character on your current squad (including Agrias) by 5, 1 point of which is
  permanent.
- Choosing the second option means that you DO have to keep from getting
  Mustadio from getting KOed.  However, this option raises all the characters'
  Bravery by 10, 2 points of which are permanent.
In other words, you'll get a Bravery increase either way, but you'll get a 
BIGGER increase for helping Mustadio.  Of course, this also makes the battle
harder.  So, there's no clear "best option" here.  It's up to you which you 
choose.  Since this battle can be pretty challenging, you might want to just 
pick the first option; it makes the fight quite a bit easier and you're only 
missing out on 1 extra point of Bravery.  Again, no matter what you pick, 
Mustadio joins you afterwards as a Guest.

When all the talking is finished, you're now able to visit the stores in
Zaland.  There's not very much in the way of selection, but if you didn't
upgrade your equipment after Zeirchele Falls, the Adamant Vest, Wizard's Hat, 
and Serpent Staff are all for sale here.  (There's nothing brand new.)  There 
are also a pair of new Errands available at the Tavern.

Your next stop is Balias Tor.  When you first try to leave Zaland, there will
be a cutscene.  Afterwards, you'll be back on the map, but Balias Tor is still 
red.  Travel there for real this time, and you'll get into a fight.  Following 
the fight, a cut scene will pop up back at Eagrose Castle with Dycedarg and 
Gaffgarion scheming.

You can now finally get to Lionel Castle--don't worry; there's no fight!
You'll chat with Delacroix and learn about the Zodiac Stones.  Agrias and 
Ovelia will then leave the party.  Then you get to go shopping!  There is a lot 
of really powerful equipment you can get here, so load up on it (you should 
have a lot of money by now).  The Lightning Bow is a great weapon for any 
Archers you have; it has a fairly high attack power and sometimes casts the
Thundaga spell.  The stores also have a lot of new accessories -- you might 
want to pick up a Mage's Cloak or two for your magick users.  Finally, you can 
now buy the Remedy item in all stores.  It can cure any status ailment, so now 
there's really no point for your Chemists to learn the abilities for any of the 
other status-restoring items.

Buy any stuff you want in Lionel now, as you won't be able to do so later.  
Since your access to the shops will be blocked off later, it might be a wise 
idea to buy some spare pieces of heavy armor and helms.  That way, if any of 
your gear gets stolen or broken, you have a replacement.

Now that you've reached Lionel Castle, you'll be able to deploy 5 characters
in both story and random battles, instead of just 4.  If you've been using a
core team of just four characters, be sure to get a fifth equipped.

Also, you may want to send some of your characters out on a errand if you 
haven't been doing them -- you can earn a lot of money from some.  Again, 
walking between Dorter and Orbonne Monastery is an easy way to pass time and 
complete the errands while avoiding random battles.  Be sure to complete all
the errands before heading on to Goug, though.  Once you get to Goug, it will
be a while before you can go back to the other towns to retrieve your 
characters.

If you go back up to Zaland, you can also buy some new light armor: Green 
Berets and Wizard Clothing.  Keep your magick users equipped with Wizard's
Hats, though, as those raise their magick power.

If Mustadio has enough JP, pick up the Seal Evil ability for him if you haven't
already--it'll be handy in the next battle, as it turns undead to stone.

On to the fenlands.  Fight your way through here on to Goug. Upon arriving in 
the city, there will be a brief scene and then you're back on the map.  The 
store doesn't have much of anything, but if you've got a Orator or Chemist, be 
sure to buy them a Romandan Pistol.  The Romandan Pistol has a great range
overall, and is especially useful if you have a chance to pair it with the
Knight's Arts of War abilities -- you can use it rend enemies' equipments or
stats at a distance!  Goug also has a number of accessories   Make sure you're 
stocked up on Hi-Potions and Phoenix Downs; you'll need them.  You may also 
want to equip the Archer's Bane ability on any characters who have it.

Try to leave the city and you'll be immediately thrust into a battle.  Deploy 
your Orator (if you have one), somebody with a bow, and somebody with Black 
Magick.  Ludovich, the leader of the Baert Company, will appear with Mustadio 
and Besrudio (Mustadio's father) captive.  Mustadio reveals the location of the 
Zodiac Stone.  Ramza forks it over and you find out that Delacroix was in on 
the plot.  It's fight time.

After a fairly tough battle, you check on Besrudio.  Mustadio reveals that the 
Zodiac Stone that Ludovich got was really a fake.  Mustadio will now join as 
you a normal party member -- now you can control him!  The only downside to 
this is that he can now be permanently killed.  Be sure to keep him alive; 
you'll need him to complete most of the subquests in Chapter IV.  Musty's 
equipment is all gone, so be sure to re-equip him.  Also, if he learned any 
skills while he was a Guest, they're gone for some reason.

The route back through the fenlands disappears.  Take the ship (well, just walk 
across the ocean) over to the Port City of Warjilis.  Upon getting off the 
ship, you'll see a FMV sequence with Delita.  After that scene's ended, you can 
explore the town.  There's no new equipment available, but to make some easy 
money, go to the bar and accept the errand (to find the Highwind!), then go 
back to Goug and get the job there as well.  (There will be a cutscene with 
Delacroix's scheming when you leave Warjilis the first time).  Just go back and 
forth between the two cities until both jobs are complete.  If you weren't able 
to afford all the equipment you wanted in Goug or elsewhere, you should be able
to get it now.

Now that you have Mustadio, a good general trick for leveling up quickly is to
use Arm Shot or Leg Shot to debilitate the last enemy in a battle.  Then,
you're free to let the other enemies turn into crystals/chests.  Crystals from
human enemies are often a good source of new abilities.  Also, while the last
enemy is Disabled or Immobilized, you can have your characters attack each
other to raise JP.  If you use the right strategy, you shouldn't really need to
grind in this fashion, but it's an efficient way to raise levels if you decide
to do so.

Now go up to Balias Swale, where you'll find another fight.  You'll deploy 
two squads here to save Agrias from Delacroix's Gryphon Knights.  This is a 
really easy fight, so you might want to deploy some weaker characters to
give them a boost.  Agrias will rejoin, this time as a controllabe, non-guest
character.  Again, if you want to complete all the sidequests in the game, 
don't dismiss her or let her get killed.

After getting Agrias, if you head back down to Warjilis, you'll find the shops
have a few new items available.  Most notably, you can replace your Power
Gauntlets with the Diamond Bracelets, which gives you the Power Gauntlet's +1
Physical Attack but also +1 Magick Attack and immunity to Slow.  The latter
ability is pretty handy in the upcoming battle, so buy some for your main
squad.  You can also upgrade your Wizard Clothing to the Brigandine, which 
gives you a few more HP.  (You'll probably want to keep magick-oriented 
characters on the Wizard Clothing or robes, though, for the magick bonus.)  
There's also the Mage's Staff, and, in the unlikely event you have a Samurai, 
the Osafune katana.

Your next stop is Golgollada Gallows.  Make sure you're ready; this is a tough 
battle.  The execution turns out to be a trap, and you have to fight 
Gaffgarion.  Bring your Diamond Bracelets!

After you attain victory at the Gallows (it may take a few tries!), you'll see
a scene back at Lionel Castle in which you find out more about Ovelia's past 
and Delacroix's plans.  Then you're back on the map.  When you move back up to
Balias Swale, you'll see a cutscene with Wiegraf.

Now, you can now wander around the map again.  Next up is the final battles of
the chapter, which occur at Lionel Castle.  However, if you want to travel
elsewhere, you can do so.  If you click on any of the destinations PAST
Lionel Castle, you can walk right through the castle without getting into a
fight.  Just don't click on the castle ITSELF until you're ready to fight.
Make sure that Ramza has the Chakra ability and Martial Arts equipped, either 
by making him a Monk or by assigning it as a secondary action ability.  (Or,
if Ramza has Teleport or Ignore Elevation, you could use one of those abilities
instead.)  Equip the Archer's Bane ability on any characters that have it.  
When you've done all that, it's time for the final battles of the chapter.

When you click on Lionel Castle, you'll have no choice but to attack the
gate.  As Ramza tries to open the gate, Gaffgarion shows up yet again and 
surrounds the castle.  If you thought the Gallows was bad, here's more fun.  
Actually, the gate isn't as bad if you play your cards right (see the battle 
strategies).  The save game screen will pop up at the conclusion of the battle 
-- there's another couple battles right after this one.  It's your call as to 
whether you should save.  I'd recommend saving in a separate slot in case you 
need to go back to get more JP.

After saving, you cut back to Delita at Zeirchele Falls with Ovelia.  There's
an easy battle here against the Order of the Northern Sky, but you get to
control Delita during it :)

Afterwards, you're given another chance to save (again, don't save in your
main slot).  Then your roster screen shows up, allowing Ramza's crew to learn
new abilities or change equipment (which might be necessary if the Knights at 
the gate used Rend on you.)  When you leave the formation screen, you'll 
immediately go to the next battle and start deploying your characters.  This 
time you're up against Delacroix, who uses his Zodiac Stone to turn (with some 
pyrotechnics) into Cuchulainn.  Beat him and he'll blow up (with more nifty 
effects) and drop another Zodiac Stone.

Delita delivers Ovelia to Duke Goltanna, while Duke Larg maintains Orinus as
the heir to the throne.  As the War of the Lions begins over these claims to
the throne, Chapter II draws to a close, and you're again given a chance to
save.

%%%CHAPTER III: THE VALIANT%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00walk3

Three months into the War of the Lions, things are looking bad for both Larg
and Goltanna.  After a scene of Goltanna's council of war, we cut back to
Ramza, whose new mission is to convince Zalbaag that someone is manipulating
Ivalice into the war.

You'll start the chapter positioned at Dorter.  The shops have a lot of new 
stuff--as weird as it seems, those Croakadile Bags are *really* powerful, 
although expensive.  The Headbands are also a great buy; not only do they
increase your HP over the previous hats, they also give you a physical attack
boost.  (You may want to keep your magick users with the Wizard's Hats, though,
as those boost their *magick* power.)  Now that you're in Chapter III, you can 
also buy X-Potions, so you'll want to learn the corresponding ability with any 
item-users you have.

The Poachers' Dens are also now open.  You can now use the Thief's "Poach" 
ability to poach enemies and get items from them at the Poachers' Den.  Poached
items are cheap; you can buy them for half their usual price!  You can also get
some rare items from poaching that you can't get anywhere else!  Note, though,
that Poachers' Dens are only found in Dorter and Warjilis, not other cities.
(Sal Ghidos, which you'll reach in Chapter IV, also has a Poachers' Den.)

For additional shopping opportunities, visit one of the castles, Lionel or 
Eagrose.  There you can pick up the Ancient Sword, a strong sword that can also
Immobilize enemies, the Mythril Bow, and some other stuff.  The Fire Shield and
Ice Shield absorb fire and ice, respectively, which lets you do a handy trick:
Cast a fire or ice spell that targets both enemies and an ally with the shield
-- you'll damage the enemies, AND heal your character!  Not only does this let
you get around the "friendly fire" effects when fighting in close quarters, it
even replenishes your HP!

All this new equipment is expensive, so luckily there's a whole slew of new
errands, at least one in every town.  If you're short on cash, I recommend
spending a while completing them, buying stuff, and building up your
characters.  If you're offered any "contest" errand, take it right away, 
because you won't have the chance for very long.

There are some abilities you'll need at the end of Chapter III that it's a good
idea to start learning now.  You don't need these abilities just yet, but
if you build your characters towards those abilities now, you won't have to
spend time grinding for them later.  Specifically, Ramza MUST have Focus and
Tailwind (both Squire), and Auto-Potion (Chemist).  If you have the chance to
unlock the Ninja job for him, that'll also help out a lot, although it's not
strictly necessary.  (It can be a bit of pain to unlock, though, as it requires
Ramza to at least have Archer at level 4, Thief at level 5, and Geomancer at
level 2.)  For your other characters, acquiring the Dragoon or Ninja job on as 
many as characters as possible is helpful, but also not a must-have.  Combining
the Ninja's inherent speed and double attack with the Monk's Brawler ability
makes for an incredibly strong and quick fighter.

You may also want to start developing a stealing specialist, if you haven't 
already.  Later in the chapter, you'll be able to start stealing rare equipment
(that you can't buy in stores) from enemy units.  It'll be a big help if you
can learn the Thief's Steal abilities, and either Concentration (Archer) or
Brawler (Monk), either of which will improve your stealing success rate.

Finally, some other abilities that you want to work towards over the course of
the chapter are the Samurai's Shirahadori reaction ability, the Ninja's Dual
Wield support ability, and the Dragoon's Ignore Elevation movement ability.  
Shirahadori blocks physical attacks outright and, if combined with a high 
Bravery stat (which you can boost with Ramza's Steel ability), can render you 
virtually impervious to physical attacks (save arrows).  It's one of the best 
abilities in the game.  If you haven't already unlocked the Samurai job, 
though, you'll need to get a character with Knight level 4, Monk level 5, and 
Dragoon level 2 to become a Samurai.  The Ninja's Dual Wield ability is also
great as it allows you equip two weapons at once and effectively double (or 
come close to doubling) yourattack power.  Finally, the Dragoon's Ignore 
Elevation is helpful for navigating battlefields with tall walls as it allows 
you to essentially walk right over them.  

When you're ready to get on with the game, equip your team with gear that 
boosts their Move or Jump ranges.  Safeguard may also be helpful.  Then go up
from Dorter, across the Zeklaus Desert, to the Mining Town of Gollund.  There's 
a fight here where you have to rescue Orran (although I can't imagine he'd need 
much rescuing).  Black Magick and Thieves are handy here.  After you save 
Orran, you'll chat briefly, and then he'll head off to the south, sadly 
depriving you of his super-powerful Celestial Stasis spell.

There's no new equipment in the Gollund shops, so just head straight on to 
Lesalia.  There's no fight when you first get here, just a short chat with 
Zalbaag.  However, as soon as you leave, you'll have to fight Zalmour.  It's a 
pretty easy battle.  Alma then joins up as a guest.  When you have a chance, 
de-equip her Healing Staff, Barette, and Red Shoes.  The Healing Staff and 
Barette are items you can't ever buy in shops, and the Red Shoes won't be
available to purchase until much later.  (It's safe to de-equip all her gear
since, despite being a guest, she won't actually participate in any more
battles.)  The Healing Staff is an interesting "weapon" in that it actually
restores HP to the character hit by it.  Equipping it on a magick-oriented
character can be quite useful since they probably won't be doing much fighting
anyway and it gives you a free source of healing.

If you want to complete some errands easily, you can take the ones at Gollund
and Lesalia and then just walk back and forth until they're done.  Before
leaving this region, you can also stop at the store in Lesalia to buy new
heavy armor.  Then go down to Dorter; there's some new equipment here as well.
In particular, the Jujitsu Gi is a great set of clothes for fighting-oriented
characters as it also boots your physical atack power, and the Celebrant's
Miter is a hat that boosts your MP.  (You'll probably want to keep your
fighters using the Headband for the attack boost.)  Depending on what jobs
you're using, there may be weapon upgrades as well.

A more powerful gun, the Mythril Gun, is now available for sale.  Since Goug is
the only city that sells guns, though, you'll have to walk all the way down
there if you want to buy it.  (Note that the sea route between Goug and
Warjilis has vanished as of Chapter III.)  It's 2 points stronger and a
stronger guns never appears in stores, so it's worth the trip if you didn't
get the chance to steal them during the Gollund battle.

Purchase anything you want, then head to Orbonne Monastery.  Note that 
once you enter, you'll be locked into a series of three battles, so make sure 
that you're well stocked with supplies.  You could also pick up a few of the
Jade Armlet accessory, since they'll be helpful in an upcoming battle, but
they're fairly expensive and not really necessary.

At Orbonne Monastery, enter the Monastery Vaults (it's the only option 
available), where you'll find Simon wounded.  He tells you about Funebris's 
plot, and Ramza chases after the troops looking for the Virgo Stone.  You'll 
have a chance to save your game.  All you'd have to repeat if you died is that 
short scene with Simon, but if you want to save, save in a separate slot
since you're locked into a series of battle.  The roster screen will come up, 
then you will go down to the second floor and have a fight.

After beating the second floor, you have another save opportunity.  Again,
save in a slot separate from your main file.  For the next battle, you may want
to equip any accessories you have that boost your Jump statistic.  After you
leave the roster screen, you'll go to the third floor for another battle
against Isilud.  Upon winning it, there's yet another save point, and then the
last of the three battles, this time with Wiegraf.  This time, equip any Jade
Armlets you have to protect yourself from his sword attacks.  Afterwards, 
Isilud escapes with a friend and your Zodiac Stones captive.  Outside, Wiegraf 
transforms in a rather frightening scene and Simon then shows up to give you 
the Scriptures of Germonique.

Back on the map, go to the Chronicle option and check out your Artefacts.
Examine the Scriptures of Germonique and press Triangle to read it.  After you 
read it (which takes a while), go to Dorter.  A mage will demand the Scriptures
and ask if you've read them.  It doesn't seem to matter what you say.  When he
leaves, the route to Riovanes Castle will open.  Try to leave Dorter (just 
click anywhere on the map) and you'll see an FMV scene with Delita and Ovelia.

After the scene concludes, go into Dorter and check out the shops, which once 
again have some new equipment.  The Power Garbs are a great buy; they're good
new clothes that also raise your attack power.  And don't miss the White Robe 
for your magick-users; you'll have to scroll down through all the clothes to 
find it.  However, you may want to keep your Headbands and Celebrant's Miters 
instead of buying Black Cowls, since the Cowls don't have any special stat 
boost.  Similarly, the Diamond Shields are not an especially great shield since
they don't have any elemental properties, nor the magick block rate of the
Aegis Shield.

There are also a few new errands available down at Lionel Castle and the
Castled City of Zaland, as well as at Eagrose Castle.

It's now time to head north to Riovanes.  As you head up through the Zeklaus 
Desert, you'll run into a fixed battle.  Deploy your characters; if you have
anyone who can Poach or Entice/Tame monsters, they're good to bring here.  
There will be a CG scene, as Ramza jumps in to help Luso, and then the battle
starts.  Defeat or recruit the enemy Behemoths and Luso will join up.  (Luso is 
the lead character from the Nintendo DS game Final Fantasy Tactics A2, not 
coming to North America until later this year ... he's just moonlighting here 
:) .) He's basically a clone of Ramza, but he has an intrinsic Poach ability 
(no ability needs to be equipped for it).  This makes him very handy for 
treasure hunting, especially during the monster-laden random battles.  (Story 
battles, of course, contain mostly humans and Poach doesn't work on them.)

On the other hand, you may want to de-equip Luso's Icebrand sword and give it 
to Agrias -- it will make her Holy Sword techniques extremely powerful!

If you poached any of the behemoths, you may want to go back to the Poachers'
Den in Dorter to see what you got, since a lot of these items can be quite
useful.  If you recruited any of the behemoths, you're even better off; you can
keep one behemoth on your team, have it breed other behemoths, and poach
*those*.

After helping out Luso, continue on up to Lesalia, where there is more new 
stuff (bows, daggers, and swords).  Then continue to the Grogh Heights.  Equip
some accessories to boost your Jump and smash your way through here (I actually 
felt kind of bad killing those guys off) and you'll meet up with Orran again.
You'll receive a Mythril Gun in spoils from the battle, so if you didn't
bother to go to Goug to buy any Mythril Guns, equip this one now.

Your next stop is the Walled City of Yardrow.  Here you'll encounter Marach 
(the guy you met in Dorter) and Rapha.  You have to save Rapha from Marach and
the Riovanes soldiers.  Deploy lots of healers and magick-users; skip the 
archers.  After the fight, Rapha discusses her past.  (Why the Grand Duke wants 
Rapha and Marach's powers so badly is one of FF Tactics's great unsolved 
mysteries ;) .)  Marach, meanwhile, delivers a amphibian ultimatum.

Rapha joins up as a guest for the next couple battles.  She probably won't be
all that helpful, though, since her Sky Mantra abilities only strike random 
tiles in their effect radius and can't be targeted too precisely.

Before you leave Yardrow, stop at the Outfitter and pick up some better 
equipment for Rapha.  But do NOT equip her with any "rare," non-buyable items 
like the Barette or Healing Staff; if you do, you'll lose them when Rapha goes 
from being a Guest into a regular character.

There's also good gear for your magick users: the Gold Hairpins, which raise 
both your HP and MP a lot, and the Black Robe, which strengthens the power of 
any of your fire-, ice-, or lighting-elemental spells.  (You may want to keep 
healers on the White Robe, since it's got elemental defenses and they don't 
need the offensive capability.)  There are also some new accessories; pick up a 
pair of the speed-boosting Hermes Shoes for later use.  The Bracer is also 
available.  It's really expensive (50,000 gil), but it gives you a huge +3 
attack boost, so buy one or two if you can afford them.

When you leave town, there will be another Delita battle.  It's a piece of
cake.

Back with Ramza's squad, if you want to do further shopping, you can go back
down to Lesalia to buy new helmets, the Platinum Sword, and the Assassin's
Dagger.  If you have Ninjas, Samurais, or Dancers in the party, you may even
want to trek all the way back to Dorter, as you will find new weapons for those
three jobs there.

When you've completed your shopping spree, fight through the Yuguewood and its 
undead inhabitants.  Deploy Mustadio and his Seal Evil ability will make quick 
work of them.

Don't go on to Riovanes Castle just yet.  It contains some very powerful 
bosses, so you need to make sure you're prepared.  For Ramza, you'll want the
Focus and Tailwind Squire abilities, as well as Auto-Potion from Chemist.  Buy 
a healthy stock (30+) of X-Potions.  You'll also want at least one pair of 
Hermes Shoes and a Green Beret.  (If you sold all your Green Berets, you can 
buy another one at Yardrow.)  Also helpful are Jujitsu Gis and Chameleon Robes 
(both of which protect against instant KO) and Jade Armlets (protection against 
Stop), particularly if you want to try to learn Ultima at Riovanes as opposed 
to later.  Since the Jade Armlets are pretty expensive, you may not want to
bother buying them unless you're set on going for Ultima.  (If you don't get
Ultima now, you can also get it in Chapter IV.)  Finally, if any characters are 
close to reaching the Dragoon or Ninja jobs, you may want to bring them up to 
those jobs, as they are quite helpful.  Zeklaus Desert is a good place to level 
up if you need to earn more JP.

When you think you're ready, save your game, then pay a visit to Riovanes 
Castle.  You'll see a scene with Barrington and the Templars, then have a 
chance to save.  Be SURE to save in a separate slot from your main game, so
that you can get out of the castle if you need to go back and level more/buy
stuff.  If you save in your main slot, you may wind up STUCK and have to start
again from scratch!

You then go to the first of a series of three battles.  Strip Rafa of all her
equipment; if she gets taken out quickly in the upcoming battle, Marach will
also disappear.  Equip the Archer's Bane ability on any characters that have 
it.  If you have someone with the Golem summon or the Dragoon ability Ignore
Elevation, you'll definitely want to deploy those characters.  Finally,
equipping shields or capes for evasion may also be helpful.  After you defeat 
everyone outside the gate, a wounded Knight will crawl out, warning of the 
Lucavi's rampage.

Now, make sure you're prepared.  You're about face a two-part battle against a
Zodiac-charged Wiegraf, and he is rather powerful.  However, if you know what 
you're doing, he isn't that hard to beat.  Before the battle starts, turn Ramza 
into a Chemist and equip him with a Mythril Gun, then set his secondary ability 
to Mettle.  Next, you need to drop all your Potions and Hi-Potions.  On the 
roster screen, click on any character and go to Equipment.  Choose View List, 
find your Potions and Hi-Potions and selectDiscard.  Throw away ALL of them, so 
that you can only use X-Potions when Auto-Potion activates.  As for your other
characters, make them into Dragoons or give them range weapons.  Keep Agrias as
a Holy Knight if she has the Hallowed Bolt ability.  (If your Ramza is quite 
strong, you may not need such preparation--just give him Dual Wield or Jump.)  
When you think you're set, close the party roster screen and you'll be thrust 
into the battle against Wiegraf.

If you win both rounds of the battle, you'll go on to the last of this sequence 
of battles, on the roof.  Be sure to save again.  For this battle, make Ramza 
into a job with a high Speed stat (Ninja if available, otherwise Geomancer, 
Thief, or Monk), and equip him with a Green Beret and Hermes Shoes to boost his 
Speed as high as possible.  Equipping the rest of the team with accessories 
boosting Speed or Move is helpful as well.

You can also try to learn the Ultima spell during the rooftop battle.  To do 
so, you'll need to deploy Luso (in his Game Hunter job), and equip the whole 
team with Jade Armlets and either Chameleon Robes or Jujitsu Gis.  (Keep Ramza 
with the Hermes Shoes, though.)  Or, if you took Alma's Barette, you can also 
equip that to protect a female character against both Stop AND KO.  It's pretty 
challenging to learn Ultima here.  There's another opportunity to learn the
spell in Chapter IV where you don't have to contend with a suicidal Rapha and 
will have a much easier time.  So, unless you really like a challenge, I would
recommend waiting until Chapter IV.

Anyway, after you (eventually) ward off Elmdore and his assassins, Rapha will
use the Zodiac Stone to restore her family to a happy ending.  You'll get your 
Zodiac Stones back, along with Wiegraf's Aries stone and Isilud's Pisces 
stone.  Rapha and Marach will offer to join.  You'll definitely want to take
Rapha, as her low Bravery makes her ideal for using Treasure Hunter.  Marach
basically sucks, but if you don't have a full roster already, there's no harm
in signing him up.  He's pretty similar to Rapha in that his abilities strike
random tiles.  What's interesting is that they do more damage to enemies with
LOW Faith, the reverse of most magick abilities.

%%%CHAPTER IV: IN THE NAME OF LOVE%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00walk4

Chapter IV picks up right where Chapter III left off.  After a brief scene
in Zeltennia Castle with Orlandeau and Orran, you'll be plopped back on the
world map -- haven't seen that for a while, huh? -- outside Riovanes.

Ramza's appearance has changed again, giving him the ability to equip knight's
swords, powerful weapons that you'll start acquiring soon.  He has also has a 
new ability available (Shout), so be sure to learn that.  You'll note that 
Squire does not appear as a Mastered job even if you learn all the abilities -- 
that's because Ramza is missing the Ultima spell.  If you managed to have Luso 
learn it back on the roof, you can now have him cast it on Ramza in any battle 
to teach it to Ramza.  Otherwise, you'll have a chance to learn Ultima for both 
characters later on.

Be sure to change back to your normal jobs if you're still altered from the 
fights in Riovanes Castle.  While you're still at Riovanes, you can do a bit of 
equipment upgrading.  There are new swords, shields, and armor available.  If 
you visit Dorter, you can also buy new a ninja blade, katana, clothes (Gaia 
Gear), the Yagyu Darkroods shuriken, and the Angel Ring accessory.  Pick up 
weapons you might need for you current jobs (and if you're using Throw, stock
up on Darkroods).  There are also a number of errands you can take in the 
various towns, but many of them  aren't worth the time they take (and you 
sometimes LOSE money on them), so it's probably not worth the bother.

Now that you're in Chapter IV, you can start accessing the game's side quests.
First, assuming you still have Mustadio, you can head down to Goug to start the 
Gollund Colliery quest, which will net you two great new characters (Beowulf 
and Construct 8) as well as one OK one (Reis the Holy Dragon).  This quest is
covered in the Gollund Colliery section below -- press Ctrl+F and enter 00col
to jump there.

Second, you can also access the event to earn the Tynar Rouge accessory ... 
that is, IF you still have Mustadio, Agrias, Alicia, and Lavian on your team.  
It occurs on 1 Cancer, which follows the month of Gemini, which follows Taurus.
So, if you're in Gemini or Taurus, keep your head up about that.  See the 
Agrias's Birthday section below for the full scoop on how to complete that 
mission.

If you don't complete these sidequests now, don't worry--they have no 
expiration date and you can always complete them later.

You'll notice that a couple new routes have opened up from Riovanes: a shortcut
back towards Eagrose Castle, and another down towards Dorter leading through
the new Mount Bervenia location.  You'll need to visit Mount Bervenia later if
you're doing the Cloud Subquest, but there's not much to see there now.

Instead, you'll want to head towards Zeltennia, where Ramza hopes to meet up
with Delita to discuss the Church's plot.  Go up to the pass near Lesalia.  
This is a routine battle against the Order of the Southern Sky.  Whip through 
here and continue on towards the Free City of Bervenia.

Before you enter the town, equip the Safeguard ability on everybody who has it.
Archer's Bane, Jump, and Ignore Elevation are also helpful.  In Bervenia, 
you'll encounter -- and fight -- Isilud's sister Meliadoul, accompanied by some 
Summoners and Archers.  She has some very useful pieces of equipment (the
Defender knight's sword and the Chantage perfume), so you may want to deploy
someone with Steal and try to snag them, especially the Chantage.  (See the 
battle strategies for more tips on stealing.)  If you don't get them here, 
there *are* other ways to get them, but it's certainly worth taking a shot and
acquiring them here.

When you win the battle against Meliadoul, she'll teleport away and you'll be
able to visit the shops in town.  The Outfitter doesn't have anything new, but 
if you were able to steal Meliadoul's Defender and/or Chantage, equip them.
The Defender is the first knight's sword you will have come across, which can
only be used a select few jobs (Knight, Dark Knight, plus Ramza's Squire job 
and Agrias's Holy Knight job are the only ones who can use it now.)

Also, now that you've completed the battle at Bervenia, you can begin the 
subquest to recruit Balthier.  It requires trekking back down to Gariland, so 
you can either do it now or just wait until you pass through that way a few 
battles later.  For the full scoop on the Balthier quest, see the Recruiting 
Balthier section -- press Ctrl+F and enter 00balt to jump down there.

When you first leave Bervenia, there will be another intermission with Delita
and Ovelia.  Move on to Finnath Creek for another battle.  You may want to 
bring an Orator or someone else with Speechcraft and Beast Tongue as you may
able to recruit a Pig here.  Instant-KO attacks (e.g. the Black Mage's Death)
or petrification attacks (the Mystic's Induration or Beowulf's Break) will also
be helpful here.

After crossing the creek, you can finally get to Zeltennia Castle.  Ramza will 
go to the church, where he'll meet Delita again.  In an FMV scene, Delita 
explains more of the church's plan.  Zalmour then shows up, and it's fight time 
(did you really think you could go somewhere without one?).  With Delita's 
help, it's quite easy.  After the battle, you'll meet with Valmafra, then 
Delita will leave (bummer).

Strangely, the shops *still* don't have anything new.  But restock your items; 
you'll need lots of X-Potions.  You may also want to grab a couple Aegis 
Shields for any shield-using characters, if you don't already have some in your 
inventory.  Then go to the Beddha Sandwaste, south of Bervenia.  Here you'll 
encounter another Knight Templar, Barich, in a tough battle.  To prepare 
yourself, you may want to equip White Robes and Aegis Shields to protect 
against enemy magic; deploying someone with the Esuna White Magick spell may 
also be helpful.  This is one the last difficult encounters of the game, as 
pretty soon you... well, you'll see.

After beating Barich (it may well take you a few tries), go to Fort Besselat.  
You'll have a choice as to whether to attack the south or north wall.  Each is 
a different battle.  I find that the south wall is easier, especially if you 
don't have characters with a good Jump rating.  Still, a good Jump stat is 
useful for either battle, as is Archer's Bane.

Whichever way you go, you'll end up at the floodgate.  Save your game in a 
different slot, then continue.  There's a second battle at the sluice.  After
Ramza blows up the sluice, he, Orran, and Valmafra will rescue Orlandeau.
Orran goes back to Zeltennia to guard Ovelia, but Orlandeau THEN JOINS YOU!  
YAHOO!!  If you just heard a giant sucking sound, it was all the challenge 
going down to Mexico (er, unless you live in Mexico, then it all went to 
Zimbabwe).  Orlandeau is ridiculously powerful, and once you have him, hardly 
anyone in the game has a chance against you.  He has all of Agrias's, 
Gaffgarion's, and Meliadoul's sword techniques, plus a full set of Crystal 
equipment and the Excalibur, the latter of which gives him a permanent Haste.  
He can also use every type of sword (katana, knight's sword, etc.).  To put it 
simply, he is hell on wheels.

Meanwhile, Delita advances his power.  A cutscene pops up instructing you to go 
to Limberry.  A handy new path now opens up between Fort Besselat and Zeirchele 
Falls.  If you didn't already recruit Balthier, now is a great time to hike 
over to Gariland and begin that quest.  (Again, see the Recruiting Balthier 
section below for the full scoop.)

Your next stop is the Trade City of Sal Ghidos.  On the way, stop in at
Zeltennia.  Finally, there's new equipment for sale!  Aside from one hat that 
becomes available after Limberry, the gear here and at Sal Ghidos is the last 
round of equipment upgrades you can find in stores.  There's better equipment 
out there, of course, but you have to steal or find it; you can't buy it.
There's no point in holding back on upgrading, but save 50,000 - 75,000 gil or
so for some accessories you'll need for the next arc.

At Zeltennia, you'll find a new knife, sword, crossbow, polearm, shield, helm, 
armor, and the Featherweave Cloak accessory.  Note that there are two new sets 
of armor available: the Crystal Mirror, which is a "regular" set of armor, and 
the Mirror Mail, which gives the character a permanent Reflect (basically the 
same as a Reflect Ring, but it doesn't take up your accessory slot :) ).  This 
reflects enemy spells, but it also reflects your own cure spells or buffs.  If 
you only use items to heal, though, the Reflect effect can be useful.

At your next stop, the Trade City of Sal Ghidos, you'll run into what is
probably a familiar face ... it's Aerith!  Choose the SECOND option to buy a 
flower from her; you'll need to do so if you want to complete all the
subquests.  Be careful not to speed through the text and choose the first 
option by mistake!

Once you have the flower, you can complete the Nelveska Temple quest (again, 
covered below in the subquests section), though this also requires you to have 
finished the Gollund Colliery quest first.  The Nelveska Temple nets you one 
character upgrade, as well as the chance to acquire some rare items via the 
Treasure Hunter ability.  Completing the Nelveska Temple in turn opens the
Recruiting Cloud quest, which lets you recruit Cloud from Final Fantasy VII
into your party.  If you accidentally do NOT buy the flower, however, you'll
miss out on your chance on complete these quests.

After meeting with Aerith at Sal Ghidos, head into town (yup, there's no 
fight).  There's yet more new equipment!  Will the wonders never cease?  Be 
sure to stop in for an upgrade.  You can get new knives, katanas, polearms, 
poles, clothes, and hats.  There's also the new Luminous Robe, although it 
doesn't have any special bonuses, so if you're using Black Magick, you may
prefer to keep the Black Robe for its offensive bonuses.

Before you leave, you'll want to have a good selection of equipment to protect 
yourself against the status conditions you'll face at Limberry.  Jujitsu Gis
and Jade Armlets are especially helpful, as they protect against the KO and 
Stop conditions that Celia and Lettie throw at you, and Protect Rings will 
defend against Sleep and Doom.  You may also want to pick up a Nu Khai Armband 
or two for male characters; these protect against Charm.

There are also a couple of new errands.  Since Zeltennia and Sal Ghidos are 
right next to each other, you can easily clear the errands in either town (as
well as in Bervenia) just by walking back and forth between them.  They may
help you out if you need to earn a little cash to buy stuff, though, in many
cases, they're just as likely to lose you money as to earn you it.  If you
still need more money, you could complete the next two story battles (en route
to Limberry), then come back to Sal Ghidos to shop with the bonus gil you
received.

Pop on down to Mount Germinas, where you'll have a run-in with some bandits.  
With Orlandeau in your party, this battle is a breeze.  There is one unique
item here, which you can obtain either during the story battle or a random 
battle.  It's the Invisibility Cloak, a cloak that (as you might expect)
automatically makes you invisible.  To get the cloak, first save the game;
then equip someone with Treasure Hunter ability and move him/her to the top of 
the mountain.  You'll receive either an Ether or the cloak; the LOWER your
Bravery, the HIGHER your chances of getting the cloak.  (Rapha is good for this 
because she has a pretty low Bravery.)  If you get the Ether, you lose your 
shot at getting the cloak, so you'll have to reset and try again.  There's no 
time limit on attempting to get the cloak (as long as you don't search and get 
an Ether), so if you don't have a good Move/Jump range or if your Bravery is 
too low, you can skip it for now and come back later.

After Mount Germinas, you'll go to Lake Poescas.  This is another undead 
scenario, but it's really easy.  As always, Mustadio and (if you have him) 
Balthier are good for petrifying the undead.  You then see a scene with 
Dycedarg, after which you can go to Limberry Castle.

There's a sequence of four battles at Limberry Castle; as usual, you'll want to 
save in a different slot between them, so that you don't lock yourself in.  The
first battle is at the gate (isn't it always?).  You'll be fighting Celia and 
Lettie again, so equipping your anti-Stop/KO/Charm gear is essential.  The
battle is pretty easy, but it's your best chance to learn Ultima.  To do so,
just make Ramza into a Squire before the battle and he'll learn the spell when
Celia or Lettie casts it on him.  (Luso can also learn the spell, but it's
probably easiest to just have Ramza learn it here and then later teach it to 
Luso by having Ramza cast it on him.)

After winning the gate battle, you'll see a story scene with Elmdore and 
Folmarv.  Keep your status protection gear equipped for the next battle.  If 
Ramza already learned Ultima, you can switch him back to his regular job now;
otherwise, you'll have a second chance in this next battle.

The second battle is against Elmdore, Celia, and Lettie in the keep.  If you're
looking for revenge from the Riovanes Castle Roof, now's your chance -- but
look out, Elmdore is still pretty darn tough, and nearly impossible to hit.
Check the battle strategies if you need help beating him.

After defeating Elmdore in the keep, you can return your equipment to normal as
you won't have to fight Celia and Lettie any more.  Next up is the courtyard, 
you'll have to square off against an old "friend."  Deploying someone who can
inflict Disable status (e.g. Mustadio, Balthier, Beowulf, or a Mystic) is
particularly important for this battle.

Finally, you'll proceed down to the basement for the last battle in this 
sequence and your last encounter with Elmdore -- now in Lucavi form.  Equipping
Protect Rings beforehand will help guard against some of the status attacks he
uses on you.  Meliadoul will also help you out here.

After you defeat Elmdore for the last time, you'll collect two more Zodiac 
Stones--Elmdore's Gemini stone and Meliadoul's Sagittarius stone--and Meliadoul 
will offer to join you.  Although she's not quite as powerful as Orlandeau
(Orlandeau has all her sword techniques, plus more!), her sword techniques are
still pretty good ... and, unlike in the PSone version, they work on monsters!
She also has a pretty high Faith, so she can be good with magick too if you
change her to a magick-using job.  She comes equipped with the Save the Queen 
knight's sword; if you don't plan on using her, give this sword to someone else 
as it's probably stronger than anything else you have save the Excalibur.

Limberry Castle is now a normal town, so you can go to the Tavern and Outfitter 
(although there's nothing new at the shop).  When you try to leave, you'll see 
a long set of story scenes with Ovelia and then with Zalbaag.  Now take a look 
at map.  You'll note Eagrose Castle has turned red.  It's time to hike all the 
way back there.

A new wilderness location has opened up west of Limberry: Dorvauldar Marsh.  
Although nothing story-related happens here and you never *have* to visit, it
provides a handy shortcut between Limberry and Fort Besselat.  Now that you've 
defeated Elmdore, many towns around the map also have new errands to complete.

As you make your way back to Eagrose, stop in at a non-castle town.  You can
now buy Thief's Caps, the last piece of new equipment that the shops will 
carry.  If you don't have any Nu Khai Armbands, you'll also want to acquire
a set of those for an upcoming battle.

If you step into Dorter on the way back to Eagrose, you'll have an extra battle 
against Cletienne, another of Folmarv's henchmen.  Meliadoul automatically 
participates as a guest in this battle, so be sure to equip her accordingly.  
Alternately, you can avoid this battle entirely if you go to Bervenia and head 
west along the northern coast ... but this is such a long and circuitous route 
that you're likely to have more random battles than you save by avoiding 
Cletienne.  (Note that the Cletienne battle will also not trigger if you never 
admitted into Meliadoul into your party or if she has already been killed or 
fired.)

When you finally do reach Eagrose, Ramza will open the gate (no gate battle,
yay!), and then you'll line up for a fight.  For an easy victory, equip Nu
Khai Armbands and deploy Agrias, Orlandeau, and Meliadoul.  You'll fight a two-
stage battle against another Lucavi, Adrammelech.  When killed, he will yield 
the Capricorn Zodiac Stone.  (You can also pick up an extra Blood Sword in this
battle if you bring someone with Treasure Hunter and low Bravery, but it's not
too important to get.)

After defeating Adrammelech, head to Gariland.  Stock up on Holy Water and take 
the new route south to Mullonde.  At Mullonde, you'll be treated to a series of 
battles, beginning outside the church (not that hard), and progressing inside, 
where you'll face off against Folmarv, Loffrey, and Cletienne.  Equip Safeguard 
here since Loffrey likes to break your equipment.  The three Knights Templar 
will teleport away after you beat on them for a while.  If any of your 
equipment got broken in this battle, you'll need to replace it; strip the gear 
from somebody you're not going to be using in the next battle.

You'll then go to the sanctuary, where Ramza will have to fight a possessed
former ally.  This is the last of the sequence of the battles at Mullonde;
afterwards, Ramza will meet up with a dying Funebris, who tells him that
Folmarv is going to Orbonne Monastery.

Back on the map, a handy route has opened up between Mullonde and the Clockwork 
City of Goug.  Another set of subquests becomes available: Midlight's Deep in 
Warjilis Trade City, Disorder in the Order (in Zeltennia and Dorter), and (if 
you've already completed the Nelveska Temple quest) Lionel's New Liege Lord.
And if you're still working on the earlier subquests, the new route between 
Mullonde and Goug makes them a lot easier.  If you're going to do these quests 
or anything else on the map, take care of it now!  Once you go to Orbonne 
Monastery, you're locked into the game's final series of battles. 

Before you go to Orbonne, make sure you're ready.  Your main team of characters 
should be at least level 40.  Equip yourself with all your best abilities, and
change to your best jobs.  Earning JP doesn't matter now.  In truth, the last 
sequence of battles isn't all that difficult, just long.  You may also want to
buy a couple pairs of Winged Boots since they'll be helpful in one of the
upcoming battles.  Definitely purchase some Thief's Caps if you haven't 
already.

!!!CAUTION!!!
Once you enter Orbonne, there is NO way to return to the world map.  If you 
want to be able to continue playing the game on the world map, you must keep a 
save from before you entered the Monastery.  Once you enter the Monastery,
save in a DIFFERENT slot.
!!!CAUTION!!!

The first battle at Orbonne is against some generic enemies -- an easy battle.  
Afterwards, you'll move on to the fifth for the next battle.  Beforehand, 
ready your Safeguard abilities to protect yourself from Crush attacks.  
Equipping Winged Boots or the Jump +x and Fly abilities will also help you 
navigate the pit-laden terrain.

On the fifth level, you'll face the first of a series of four battles against 
the Zodiac Braves.  First up is Loffrey.  After you defeat him, he'll suck you 
through a portal to the Necrohol of Mullonde (of no apparent relation to 
Mullonde Cathedral), then destroy the way back.  Return your abilities and 
equipment to normal.

Your next opponent is Cletienne.  After that, you'll face Barich, brought back 
to life by the Zodiac Stones.  This can be a pretty tough fight; deploying 
long-range attackers is a good idea and you'll probably want to equip Thief's
Caps to keep Barich from Immobilizing or Disabling you.

Finally, you'll head to the Airship Graveyard, which is really just a single 
airship, and a rather odd location for a final battle.  Folmarv will use the 
Leo Stone to transform him into a giant lion, Hashmal.  You may want to equip
your Jade Armlets again for this battle since he likes to cast Stop on you.
Defeat him and you'll get the Ragnarok sword.  St. Ajora will then appear.

You now have one last chance to save your game and adjust your characters.
Equip the Ragnarok sword.  It's strong but not quite as useful as the 
Excalibur, since it doesn't give you an automatic Haste.  But if you have two 
characters who can use knight's swords (Knights, Dark Knights, and many of the 
special jobs), you can give the Ragnarok to the second one 

Another Alma will somehow appear.  Ajora then summons four Ultima Demons in 
response, then transforms into Ultima.  Alma will join you as a guest for the 
final battle, against the Generic Angel Boss (TM).  After pounding on Ultima 
for a while, Ultima will (of course) reveal his/her/its (?) true form, a 
skeletony-type of angel.  Thankfully, the Ultima Demons disappear for this 
phase of the battle.

When you defeat Ultima's second form, it will blow up (nice special effects).  
The Battle Is Won!  Leave the game on after the credits for an additional 
scene.

Note that when the game says it's saving afterwards, it's just doing so to 
unlock some of the multiplayer missions.  If you saved at any point during the
final sequence of battles (i.e., any time after you entered Orbonne Monastery),
loading this save will only put you back into the last set of battles and
doesn't allow you back to the world map.  So, again, if you want to do anything 
outside of the Necrohol, hang on to a separate save from before you entered 
Orbonne Monastery!

If you haven't beaten Midlight's Deep and all the other subquests, you're not 
done yet!  Keep on reading for information on those quests.

*******************************************************************************
IV. WALKTHROUGH - SUBQUESTS                                               00sub
*******************************************************************************

Final Fantasy Tactics boasts a number of optional subquests, all of which 
become available at various points in Chapter IV.  In addition, some of the
subquests require you to have completed other subquests first.  Specific 
requirements for each quest are listed with the walkthroughs below, but I've 
also provided this cheesy ASCII chart to demonstrate how they flow together.

Agrias's Birthday                               --------> Recruiting Cloud
  (beginning of Chapter IV)                    /         
                                              /      
Gollund Colliery  ----------> Nelveska Temple    
  (beginning of Chapter IV)     (after Fort     
                                  Besselat)        
                                                ------> Lionel's New Liege Lord
Recruiting Balthier                                        (after Mullonde)
  (after Free City of Bervenia battle)

Disorder in the Order
  (after Mullonde)

Midlight's Deep
  (after Mullonde)

Walkthroughs for the quests are below.  Battle strategies for the battles
encountered within these quests can be found in the Subquest Battle Strategies
section -- press Ctrl+F and enter 00bssub to jump there.

%%%AGRIAS'S BIRTHDAY%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00agr

QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: At beginning of Chapter IV
REWARDS: Tynar Rouge

A pair of Agrias-related subquests become available in Chapter IV.  The first 
one allows you to obtain the Tynar Rouge, a good accessory for female 
characters (if not *quite* as abusive as the Chantage).  To trigger the scene 
in which you acquire the Tynar Rouge, you must move onto a TOWN or CITY (NOT a 
castle) on the world map on the date of 1 Cancer, which is Agrias's birthday.  
In addition, you must also meet these other requirements:

- Agrias, Mustadio, Alicia, and Lavian must still be alive and on your roster.

- You must have at least 500,000 gil in your War Funds.  Only 50,000 of this
  will be spent as part of the quest, but you must have 500,000 available.

- You must be in Chapter IV.  (This event can be completed at any point during
  Chapter IV, though.)

Assuming you meet the above requirements, if you move onto a town (again, a
castle will NOT work), on 1 Cancer, you'll see a scene in which Mustadio buys 
Agrias the Tynar Rouge lip rouge for her birthday.  The 50,000 gil cost of the 
rouge will be subtracted from your War Funds.  It's worth the expense, though, 
as the Tynar Rouge is a great accessory.  It can be equipped by any female 
character (not just Agrias) and grants a permanent Shell, Protect, and Haste, 
as well as a bonus to your attack and magick strength.

1 Cancer follows after 32 Gemini.  The easiest way to ensure that you land on a
city or town on that date is to simply move back and forth between Gollund Coal
City and Lesalia.  Both of these count as towns, so you're guaranteed to land
on a town on 1 Cancer.  If you somehow miss the date and don't end up on a town 
on 1 Cancer, don't worry; the event never "expires."  You can just wait until 
all the months cycle through and try again the next time 1 Cancer comes up, as 
long as you still meet the requirements listed above.  (Fortunately, the 
villains are more than happy to postpone their plans of world domination while 
you spend a year shopping for makeup.)

%%%GOLLUND COLLIERY%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00col

QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: At beginning of Chapter IV
REWARDS: Beowulf, Reis [Holy Dragon], and Construct 8 join the party

In the Gollund Colliery quest, you'll recruit three new characters: Beowulf, 
Reis (in dragon form), and Construct 8.  It's the first in a series of three 
quests, also leading into the Nelveska Temple and Cloud quests.  To complete 
ANY of these quests, you must have Mustadio still around, so don't dismiss him 
or let him get killed!

To start the quest, once Chapter IV begins, go to the Clockwork City of Goug.  
Besrudio, Mustadio's father, will show you an iron sphere he's found.  (If 
you've already seen this scene, you don't need to repeat it.)

Now go to the Mining Town of Gollund, in the center of the map.  At the Tavern
in Gollund, listen to the rumor "The Haunted Mine."  You will be asked to fight 
a monster in the coal mines.  Leave the bar.  Nothing will happen at first, but 
go north to Lesalia.  Ramza will automatically go into the Tavern and learn 
more about the coal mine job.  He agrees to take it.  On the way out, Beowulf 
will stop you and ask you to take him with you.  Choose the second option to
sign him up and he joins you as a Guest.  (If you choose the first option and
reject his assistance, the quest will end and you'll be permanently locked out
of it!)

You'll note that the Mining Town of Gollund has turned red.  First, equip 
Mystic Arts as Beowulf's second ability, since he already has a bunch of Mystic 
Arts spells learned.  Go back into Lesalia and check at the Outfitter's;
depending on how far you are through Chapter IV, you may be able to buy Beowulf 
some better equipment.  Equipment that protects you against ice will be
especially helpful in the upcoming battles, so you may want to pick up some
Ice Shields or White Robes if you don't have any in your inventory.  (You'll
have to go to a non-castle town to buy the robes.)  You'll also need some
NON-ice weapons, so if your only swords are Icebrands, get something else for
this quest.

Save your game--there's an extended series of battles coming up--and return to
Gollund, where you'll be forced into entering the Gollund Colliery.  You have 
to fight through three areas in the snow.  Equipping your anti-ice gear will
protect you well against the ice attacks you'll face.

After the three battles, you'll reach the Coal Shaft.  The monsters here are
actually WEAK against ice, so strip off your anti-ice gear and equip any
Icebrands you have.  In the Coal Shaft, the Holy Dragon Reis is being attacked 
by an Archaeodemon.  You have to save her.

After this battle, you'll get the Aquarius Zodiac Stone, and Reis and Beowulf 
will offer to join you.  Sign them both up as you need them for later quests.
(Be sure to keep them alive, too!)  Reis, particularly while she's still stuck 
in dragon form, is not that great, but Beowulf IS.  In particular, shoot for
learning his Vengeance and Chicken abilities.  Chicken does a HUGE drop on
enemy Bravery and frequently turnes them into a helpless chicken, while 
Vengeance is a potent attack with a long range.

Now that you've got the Aquarius Stone, return to Goug.  You will put in the 
Aquarius stone in the iron sphere, which transforms into Construct 8.  A 
comical scene will follow, and then another new character, Construct 8, joins 
you.  Construct 8 is more like a monster in that it can't change jobs, but it's
super-strong anyway.  It has a long-range laser attack, an inherent Counter,
and is basically impervious to magick and most (though not all) status
conditions.  Sign it up for sure!

On the way out of Goug, if you've progressed sufficiently far in the game,
you'll get another scene in which Besrudio puts together another device that 
requires the Cancer Zodiac Stone.  If you've finished up Fort Besselat, you can
now begin the Nelveska Temple quest, below.

%%%RECRUITING BALTHIER%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00balt

QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: After completing battle at the Free City of Bervenia
REWARDS: Balthier joins the party, Ras Algethi gun, Mirage Vest

Balthier from Final Fantasy XII makes an appearance as an optional cameo 
character you can sign up for your team.

Any time after completing the battle at the Free City of Bervenia in Chapter 
IV, visit the Magick City of Gariland and enter the Tavern.  Read the "Rash of 
Thefts" rumor.  Now, go east to Dorter and visit the Taven there.  Read the new 
rumor here ("A Call for Guards") that will have appeared if you read the rumor
at Gariland.

It seems like nothing has happened, but return to the map and try to leave 
Dorter.  You'll get into kicked into a battle (though not without a lengthy
FMV intro to Balthier first).  Balthier will help you out here as a guest. 
You can check the Other Subquests section of the battle strategies if you need
help, but it should be really be pretty easy.

Afterwards, you can sign Balthier up for your team.  He's basically a 
combination of Mustadio (he has all of Mustadio's Aimed Shot abilities) and a 
Thief, with one unique ability of his own: Barrage.  Barrage allows him to 
attack four times in a row for 1/2 damage each time, essentially allowing you 
to do double damage.  His "Plunder" abilities are also a little better than
regular Stealing; when it comes to stealing equipment, a Plunder is 10 
percentage points more likely to succeed than a Steal.  (So, if a Steal would 
have, say, a 36% success rate, Plunder will have a 46% success rate, for
instance.)

Balthier also comes equipped with a Ras Algethi gun and Mirage Vest, two items 
you can't find anywhere else!  Both are quite strong, so if you don't plan on 
using Balthier, you should at least give his gear to someone else.

%%%NELVESKA TEMPLE%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00nel

QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: After clearing Fort Besselat and 
            completing Gollund Colliery quest
REWARDS: Reis returns to human form, various items found with Treasure Hunter

In order to begin the Nelveska Temple quest, you must first have finished the
battles at Fort Besselat in the main storyline, as well as having completed the
Gollund Colliery quest above.  (Beowulf and Reis the Holy Dragon must also 
still be on your team.)

When you first reach the Trade City of Sal Ghidos during the main storyline,
you'll be asked to buy a flower for 1 gil from Aerith.  Make sure you choose 
the SECOND option to buy the flower.  You'll need to buy this flower in order 
to continue with the quest.  If you fail to buy the flower when asked, it seems 
that you do NOT have a second chance to get it, which means that you
unfortunately can't continue with this quest :(

Once you've got the flower, go down to Goug and you'll see a scene where
Besrudio presents another device unearthed from the tunnels; this one requires 
the Cancer Zodiac Stone.  (If you've already seen this scene, you don't need
to go back to Goug.)

Now go back up to Zeltennia Castle.  Go to the tavern and listen to the "Cursed 
Isle of Nelveska" rumor.  This will open up a new path on your map from 
Zeltennia to Nelveska Temple.

Although you can open up the route to Nelveska as soon as you reach Zeltennia,
in order to actually trigger the battle there, you must have seen the scene
at Goug where Besrudio presents his weathervane-like device.

The battle at Nelveska Temple contains a number of rare items that can be
found using Treasure Hunter.  These items include a super-powered Javelin and 
Escutcheon as well as the Sasuke's Blade ninja blade and the goofy Nagnarok 
sword.  The Javelin II and Escutcheon II are especially worth picking up (and
the Escutcheon II isn't available anywhere else!).  You only have this one 
chance to get them, as there are no random battles at Nelveska Temple.  Of
course, you certainly don't NEED any of these items and they can be tricky to
get, so it's up to you as to whether you want to try for them.

If you do want to get the items, you'll need to have a LOW Bravery -- the 
higher your Treasure Hunter's Bravery, the higher the odds of getting a crummy 
item instead.  Rapha is great for this purpose since her Bravery already starts
pretty low.  For the best odds, though, you'll want to lower it even further.  
The best way to do this is probably with the Orator ability Intimidate; for 
every use of this ability, she'll lose 20 points of Bravery during the battle
but 5 points permanently.  Be careful not to reduce her permanent Bravery TOO 
low, though, or she will quit the party (so using Beowulf's Chicken may not be 
a good idea).  15 to 20 is probably a safe number.

Whether you're planning on looking for the items or not, you'll probably want
to buy some Gold Needle or Remedies before you leave town for the coming 
battle, or equip Jade Armlets -- the Cockatrices at the temple can turn you to 
stone.

Go to Nelveska and you'll be attacked by Construct 7.  This is the one battle
here, so search for the hidden items if you want, or just take down Construct 
7.  (See the battle strategies for tips both on the fight and on successfully
retrieving the items.)  When Construct 7 explodes, you'll get its power source: 
the Cancer Zodiac Stone.

When you try to leave Nelveska Island, Beowulf will use the Cancer stone to 
restore the dragon Reis to her normal human form.  She will then re-join your
party, keeping all her dragon abilities and adding many new ones she can learn.
Even in human form, her Dragonkin job can use very little equipment (just hair 
adornments, bags, and some accessories), but she has an inherent Dual Wield
and killer stats.

If you now return the Cancer Stone to Besrudio, he'll summon Cloud ... but you 
won't be able to go any further to recruit him onto the team unless you've
already defeated Adrammelech in the main storylie.  (See Recruiting Cloud,
below.)  If you've gone even further and cleared Mullonde in the main 
storyline, you can also embark on the Lionel's New Liege Lord quest.  

%%%RECRUITING CLOUD%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00cloud

QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: Immediately after completing Nelveska Temple quest
REWARDS: Cloud joins the party

You can get Cloud any time after you complete Ford Besselat.  In order to get 
him, you must first complete the Gollund Colliery quest, followed by the 
Nelveska Temple quest, both described above.  You'll also still need Mustadio 
around.

Having completed both of these quests, hike all the way back to Goug.  (If
you've finished the battles at Mullonde, you'll have a handy shortcut.) 
Besrudio will power up the weathervane with the Cancer Stone and it will ... 
summon Cloud.  Cloud, in typical Cloud fashion, will refuse to let you 
introduce yourselves and run off in pursuit of Sephiroth.

Now you have to go all the way to the Trade City of Sal Ghidos.  Remember when 
you met Aerith here earlier?  Well, she's back, and this time she's being 
accosted by some thieves.  Cloud comes to save her, but has another one of his 
schizophrenic breakdowns.  You have to save him from the thieves.  This is
quite an easy battle, although you may want to equip Safeguard beforehand so
the Thieves can't steal any of your gear.  Afterwards, Clod... er, Cloud will 
join you.

You're still not totally finished with this quest.  In order for Cloud to be 
able to use his Limit attacks, you need to find his Materia Blade.  The Blade
is found using the Treasure Hunter ability on Mount Bervenia.  The easiest
method is to go to Riovanes Castle and just move back and forth between
Riovanes and Mount Bervenia until you get into a random battle.

Once you're in battle, move your Treasure Hunter to the very tippy-top of the 
volcano to discover the Materia Blade.  You'll need a Jump at least of 4 to 
reach the volcano top -- equip Germinas Boots if you need a boost.  Unlike the
other rare items found with Treasure Hunter, this one doesn't depend on your
Bravery.  You'll always receive the Materia Blade on this tile, regardless of
your Bravery; there's no chance of getting the wrong thing.  Once you've 
secured the Materia Blade, finish off the rest of the enemies to end the 
battle.  (If you end the battle by mistake before getting the Blade, just start
up another battle; the Blade never disappears until you find it.)

If you're having a hard time getting your Treasure Hunter up to the top during
the battle, one strategy is to kill off all but one enemy, and then use
Beowulf's Chicken ability to turn the last enemy into a chicken.  This leaves
you free to spend as much time as needed navigating the volcano.

Equipping Cloud with the Materia Blade allows him to use his Limit command,
although you still have to learn all the Limit abilities individually.
Honestly, Cloud isn't really all that great a character, in my estimation -- 
his Limits take a long time to charge (you'll probably want to give him the 
Time Mage's Swiftness ability), and he starts back at level 1.

%%%DISORDER IN THE ORDER%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00dis

QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: After Mullonde battles
REWARDS: Lots of stealable equipment

The second of two Agrias-related quests, this quest becomes available late in 
Chapter IV, after you win the battles at Mullonde Cathedral.  You do NOT have 
to have completed the other Agrias quest (Agrias's Birthday) to access it.

First, after clearing the Cathedral, make tracks for Zeltennia Castle, in the 
upper right corner of the map.  As long as Agrias is still with you, when you
reach Zeltennia, you'll see a scene in which Agrias meets with Ovelia and sets 
up an important later plot point.  (If Alicia and Lavian are still around, 
they'll also participate in this scene, but they're not required.)

Nothing else happens here, but now head to the Magick City of Gariland or
Eagrose Castle and hit up the Tavern.  If you saw the above, there will be a 
new rumor, "Disorder in the Order."  Listen to it.

Now, if you head back to the Brigands' Den south of Mandalia Plain, you'll
get into a battle against some deserts from the Order of the Northern Sky.
Agrias functions as a Guest in this battle.  Be SURE to bring a character who 
can steal, as there are a lot of great rare items you can get here.  (Balthier
may be particularly useful, since his Plunder skills a little bit more likely
to succeed than regular Steals.)  While none of the stealable items are 
available ONLY in this battle, it's a chance to grab second copies of some 
items you can't buy in stores.  The extra Venetian Shield and Kaiser Shield you 
can get here are particularly handy, and you can also get more magick guns, a 
Sasuke's Blade, and Ninja Gear and a Barette.  If you bring Orlandeau along, 
you can also see a few extra lines of dialogue.

The actual battle should be fairly easy.  Nothing special happens when you 
clear it--it's mostly just an avenue for stealing a lot of great items :)

%%%LIONEL'S NEW LIEGE LORD%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00lio

QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: After Mullonde battles AND completing Gollund Colliery
          quest
REWARDS: Genji Armor, Zeus Mace, Sortile'ge, stealable Masamune and Chantage, 
          Hydrascale Bag, other equipment

To begin the new Beowulf subquest, you must first complete the Nelveska Temple
quest.  At this point, you will have recruited Beowulf and Reis and returned 
Reis to human form.  Beowulf and Reis must also still be alive and on your 
roster.  (It's not necessary to do to the quest to recruit Cloud or get his 
Materia Blade.)  You also have to completed the battle against Zalbaag at 
Mullonde in the main storyline.

Finally, to activate the quest, you have to have read the "Lionel's New Liege 
Lord" rumor that appears in Taverns after you've completed the battle at
Bervenia Free City during Chapter IV.  This rumor can be read before or after 
you recruit Beowulf and Reis.

The main purpose of this quest is to acquire the Masamune and Genji Armor, as
well as a few other goodies.

This quest, of course, takes place at Lionel Castle.  As soon as you visit 
Lionel Castle after meeting the requirements above, you're thrown into the 
quest, so you'll want to prepare first.  Make sure you have a character able to 
steal, as this subquest gives you a chance to steal a Masamune and a Chantage.

When you reach Lionel Castle, you'll see a story scene and Reis will be 
spirited away.  You're given a chance to save and adjust your roster before 
being booted into battle.  (Since Reis is presently kidnapped, you won't be 
able to select her as part of your team for this battle.)  Note that Beowulf 
functions as a guest in this subquest.  If he's KOed in the first battle, you 
lose, so be sure to equip with some decent armor and/or a shield and deploy a 
healer.  (In thesecond battle, it doesn't matter if he's KOed.)  The bosses
here have Safeguard, which renders them immune to Meliadoul's Unyielding Blade
attacks, so you probably won't want to deploy her unless she has some good 
other abilities.

You'll fight a sequence of two battles at Lionel.  The first is against 
Beowulf's old pal Aliste.  When you win here, you'll get the Genji Armor, the
second strongest suit of armor in the game.  You'll have another chance to
save and adjust your team -- so equip that Genji Armor -- before moving on to 
the second battle, against Bremondt himself.  Be sure to deploy your stealing 
character here, as one of the enemy samurai has the Masamune and this is the 
by far the best place to get it.  (See the battle strategies for more info.)

When Bremondt goes down, you'll receive a Zeus Mace, a very nice staff, for
your efforts.  (There's a second Zeus Mace in Midlight's Deep, but it doesn't
hurt to have two!)

Beowulf and Reis are reunited, and in gratitude for all your help, Beowulf
hands over all his treasure, including a Gold Hairpin, a Hydrascale Bag, a
pair of Hermes Shoes, a Diamond Bracelet, and the Sortile'ge perfume.   You're
now prompted to add Beowulf and Reis back into your roster, and this subquest
is now complete!

%%%MIDLIGHT'S DEEP%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00md

QUEST BECOMES AVAILABLE: After Mullonde battles
REWARDS: Numerous rare items, Zodiark summon, the Byblos joins the party

Midlight's Deep is a dungeon with ten floors (each a separate battle), each 
packed with really powerful equipment.  It's completely optional, and in
fact is more difficult than the actual end of the game.

You can only access Midlight's Deep after you beat Mullonde Holy Place.  Then 
go to the Port City of Warjilis.  When you arrive, you'll automatically see a 
scene in the tavern in which Ramza overhears a rumor about the Deep.  (Fans of
the original PSone version of FF Tactics may get a kick out of some of the
dialogue here.)  When you leave town, a route will automatically pop up to the 
tiny island to the east, which contains Midlight's Deep, a ten-floor bonus 
dungeon.

To enter Midlight's Deep, move to the island.  Then, click on Midlight's Deep a
second time.  Choose the floor you want to enter.  (At the beginning, only the
first floor will be accessible, but you'll open up more as you progress.)

---General Instructions--------------------------------------------------------

BATTLES IN THE DEEP
Midlight's Deep battles are basically considered random battles, which means
that the exact line-up of enemies changes each time.  It also means that you
don't have to deploy Ramza.  The exception is the initial encounter on the last
floor, which has a fixed set of enemies AND requires Ramza to be deployed.


NAVIGATING THE DARKNESS
To make things challenging, every floor of Midlight's Deep is completely dark.
You can see your team and the enemies, but you can't see the terrain.  Crystals 
left by dead enemies will light up much of the area, but there's another way to 
see.  Select an attack with a really long range, like a gun attack, Beowulf's 
Vengeance, Construct 8's Dispose, or best of all, Teleport (which lights up the 
*whole* map).  When you're choosing a target, most of the panels on the 
battlefield will be highlighted, giving you a chance to study the terrain.  You 
don't even have to USE the selected attack, just select it, look at the map, 
and then cancel back to the menu.  Since you can do this every round, you
shouldn't have too much trouble seeing what you're doing.


FINDING THE EXITS
But not only do you have to beat the enemies on each level, you ALSO have to 
find the exit to open up the next level.  If you kill all the enemies without 
finding the exit, you'll just be kicked back to the map screen and have to 
replay the level before you can advance.  To find the exit, you simply have to
move a character onto the tile that contains the exit, at which point you'll
get a message telling you that you "found a passage leading deeper."  Once you
finish off the remaining enemies and return to the map, you'll be able to 
select the next floor.  You do NOT need the Treasure Hunter ability to find
the exits.

To make things tricky, the exit is RANDOMLY placed on one of several possible
tiles -- so you don't know where it is!  But, the exit is usually on the 
enemy's side of the battlefield, and often in a corner.  Not always, though.

Rmemeber, the battle ends when you KO the last enemy, and if you didn't find 
the exit, you'll have to replay the level.  So, you need to find the exit 
BEFORE you KO that last enemy.  The easiest way to do this is to KO all but one
enemy, then use Beowulf's Chicken spell on the last one to turn it into a
chicken.  (If the enemy has 60 or more Bravery, you'll have to use Chicken
twice before it actually turns into a chicken.)  Once the last enemy is a 
harmless chicken, it's easy to walk around the level and look for the exit.  
Chicken lasts for quite a while, but each turn the enemy gets 1 point of 
Bravery back, and when it has 10 Bravery, the Chicken spell will wear off.  
But, if you always recast Chicken when it's close to wearing off, you can keep 
the enemy a chicken forever :).  Of course, you don't HAVE to use the Chicken 
trick to find the exit -- it just makes it a lot easier.

While you do need to find the exits to advance, there's no obligation to find
the exit on your first visit.  If the battle gets rough, it's fine to just 
finish off the enemies and forget about finding the exit.  You can look for it
on your next visit.

Also, once you've found a floor's exit once, you never need to look for it
again.  So, if you return to a previous floor to hunt for items or poach 
monsters, you don't need to worry about looking for the exit.


ACQUIRING THE RARE ITEMS
But wait!  There's more!  Each level contains a number of rare items that you
can find using the Treasure Hunter ability.  Simply move a character with
Treasure Hunter onto the correct tile and a new item is yours.  If a character
without Treasure Hunter steps on the tile, you'll often spring a trap instead, 
but the item remains there, waiting for a character with Treasure Hunter.
(Note that even once the item is picked up, any trap on the tile remains there, 
and then even a Treasure Hunter can spring it.)

As with most rare Treasure Hunter finds, you need a LOW Bravery level to pick
up the special item.  The higher your Bravery, the higher your chance you'll 
get a crummy Phoenix Down instead.  (The chance of getting the Phoenix Down is 
simply equal to the character's current Bravery -- so a lower Bravery decreases 
your chance of getting it.)  If you DO pick up the Phoenix Down, the "good" 
item is gone forever, even if you leave the map and come back later.  So, if 
you want to get all the items, you may want to save pretty frequently and only 
try picking up one or two items at a time.  That way, it's easy to reset and 
try again if you don't get the item you want.

Rapha is great for finding the items because her Bravery already starts pretty 
low.  For the best odds, though, you'll want to lower it even further.  The
best way to do this is probably with the Orator ability Intimidate; for every
use of this ability, she'll lose 20 points of Bravery during the battle but
5 points permanently.  Be careful not to reduce her permanent Bravery TOO low,
though, or she will quit the party--so using Beowulf's Chicken may not be a
good idea.  15 to 20 is probably a safe number and will give you some margin of
error in case she gets with a Bravery-lowering ability during a battle.

To make Rapha (or whomever you're using as a Treasure Hunter) more mobile, give
her Germinas Boots to increase her move and jump range.  If available, you can
also switch her to an agile job like Thief, Dragoon, or Monk.

If you're having trouble with Rapha getting KOed quickly, try equipping her
with the Invisibility Cloak found on Mount Germinas (see Various Tricks).  This
cloak causes her to start the battle invisible.  As long as she doesn't take
any action and just moves around the battlefield looking for items and exits,
she will stay invisible and will be virtually ignored by the enemies.  (She's 
still vulnerable to area-effect spells.)  The Septie`me perfume, poachable from
the Greater Hydras found in the Deep, and the Ninja Gear found on the sixth 
floor of the dungeon (The Palings) also have the same invisibility effect.
And since the Ninja Gear is body armor instead of an accessory, it allows you 
to also equip Germinas Boots at the same time.

As a caution, note that enemy characters with Treasure Hunter can also pick up 
the rare items, which will prevent you from getting them!  At the start of each
battle, you may want to check all the enemy humans to see if they have Treasure
Hunter.  If they do, either KO or Immobilize them quickly to prevent them from
beating you to the loot!


LOCATING THE RARE ITEMS
So WHERE are all these great items?  Of course, on each floor, the items are in 
different locations.  Since the tiles are not given any names or numbers in the 
game, I've had to assign my own numbers to them.  Here's the scheme I've used:

When the battle starts, tilt the analog stick on the PSP left or right.  When 
you do this, the screen will change perspective and you'll be looking at the 
battlefield from a different angle.  Keep doing this until your characters are 
facing down and to the left on the screen.

Now, move the cursor to the lower left corner.  This tile is (X: 0, Y: 0).  If 
you move the cursor to the right (using the right arrow on the D-pad), you'll 
be at (X: 1, Y: 0), then (X: 2, Y: 0), (X: 3, Y: 0), and so on.  If you start 
at (X: 0, Y: 0) and move upwards (up arrow on the D-pad), you'll be at (X: 0, 
Y: 1).  So a tile like (X: 4, Y: 3) would be four tiles to the right and three 
tiles up from the lower-left corner (again, this is when your team is facing 
DOWN and to the LEFT at the start of the battle).  I've given the locations of 
all the items using this coordinate system.

For exact item locations, see each level's battle strategy.


POACHING
There are also a number of rare monsters in Midlight's Deep, and poaching them
can get you some unique items you can't find anywhere else.  (See the Poaching
List for the complete list.)  Fortunately, since Warjilis Trade City is a trade
city, it has a Poachers' Den.  So, after poaching some monsters, it's easy to 
head back to Warjilis and check on your haul.

If you're serious about poaching (and have space on your roster), the best
tactic for getting these rare items is to recruit a monster from the species
using the Orator abilities Entice or Tame.  (The Dragon's Charm ability
possessed by Reis can also be used to recruit dragons and hydras, and works
100% of the time.)  Once you've recruited the monster, just walk back and forth
between Warjilis and the Deep.  As the days pass, the monster will lay eggs and
the eggs will hatch into new monsters.  (You can use the Preview Monster Eggs
trick from the Various Tricks section to see what monsters you're getting and
delete any that aren't the exact type you want.)  Poach THESE hatched monsters, 
but leave the original in your roster.  That way, you have a limitless supply 
of monsters to poach.  This is a great way to poach rare monsters that you
don't appear in the wild very frequently.

In fact, breeding monsters is the ONLY way to get a Wild Boar, which in turn
is your only source for two super-rare items (the Ribbon and the Fallingstar 
Bag).

---Floor-by-Floor Walkthrough--------------------------------------------------

Whew!  I think that's all the instruction you need.  Now head on in!  The first 
floor, The Crevasse, is just kind of practice; the monsters here are very weak.
You can find two of the magickal guns here, although you may already have a
Glacial Gun if you stole one earlier.  The Blaze Gun is a little stronger than
the Glacial Gun, though, and both are worth picking up.  These "magickal" guns
do elemental attacks.  Their damage varies; sometimes you get a -ra or a -ga
spell visual effect and increased damage.  The damage estimate you see when
preparing to attack is the "low" estimate if you just get the regular spell.
Note that the Kiyomori hidden on this level is just a regular Kiyomori katana
like you could buy in a store, making it the most useless pickup in the Deep.

After you find the exit in The Crevasse, you'll open up The Stair.  It's
similar in layout to The Crevasse, but is a lot more challenging.  Bringing
Archer's Bane is a good idea as there are a lot of enemy Archers.  After that
comes The Hollow.  Here, you'll want to deploy range attackers as the enemies 
start a distance and can easily be picked off.  The Hollow also contains two
good pieces of equipment: the Yoichi Bow and the Zeus Mace.  Be sure to pick
them up!  In general, collecting all the Elixirs is not necessary as there are
quite a few of them and you can do fine without getting them all (or even any).

The fourth floor, The Catacombs, is also quite challenging.  It may take you a
few tries to collect everything here, especially if you get a tough group of
monsters.  But, the equipment available here is also quite good: the Kaiser
Shield as well as the Rod of Faith.  The Rod of Faith is particularly valuable
and available here only.  It's a rod that maximizes its wielder's Faith while 
equipped, increasing their magick power (but also the magick damage they 
receive).  You can also whack other characters with it to give *them* Faith 
status as well.  Since the Rod maximizes your Faith regardless of its normal
value, you can also reduce a character's Faith to make them strong against
enemy magick and then only give them the Rod when you want them using magick.
(See the related item under Various Tricks for more on this strategy.)

The Catacombs also holds the Faerie Harp.  If you don't use Bards, you can skip 
it.  It's worth noting, though, that the Faerie Harp is the only attack or
ability that can Charm all targets regardless of gender or human/monster status
-- plus it's the strongest harp, so it's a good pickup if you DO have a Bard
around.

Level 5 is The Oubliette.  Here, you can get a second Excalibur sword, which is
definitely worth picking up (especially since it's right next to where you
start!).  Although you should already have one since Orlandeau comes with one,
two never hurts ... the automatic Haste effect is incredibly useful!  You can
give the second to another character who uses knight's swords, like Agrias,
Beowulf, Meliadoul, or Ramza -- or any character in the Knight job.   You can 
also find the Iga Blade ninja blade here.

Next stop is The Palings.  You can pick up the lightning magickal gun, the 
Blaster, here; it's the strongest gun available in single-player.  The other 
items -- Ninja Gear, the Cursed Ring, and an Elixir -- aren't that great but 
they're all right at the starting pointing, so they're easy to grab.

Floor seven is The Crossing.  The items here aren't all that great.  There's
the Koga Blade ninja blade, and a Staff of the Magi.  The Staff of the Magi
isn't very good; it has a higher *attack power* than the Zeus Mace, but no
benefit to your magick strength -- and how often do your magick-users hit 
people with their staves?  But, you want to bring Luso or somebody else with 
the Poach skill, as there's a chance of running into the stronger minotaur
monster here.  Either of the items you get from poaching it cannot be found 
anywhere else.

By now, you're getting near the bottom, and the difficulty level is rising.
again.  The next two floors will be quite tough, but they also contain some
very strong items.  The Switchback holds the Ragnarok sword (not actually as 
good as Excalibur as it doesn't cast Haste), Robe of Lords (a GREAT robe), and 
the best bow, the Perseus Bow.  The final normal floor is The Interstice.  It 
holds the game's best heavy armor -- the Maximillian and Grand Helm -- as well 
as the Venetian Shield, second only to the Escutcheon (II) as a shield.  You 
want this stuff.

There's only one level left after this, appropriately named Terminus.  There's
a boss encounter the first time you enter here, and it's your one chance to
learn the game's best Summon, Zodiark.  If you want to learn it, deploy your
best Summoner (with Summoner as his/her current job) and arm him/her with the 
Time Mage ability Mana Shield for protection.

When you enter Terminus, you'll meet some weird old guy named Elidibus, who 
will turn himself into a Lucavi.  You'll be accompanied in this battle by a
purple Byblos monster (its personal name varies).  After defeating Elidibus 
(and hopefully learning Zodiark from him), you'll get the 13th (!) Zodiac 
Stone, Serpentarius.  The Byblos will offer to join your party.  This is your
one opportunity to get this character, so sign it up.  He's only OK, though.

Congratulations!  You've beaten Midlight's Deep!  You may notice that the Deep
stays a red dot on the map screen even after you've finished off Elidibus.
Don't worry; you haven't missed anything.  It just stays red forever.

But, there's still a few more things to do.  Go back into Terminus after you 
defeat Elidibus, and bring a Treasure Hunter.  On the top level (where Elidibus 
was), there are four items: two Elixirs, the Chirijiraden (the best samurai 
sword), and the Chaos Blade.  The Chaos Blade is one of the best weapons in the 
game; it has a whopping 40 attack points, automatically Regens you, and 
petrifies enemies!

If you're into poaching, you can find Pigs and Swines on Terminus, as well as
all the members of the hydra family.  All of these monsters yield rare items
when poached.  (And if you want REALLY rare items, recruit a Pig or Swine and
wait until you breed a Wild Boar, then poach that!)  You can also use Reis's
Dragon's Charm to recruit a Tiamat.  They're THE best monster in the game, and 
they're almost as strong as (if not stronger than) Orlandeau!

For other rare weapons, equip all your characters with Sticky Fingers and go
to The Interstice.  If you can run into some Ninjas here, they'll throw a
variety of nice weapons at you, which -- assuming you have Sticky Fingers --
you'll catch and claim for your own.  If you're at a high enough level, you can 
even get Chaos Blades!  Masamunes, Chirijiradens, Javelin IIs, and most other
rare weapons can also be obtained here.  (The exceptions are the weapons that
can't be thrown, like staves.)

What else is there left to do?  If you leave Midlight's Deep and head back
around the overworld, some of the wilderness locations have "special" random 
battles that you can occasionally run into, like the infamous all-Monk melee on 
Grogh Heights.  And at Mount Germinas, there's a rare battle against some gun-
wielding Chemists and Orators, where you can steal additional copies of the
magick guns, and sometimes the Stoneshooter.  You can also continue poaching 
monsters if you're looking to complete your collection of items -- see the
Rare Item Locations for where you can find everything.  And, if you haven't 
finished the other subquests, those are still out there to complete!

Finally, you can team up a friend who owns a copy of the game to complete the
game's multiplayer team missions, or battle against each other in the Melee
mode.  (Note that you need to complete the main quest first in order to unlock 
all the team missions.)  I don't have these covered in the FAQ yet, but I'm
hoping to find some way to work them into a future version.


*******************************************************************************
V. BATTLE STRATEGIES
*******************************************************************************

%%%CHAPTER I: THE MEAGER%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bs1

--Battle 1: Gariland--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Squire (male) x3, Squire (female) x1, Chemist (male) x1

The key in this battle is advance slowly and not to let your characters get 
spread out.  Stay on the left side, away from the bulk of the houses.

The enemy Chemist has the ability to heal the other enemies, which can be a 
pain.  If you have the chance to take him out, do so; otherwise, he'll heal the 
enemy soldiers you've been attacking.  Actually, you can stop him from doing 
this even if you attack him just once.  He'll use up his turn healing himself 
instead of healing any of the other enemies.

Attack from the enemy from behind or from the side whenever possible, as you're
more likely to land a hit that way.  (In general, rear attacks are best as they
also cancel out enemy shields -- but no enemies have shields yet, so side and
rear attacks will be equally effective.)  At the end of each character's turn, 
you choose which direction they facing.  Make sure you end your turns facing 
the enemies, which will make it harder for them to hit you from behind!  (When 
possible, you can even put your back to the side of a building to protect it 
completely!)

Make good use of your Chemists for healing--you start out with 5 Potions and 
you can use them to heal a character who gets injured.  If you don't have
teammates who need healing, the Chemists can also attack. (Note that Chemists
have an inherent Throw Item ability, so they don't have to be next to a 
character to use an item on him/her.  This is NOT true for other characters
using the Item ability, however.)  

Don't worry about Delita; the Guest AI is pretty reckless and it's likely he'll 
get himself KOed.  Since he's a Guest character, though, he can't die 
permanently and will be revived at the end of the battle.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 2000 gil, Mythril Knife, Phoenix Down, Potion


--Battle 2: Mandalia Plain--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], Argath [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Squire (male) x4, Thief (male) x1, Red Panther x1

Your choice before the battle affects your victory conditions here.  If you
chose just to fight the Corpse Brigade, you only have to KO all the enemies.
If you chose the second option, then there's an additional requirement: You 
must also keep Argath from being KOed, as you will lose the battle if he gets 
KOed.  The first option is better, of course, since it makes the battle easier
and

If you DID choose to help Argath, though, you need to protect him.  Start 
moving a Chemist towards Argath right away.  Fortunately, Argath will probably
flee away from the enemies and into one corner.  Heal him just to be on the 
safe side, and then you're free to concentrate on the enemies.

Attack from above if you can, and guard your back with the rocks scattered 
about the battlefield or with other ally units.  Remember that if you act 
without moving, or move without acting, your next turn will come sooner than if 
you both act AND move.  So if there's no real need for a character to move or 
to take action, don't do it just for the heck of it.  Your next turn will come 
sooner if you don't.

You'll encounter your first monster here in the form of a Red Panther.  It's 
the toughest unit in the enemy forces, but it's not too bad.  Be warned that, 
like all monsters, it will counterattack you whenever you attack it.  Don't
attack the Red Panther using a character who's low on HP, or the counterattack 
is liable to KO you!  (You CAN avoid the counterattack by using the Squire 
ability Stone to attack from a distance, but this ability is really too weak to 
be worth using.)  The Red Panther can also poison you, which causes you to 
lose a little HP after each turn you take.  You can cure this with an Antidote
if you want, but it's probably not necessary--the poison wears off after a few
turns, anyway.

This may be your first chance to pick up crystals or chests.  When the counter 
over a KOed enemy unit goes down past 0, the unit vanishes and is replaced with 
a crystal or treasure chest.  Pick these up by moving onto the same tile.  
Picking up a chest will get you an item.  Picking up a crystal will either heal
the unit, or in some cases give you the option of learning many of the defeated 
enemy's abilities.  (Note that although you point the cursor at an individual
ability, you actually learn ALL of the abilities offered, regardless of what 
you pick!)  Crystals from monsters will only heal you since monsters don't have 
any abilities you can learn, and crystals from humans won't always offer you an 
ability either.  (Unless the units is in desperate need of healing, you should 
generally choose to learn the ability, as this permanently adds abilities to 
the character!)  Crystals from humans are great to pick up as they can teach
you new abilities, so grab them when you see them.  Monster crystals are only
necessary to pick up if you need healing -- or to prevent the enemies from
getting to them first, as they can heal themselves with crystals too!  Chests
typically just offer items you can buy in stores anyway and so are not as
important to collect, but early on they can still be useful as money is 
tighter.

If one of your OWN units gets KOed, you must act to revive the character before 
the countdown runs down and the character is lost permanently.  Right now, 
you've got two ways to revive a character.  If one of your Chemists learned the 
Phoenix Down and you have Phoenix Downs in stock, you can use the Phoenix Down
to revive the character.  Or, you can hurry and clear the battle before the 
countdown runs out -- when you win a battle, any characters who have been KOed 
but not completely erased will be brought back to life.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Potion x2


--Battle 3: The Siedge Weald--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], Argath [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Red Panther x1, Goblin x2, Black Goblin x2, Bomb x2

This battle is nothing but monsters; watch out for their counterattacks!  For 
the most part, though, they're not too tough.  Take out on the enemies on the 
higher ground first before you start crossing the water.  Otherwise, you'll 
expose yourself to attack from above.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 4: Dorter Slums--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], Argath [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x1, Archer (male) x3, Black Mage (male) x 2

The enemy has Archers and Black Mages, who both have ranged attacks and can
hit you from a distance.  This means that you'll need to be more aggressive; if
you hang back at a distance, the enemy can keep hitting you from afar!

Note that when one of your characters gets hit with a Black Magick spell, the
characters in adjacent tiles also take damage.  There are two ways to avoid
this.  While the spell is still charging, you can move the other characters out 
of the way, or you can kill the Black Mage charging the spell and stop the 
attack entirely!  Since the spells do quite a bit of damage, it's great to
take out the Black Mages as soon as you have the chance.  They don't have much
HP so you can finish them off easily.  (Note that spells can also have a
"friendly fire" effect -- if another enemy is in range of the spell when it
goes off, they get hurt too!  You can possibly use this to your advantage by
positioning targeted characters next to enemy units.)  To check when the spell
is going to be fired, press the Circle button when it's your turn, then use the 
Triangle button to bring up the menu and choose Turn List.

If you have Black Mages of your own, you can also use these area damage effects
to extend the effective range of your magicks.  If the range of your magick is
one tile too short to hit an enemy, you can target the tile directly in front
of the enemy and the magick will still hit the enemy thanks to the area effect.
This is a good tactic for hitting more distant enemies, like you see in this
battle. Just make sure the enemy won't be able to move out of the way before 
the magick activates!

There are two enemy Archers on the tall building beside where you start.  At
the beginning of the battle, Delita and Argath will begin climbing up the 
building to attack them.  Let Delita and Argath handle the two Archers, and
send at most one other character up the building.  The rest of your team
should advance down the street.  Take out the Black Mages first since they can
do so much damage.

It's likely that one or more of your characters will get KOed during the
battle.  Remember that if the counter over their head goes below 0, you lose
the character permanently.  To avoid this, when a character's counter gets low
(0 or 1), use a Phoenix Down on him or her.  Even if another attack takes the
character out right away, the counter will be reset and you've bought yourself
a few more turns to finish the battle.

Since you start on the street and the enemy has the high ground, Archers are
not particularly useful here.  On the other hand, Move +1 is a great ability to
have as it helps you quickly close the distance between you and the enemy's
ranged attackers.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 500 gil, Iron Sword, Hempen Robe, Ether


--Battle 5: The Sand Rat's Sietch--
YOUR FORCES:
  1st Squad - Ramza, Delita [guest], 1 other
  2nd Squad - Argath [guest], 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x 3, Archer (male) x1, Monk (male) x2

You'll deploy your characters in two squads for this battle.  Be sure to deploy
somebody with the Items command (either a Chemist, or another character who's 
learned the ability) in the second group.

There are two entrances to the fort.  When the battle begins, send most of
your characters towards the entrance that's closer to Argath.  This is where
the bulk of the fighting will take place.  Argath will probably make a suicide 
mission into the building, but keep healing him anyway -- if you were able to
give him a Black Magick spell (as recommended in the walkthrough), he'll be 
very helpful.  Don't crowd the doorway or you'll get in trouble.  Let
the enemies come outside to you.

Meanwhile, Delita will head towards the other entrance.  You might want to
send one other character with him.  Hopefully, Delita's squad have the chance 
to sneak up on the enemy Archer from the rear and take him out so he can't keep 
shooting at the main squad.

Remember that if a character doesn't move on a particular turn, his or her next
turn will come quicker.  If you don't need to move to land an attack, stay put
and you'll get more turns.  This is especially helpful for your Chemist; by
having him/her remain stationary and throw items to the characters who need
healing, you'll get more turns and more chances to heal.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 500 gil, Hi-Potion, Blind Knife


--Battle 6: Brigands' Den--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], Argath [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Milleuda [Knight; Virgo], Thief (male) x2,
   White Mage (female) x2

If you happen to have any male Pisces characters or Taurus and Capricorns of
either gender, deploying them here can be useful.  Milleuda, the boss here, is 
always a female Virgo, and the three Zodiac signs listed above will do extra
damage to her.  (You can only prepare your Zodiac signs in this way when
fighting bosses; non-boss enemies have randomized Zodiac signs.)

I recommend standing up on cliffs on the left side of the fort when possible; 
you have a height advantage there.  Since you should have Hi-Potions now, use
them for all your healing needs--the 30 HP from a regular Potion just doesn't
cut it now.

There are two White Mages here.  One has Black Magick spells as a secondary
ability and the other can use Items.  The Black Magick-wielding mage is the
most dangerous, so try to take her out first.  (You can use the same tricks you 
used in Dorter to avoid their spells.)  However, if the Item-using mage comes
out of the fort and starts using Hi-Potions, you may need to take her out first
or she'll just heal all the enemies.  If either mage starts casting Cure, note
that you can stop it more or less same way you can stop a Black Magick spell --
either take out the enemy they're trying to heal, or KO the Mage herself.

After you've taken out the White Mages, concentrate on Milleuda.  Her attacks 
are quite strong, If you have the Rend Weapon or Rend Armor abilities (both 
from the Knight job), you may want to try them on her.  Breaking her weapon
will greatly reduce her attack power, and breaking her armor will reduce her
HP total.  If you already have a Thief, you could try stealing her equipment
too, as she's got a nice set of gear, but you'll be able to buy all her stuff
eventually.

The Thieves here may swipe some of your armor, or at least your headgear.
Although this might be annoying, it's not really too bad; you can just re-buy
the items after the battle.  What's much more deadly, though, is the Steal
Heart attack they may use on your female characters, which will turn them to
the enemy side.  If you have a choice, try to deploy male characters for this
battle as they can't be affected by a Steal Hart from a male Thief.

Milleuda is the game's first boss character, which means that as soon as you
KO her, the battle ends, even if there are other enemies left standing.  If
you're in danger, take her out quickly to end the fight.  But if you've got 
Milleuda cornered or otherwise have the upper hand, you may want to finish
off the other enemies for more Exp & JP, then let them die completely so they 
turn into a chest or crystal.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 700 gil, Iron Sword, Bronze Shield


--Battle 7: Lenalian Plateau--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Milleuda [Knight; Virgo], Knight (female) x2,
  Black Mage (male) x2, Time Mage (female) x1

Again, Taurus, Capricorn, and male Pisces characters will do extra damage
against Milleuda since she's a female Virgo.

Play the first few rounds defensively to prevent any early casualties, and use
the high ground to your advantage.  Send one or two characters after the Black
Mages, and possibly the Time Mage as well.  If you have an Archer, send 
him/her up onto the tall ridge and shoot down on the enemies.

After knocking out the Black Mages, concentrate on Milleuda.  This time, she
has the Counter ability, which means that whenever you hit her with a close-
range attack, she has a chance of striking back.  So, be sure not to use any
close-range attacks against her unless your HP is high.  A good strategy is to
attack her with long-distance attacks like bows and Black Magick, which won't
allow her to counterattack.  Milleuda might also use her Rend abilities to 
break your gear.  Again, as soon as Milleuda goes down, the battle ends, even 
if other enemies are still standing.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 1000 gil, Silken Robe, Battle Boots


--Battle 8: Windflat Mill--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Wiegraf [White Knight; Virgo], Boco [Chocobo; Aries],
  Knight (female), Monk (female) x2

Like his sister, Wiegraf is a Virgo.  He's male, though, so this time Taurus,
Capricorn, and FEMALE Pisces characters are the ones to deploy (if you happen
to have them -- if not, don't sweat it).

Wiegraf is the only real threat here; most of his companions are pretty weak.
Start moving along the bottom of the cliff and quickly take out the Chocobo 
(Boco) and the Monk.  Wiegraf and the other enemies will soon move down to 
fight you.  Finish off any enemies that are low on HP, then go after Wiegraf.

Wiegraf uses a couple different special sword techniques that allow him to
attack from a distance and (unlike magick) don't require any charge time.
Most of the time, he'll use Northswain's Strike, which strikes a single
character (usually for about 35 HP or so), but if your characters are close
together, he may also use Judgment Blade to attack a "plus-shaped" group of
tiles.  These attacks are pretty strong, but Wiegraf doesn't have a great
defense, so if you hit him with a few strong attacks (Mythril Swords, black 
magick), he'll go down quickly.  Just stay healed!

Because you're fighting in such close quarters, watch out for the "friendly
fire" effects of your own spells!  In general, if one of your allies is
standing right next to an enemy, a useful trick is to target the tile right
BEHIND the enemy to avoid hitting your ally when the spell goes off.  For
instance, if your characters are positioned like below, target the space marked
with a *:
*EA  (A = ally, E = enemy)
This way, you'll still hit the enemy, but the spell is positioned so as not to
harm your ally.

As soon as Wiegraf's HP drops to critical status, he'll teleport away and the 
battle will end.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Hi-Potion


--Battle 9: Ziekden Fortress--
YOUR FORCES:
  1st Squad - Ramza, Delita [guest], 1 other
  2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Argath [Knight; Virgo], Knight (male) x3, Black Mage (female) x3
You'll deploy in two squads again for this battle.  Deploy your best damage-
dealer along with Ramza in the first squad.  The character in the second squad
are going to be largely useless as they start far away from the action.  If you
want to pick and choose Zodiac signs, Argath is again a Virgo and susceptible
to Taurus, Capricorn, and female Pisces attacks.

Luckily, you can almost beat the whole fight just using Ramza.  Just go after
Argath and completely ignore the other guys.  He's only got a crossbow, so he
can't do much damage to you, and he's useless at close ranges.  Just chase
him down and hit him with your strongest attacks, like Knight and Monk attacks
and Black Magick.  You want to block him from climbing up the stairs to the 
roof of the fort, as he has a good sniping point if he gets up there and it's 
slow climbing up after him.  Just position your characters between him and the
stairs and he shouldn't be able to climb up there.

Argath does have the Auto-Potion ability, which gives him a random chance to 
heal himself with a Potion when you hit him, so you may want to avoid using 
very weak attacks against him--the gain from the Auto-Potion may heal him more 
than you hurt him for!  (The ability isn't always activated, though.  And Auto-
Potion also can't protect him whenever you land the killing blow.  Again, as 
you soon as you knock down Argath, the fight--and the chapter--ends.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


%%%CHAPTER II: THE MANIPULATIVE & THE SUBSERVIENT%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bs2

--Battle 10: Dorter--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Gaffgarion [guest], Agrias [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Black Mage (male) x2, Archer (female) x2, Thief (male) x2
There's no boss here, so you'll have to wipe out every enemy on the map to win.
If you've got good jobs, though, this battle should be no problem.  Just move 
up the path and take out the enemies as you go.  The Black Mages and Archers
do the most damage, so when you've got a choice, go after them before the
Thieves.

Agrias has a nasty habit of casting spells indiscriminatly on your own people, 
thanks to the goofy Guest AI.  You can either de-equip her spells from the menu 
beforehand, or pay attention to which she enemy she is targeting and stay 
clear.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 1000 gil, Flame Rod, Mage Masher, Phoenix Down


--Battle 11: Araguay Woods--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Gaffgarion [guest], Agrias [guest], Boco [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Goblin x5, Black Goblin x1

If you choose the second option before the battle, you must keep Boco from
being KOed.  Fortunately, this isn't hard.  Boco will usually retreat into a 
corner, where will be chased by the lone Black Goblin.  Boco can take care of 
himself just fine, so don't bother going after the Black Goblin unless you've 
mopped up all the other enemies.

The Goblins aren't very strong, especially with Agrias's and Gaffgarion's help, 
so I recommend just rushing them.  Stay out of the ditches.  

BATTLE TROPHIES: Hi-Potion


--Battle 12: Zeirchele Falls--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Agrias [guest], Delita [guest], Ovelia [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Gaffgarion [Fell Knight; Virgo], Knight (male) x5

First, take out Gafgarion.  If you turned him into a crummy job before the 
battle and stripped off his armor (heh heh), you should be able to KO him in 
one hit.

The mission here is to protect Ovelia, which means you can't let her get KOed.  
She isn't in too much danger, though, since she can cast Aegis, which puts a 
whole lot of good defensive buffs on her.  She only has enough MP to cast this 
once, though, and it wears off after a few turns.  Just to be on the safe side, 
keep a healer reasonably close to her.

Start off by taking out the Knights on your side of the falls.  One of the 
Knights from the far side will probably try to cross over, so position an 
Archer (assuming you have one) on the corner of the cliff and shoot down at the
guy.  Agrias tends to loiter in the water and may finish him off; if not, send 
a character or two down after him.

A great trick here is to KO one of the enemy Knights while he's standing on the 
bridge.  Until he decomposes into a chest/crystal, his body will completely 
block the other Knights from crossing the bridge.  Since the Knights have NO 
ranged attacks, you can use this as a chance to shoot at them from afar.

If any of the Knights drops to critical HP, he may try to flee up the cliffs on 
the side of the falls.  You'll have to chase after him, so it may be useful to 
bring a character with a good Move range to this battle.  (Battle Shoes and
Move+1 or +2 will increase your Move range.)

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 13: Zaland--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Agrias [guest], Mustadio [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x2, Black Mage (male) x2, Archer (female) x2

This is a toughie.  If you chose the second option before the battle, you'll
have to keep Mustadio alive; otherwise, you can let him get KOed without
losing the battle.  (Of course, choosing the second option also gives you a
greater boost to your Bravery.)

When deploying your character, deploy them in the "front" row (i.e., the row
where Ramza is already standing).  This starts them closer to the gate and
allows them to get into the city faster.

The enemy is holed up inside Zaland and launches arrows and powerful Black 
Magick at you through (and over) the wall.  Any melee characters you have will 
need to rush for the gates.  In the mean time, your Archers and mages can fire 
back with their own ranged attacks.  Equip the Archer's Bane reaction ability
on any character who has it, as it will help protect you against the enemy
arrows.

Mustadio will initially do one of our things.  Most likely, he'll run up on the
top of the gate and attack with his gun from them.  This is the "good" outcome
since it keeps relatively him out of harm's way.  But sometimes he'll stay on 
the ground inside the city, which is bad news, as all the enemies will pick on 
him and it's hard to reach for him healing.  In this case, your best option is 
to cast Shell on him to reduce the magick damage he takes.  Note that you 
can't throw items through the wall, but you CAN cast White Magick through it, 
so you're probably better off with a White Mage for healing here.

If you've been using Ramza mostly for close-range attacks, he may not be much
help here.  On his first turn, have him use Tailwind on one of your Archers or 
Black Mages to boost their speed and get them more turns.  Then start him 
running  towards the gate so he can get into the city and use melee attacks.

Make the Mages your first target, since their magick attacks are so strong.
Use Black Magick, bows, and the Black Chocobo (if you brought one) to take them
out as quickly as possible.  Until the Mages go down, keep your characters
spread out so enemy magicks can't hit more than one of your characters at a
time.  After the Mages go down, go after the Archers, then the Knights.

Mustadio's initial abilities seem to be randomly determined, but if he happens
to start with Beastmaster, land the Black Chocobo next to him.  Mustadio's
Beastmaster skill will allow the Black Chocobo to cast Choco Meteor, a really 
strong attack.  (You can tell what abilities Mustadio has equipped by clicking 
on his tile.)

Mustadio also uses his Aimed Shot abilities to put status conditions on the 
enemies.  Immobilize (from Leg Shot) will keep an enemy from moving for a few
turns, and Disable (from Arm Shot) will keep an enemy from taking action.  If
a bad guy gets hit with Disable, don't bother targeting them any further,
since they can't do anything to hurt you for a few turns.  A Knight that's been
Immobilized is also a low-priority target since he can't move to attack you as
long as you stay out of the tiles directly next to him.  (The Black Mages and 
Archers can still shoot even if they're Immobilized, though!)

As for the Knights, they'll probably try to climb over the wall on the side of
the map opposite the gate into the city.  Agrias will attack them, but she 
can't take them out her own, so help her out with your ranged attacks.

The Knights may also use Phoenix Downs to revive any Mages and Archers you KO.
Characters revived with Phoenix Down comes back with only a little HP, though, 
so you should be able to knock them back out again with just a single attack.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 2000 gil, Mythril Sword, Hi-Potion


--Battle 14: Balias Tor--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Agrias [guest], Mustadio [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x2, Archer (female) x2, Summoner (female) x2
This battle can be harder than it looks.  The enemy squad has Summoners for
the first time (one positioned on each side of the hill), and their summon 
spells can do big damage to your team.

On the first turn, Mustadio will probably chase after one of the Summoners.  
Send a fast and/or magic-using character around the opposite side of the hill 
to take out the other Summoner.  The Summoners don't have much HP, so you
should be able to finish them off in a couple turns.  Meanwhile, have the rest 
of your squad attack the center of the hill.  If you can attack the enemies 
quickly, the Summoners  may squander their turns casting Moogle for healing 
instead of using damaging summons on you.

You're not *required* to keep Mustadio alive in this battle -- if he gets KOed, 
you won't lose the battle -- but it's a good idea to keep him standing, as his 
gun is quite helpful.  As in Zaland, don't waste your turns attacking enemies
that Mustadio has Immobilized or Disabled.

A cool trick here is to use the Squire ability Rush to knock the Knights and
Archers off the hill.  They'll take damage if they fall too far, and you'll put 
them out of range of attacking you.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 1000 gil, Holy Water


--Battle 15: Tchigolith Fenlands--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Mustadio [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Skeleton x2, Bonesnatch x1, Ghoul x2, Floating Eye or Malboro x1

The last member of the enemy forces is randomly determined; it's usually a
Floating Eye, but sometimes you'll get a Malboro instead.

Randomness aside, this is a fairly normal battle with a few quirks.  First, if 
you end your turn in the swamp, you get poisoned.  (Simply passing through the 
swamp as part of a move won't poison you as long as you end the move on dry 
land.)  This isn't that bad, but if you have a choice, stand on land.  And be
sure not to end your turn in any water where the Depth is displayed as 2 -- if 
you stop here, you won't be able to take any actions, as you're up to your head
in water.  (The Ninja ability Waterwalking would prevent this, in the unlikely
event you have it already.) 

Second, almost all the enemies (everyone except the Malboro or Floating Eye) 
are undead -- that means you can use heal spells and items to damage them.  
It's quite effective.  If you've had a chance to learn Mustadio's Seal Evil 
ability, he may also use that to turn the undead monsters to turn them to 
stone.  Other than those two exceptions, there's nothing here you haven't seen 
before.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 16: Goug Lowtown--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Mustadio [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Archer (female) x2, Thief (male) x2, Summoner (male) x2

The enemy Archers in this battle have a huge range and it's hard to stay
out of range completely.  So, don't deploy any character who has really low HP
as you probably won't be able to protect him/her/it completely.  Equipping the 
Archer's Bane reaction ability will help you a lot, if you have it available.

Mustadio will be almost invariably killed at the start of the battle -- he has 
no equipment and starts right next to the enemies.  Don't worry about him.  
He's still a Guest so he can't die permanently yet.

Move your guys up onto the roof.  Use ranged attacks to take out the Summoners.
Note that both Summoners are one side of the enemy roof and both Archers on
the other.  If you stick towards the side of the map with the Summoners, it may
keep the Archers from shooting at you for a turn or two.

Kill any unit that moves onto your roof; Thieves first, Archers second.  Early
in the battle, don't chase enemies over to the other roof, or you'll get
surrounded.  Just fire ranged attacks at them.  (Later, once there are only a
couple enemies left, it's safe to jump across.)  Your highest priority is to 
keep your guys healed, not to hit the enemy.  Useful abilities here are Chakra, 
Counter, Firaga/Blizzaga/Thundaga, and Archer's Bane.  Bows and guns are useful
for their ranged attacks.

When the Summoners start charging a spell, use the Turn List to check what it
is.  If it's just Moogle, you're fine, as that only heals them a little.  But
if they start casting anything else, it's an attack spell.  Try to quickly
take out the Summoner before he can finish the spell, or spread your characters
out to minimize the hurt.  Summon magick does a lot of damage!

If the battle drags on for a while, the Summoners may run out of MP.  In this
case, you can pretty much ignore them completely as they can't really harm you
at all.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 100 gil, Thunder Rod


--Battle 17: Balias Swale--
YOUR FORCES: 
  1st Squad - Ramza, Agrias [guest], 2 others
  2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: 
  1st Squad - Knight (male) x2, Black Mage (male) x1, Archer (female) x1
  2nd Squad - Black Mage (male) x1, Archer (female) x 2

Kill the Black Mages first (using range attacks if you have them), then the 
Archers.  This fight is really easy; just make sure Agrias stays alive.  
Because it's so easy, it's a good time to let the enemies' counters run out and 
pick up the loot they leave behind.  (Paralyze Agrias or use Mustadio's Arm or
Leg Shot on her to keep her from finishing off the last enemy.)

The archer in the second squad has a Poison Bow crossbow you could steal, 
although it's not too special and you'll be able to buy it soon enough anyway.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Echo Herbs


--Battle 18: Golgollada Gallows--
YOUR FORCES:
  1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
  2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Gaffgarion [Fell Knight; Virgo], Knight (male) x3,
   Archer (female) x2, Time Mage (female) x2

Deploy at least one strong fighter in the second squad (Agrias is good).  For
the rest of your team, anyone with a ranged attack is really useful (bows, 
guns, or Black Magick), and Monks and Geomancers can be good too.
 
Note that although Gaffgarion seems like a boss character, KOing him will NOT 
end this battle.  You need to take out all the enemies!

You're surrounded by enemies.  What you need to do to gain the advantage is 
start climbing up the side of the gate, near where the first squad starts.  
Move immediately for the scaffolding, though as move, you can continue to use 
your attacks to disable the enemy forces.

Because there are so many enemies here and they all start close to you, you
need to limit the number of enemies who can functionally attack you at once.  
Abilities that are good for this are Mustadio's Arm Shot, Agrias's Judgment
Blade (which sometimes causes Stop), and the Geomancer's Tanglevine (which
also causes Stop and almost always works).  Leg Shot is also useful against the 
Knights, but not against the other characters, since they can all attack from a
distance.

Once you start getting up on the scaffolding and gate, you can start attacking.
Go after those pesky Archers first.  You can use bows, guns, Black Magick, and
Agrias's Holy Sword to attack from a distance.  These attacks all have an
infinite vertical range, so you can use them all the way from atop of the gate 
or on the scaffolding.  Once you have the height advantage, it's a lot harder 
for the enemy Knights and Archers to hit you, and you can fight them a few at a 
time.

You'll be taking a lot of hits, so a good way to heal yourself is to not have 
your healer move once he or she is in position on the scaffolding -- this lets 
him/her get more turns.  Throw Items has a really good vertical range, so even 
if you're positioned up on top of the gate, you can throw items down to 
characters still climbing up.

Gaffgarion is the most dangerous enemy here; not only does his Shadowblade do
good damage to you, it drains HP back to him.  If you have a really powerful 
magick spell (like Firaja or Holy or something), you can try using that to take
him out in one shot.  Or, if you use Steal Weapon or Rend Weapon to disable
his Blood Sword, you can disable all his sword techniques (*and* net you a 
Blood Sword if you steal it!).  Otherwise, you'll just have to knock him down
bit by bit.  Take out the Archers first and then start hammering on him with
your whole team, since you need to damage him faster than he can heal himself.  
He has Counter; attacking from a distance (if you can) is one way to get around
this, but you can also just hit him with Arm Shot.  If he's Disabled, he can't
use his Counter.  You needn't take away *all* his HP; as soon as he gets to 
critical status, he'll teleport away.

The Time Mages are your lowest priority here.  Even though they don't have much
HP, taking them out is just a waste of turns as they can't do all that much to
harm you.  About all they do is cast Slow, and if you brought Diamond
Bracelets from Warjilis, you're immune to that.  So attack the Time Mages last.

Using Ramza's Tailwind to increase the speed of your most crucial characters.
If your archers or gunners have a spare turn, you can also have them try using
Focus to build up their attack power.

If you just can't win, try fighting some battles in Balias Swale to get some 
better abilities like Arise, Equip Heavy Armor, Auto-Potion, Chakra (which I 
would strongly advise you to acquire by now), etc.

If you deploy Agrias in this battle, there will be some extra dialogue between
her and Ramza when she finds out he's a Beoulve.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 19: Lionel Castle Gate--
YOUR FORCES:
  1st Squad - Ramza
  2nd Squad - 4 others
ENEMY FORCES:
  1st Squad - Gaffgarion [Fell Knight; Virgo]
  2nd Squad - Knight (female) x3, Archer (male) x2, Summoner (male) x1

When deploying your second squad, any characters that you want in the front row
(e.g. melee fighters) should be placed in the back of the three rows (i.e., the
top-right) on the deployment screen.  You'll be attacked from behind, so these 
characters will actually end up closest to the enemy.  Meanwhile, ranged 
attackers and magick users should go towards the bottom-left of the deployment 
screen so they'll end up behind your fighters.

Ramza starts trapped inside the gate with Gaffgarion, while the rest of your
characters have another set of enemies to fight outside.  There are a couple
different strategies you can use to deal with Gaffgarion:
1. The simplest strategy is to move down Ramza to the ground and have him use 
   Chakra on every turn to heal the damage Gaff is doing.  (If Ramza doesn't 
   have Chakra, Hi-Potions should work too, as long as you have enough of 
   them.)  Stay close to Gaffgarion so he won't try to go anywhere else  Don't 
   attack Gaffgarion or open the gate; just sit there and use Chakra.  This 
   lets you stall Gaffgarion while your other characters defeat the enemies 
   outside.
2. If Ramza has the Time Mage ability Teleport or the Dragoon ability Ignore 
   Elevation, you can use one of those to move him outside of the gate and 
   strand Gaffgarion inside.
3. Finally, if one of your other characters has strong Black Magicks (e.g. a
   -ja or a -ga spell coupled with Arcane Strength), deploy him/her outside the 
   gate.  Use Ramza to lure Gaffgarion near the gate, and then have the Black 
   Mage use magick on Gaffgarion (since Black Magicks can go through walls) to
   KO him.  It doesn't matter if the spell KOs Ramza as long as you KO Gaff
   because KOing Gaffgarion will cause Ramza to recover with 1 HP.  Once you've
   KOed Gaffgarion, you can have Ramza open the gate and join the fight 
   outside.  This strategy has the advantage that it allows Ramza to help fight
   outside and turns Gaffgarion into a crystal that you can use for healing or
   ability learning (sadly, you can't learn his special sword techniques from
   the crystal), but it only works if you have strong Black Magicks.

Meanwhile, your other four characters have to take on the gang outside the 
gate.  The Summoner is the most dangerous enemy here, so try to take him out
immediately or use Mustadio's Arm Shot to Disable him.  If he does start
casting a spell, spread your characters out so he can't blast your whole team.

In general, Arm Shot is a great ability for this fight, as it reduces the
number of enemies that can attack you at once.  (You can also use the Mystic's
Hesitation spell for the same effect.)  Moreover, putting Disable on a
character causes him/her to flee into a corner, which means that it will take
another turn or two to get back into the battle even once Disable wears off.
Note that Disabling a character who's charging up an attack will cancel the 
attack.  This is a good way to stop a Summon or Archer's Aim attack if you've 
got no other options.

For dealing damage, guns are quite helpful as they can allow you to attack
without having to Move.  Remember that if you don't move during a turn, your
next turn will come more quickly, which helps a lot when you're surrounded by
lots of enemies!  Agrias's sword techniques are also great for damage-dealing,
and her Northswain's Strike ability (if you have it) has a chance of taking out
an enemy outright.  Also, when enemies are bunched together, use Black Magick, 
Summon spells or Agrias's Judgment Blade to hit more than one enemy at a time.  
Once you've mopped up most of the enemies outside the gate, move Ramza up to 
the switch on the left side of the gate and he will open the door.

Now, have your whole gang rush inside and attack Gaffgarion.  Try to rend his 
sword, or even better, steal it.  Again, using Arm Shot to Disable him is quite 
useful, as it not only prevents from attacking you, but turns off his 
counterattack and prevents him from blocking with his shield.  He shouldn't be 
too much trouble -- the hard part is the fight outside the gate.  But, be 
careful not to let him pick up any crystallized enemies; he can use the 
crystals to restore all his HP just like you can!  Either pick up the crystals 
as soon as they appear, or position your characters to block his route to the 
crystals.  You do have to take away ALL his HP this time instead of just
reducing him to crtical, but once you do, he's finally gone for good.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 700 gil, Mythril Helm


--Battle 20: Zeirchele Falls--
YOUR FORCES: Delita, Ovelia [guest]
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x1, Archer (male) x1, Black Mage (female) x1

Delita is your only controllable character here.  Ovelia is a guest.  As
before, she'll probably just cast Aegis and run.  But now that she has more MP, 
she can also cast Aegis on Delita on her second turn instead of only casting
it on herself.

Move Delita across the bridge and start attacking the enemy forces.  He has all
of the Holy Sword techniques, so use them -- with Hallowed Bolt and Judgment
Blade, you can probably hit more than enemy at once.  Since there are only 
three enemies and none of them are that strong, you should be able to defeat 
them without much trouble.  Really, this battle is quite easy; the main purpose
of it is just to give you a chance to play as Delita :)

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 21: Lionel Castle Oratory--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Cuchulainn [The Impure; Scorpio]

This battle can be tricky because Cuchulainn casts a variety of status attacks 
from a distance while running from you--plus, he gets the first turn!  You'll 
find him easier to beat if you can trap him so he can't move.

To get the jump on Cuchulainn, deploy your 4 teammates as follows:
  __
 XX
    
        X = character other than Ramza
    XX
     ---
Ramza can be placed on any other tile because he'll automatically move
forward during the pre-battle story events.

If you place your characters in this formation, Cuchulainn will have to come
down the stairs on his first turn to start casting his magick.  Now you can
rush him and attack.  If you can surround him, he won't be able to flee out of
range.  If you can't get within striking distance on a particular character's
turn, at least position him/her on the stairs to keep him from climbing back
up.  You could also use Leg Shot to Immobilize him, but since you can surround
him pretty well this tactic anyway, it's just kind of a wasted turn.  (He's 
immune to Disable, so don't bother trying Arm Shot.)

As noted above, Cuchulainn's attacks consist primarily of status-attack magick.
(Occasionally, he'll use a physical attack instead.)  His Nightmare spell will
inflict Sleep or Doom on a group of characters and has a 100% hit rate, and his 
Bio magicks do damage and inflict various other status ailments.  Use the Esuna 
magick or the Monk's Purification ability to wake up the sleeping characters if 
you have either available; otherwise, try using weak physical attacks (e.g. 
Stone) to wake them up.  Doom will cause your character to KO when the 
countdown finishes.  There's pretty no way to remove it, so just revive the 
characters after they're KOed.  (Striking a character with the White Staff 
*may* remove the Doom status, but it doesn't always work and isn't worth 
forfeiting a stronger weapon for.)  Other status ailments can be cured with
Purification, Esuna, or the appropriate items if you happen to have them. 

Try to keep your support characters spread out so they can't all be hit with
Cuchulainn's magick at once.  Since both the Sleep and Doom effects of 
Nightmare can be prevented with Protect Rings, you might be tempted to equip
those.  However, if you equip Protect Rings, Cuchulainn will just cast Bio 
spells more.  Since the Bio spells are usually more dangerous than Nightmare,
you're better off without Protect Rings!

Good attacks to use against Cuchulainn include physical attacks and Agrias's 
sword techniques.  Guns and bows are also good, particularly if you trap him
down on your level.  (If he escapes to the top of the map, guns will be less
useful because there are usually too many obstacles to get a clear line of 
fire.)  The Monk's Aurablast may also be helpful in hitting him before you have 
a chance to trap him.  Magick may be somewhat less useful here since it will
probably hit your allies too and you may be halted with a status effect before 
you can get the spell off anyway.  However, if you happen to have the Lich 
summon spell already or the Time Mage's Graviga, these will do a lot of damage
-- they both do damage equal to half the target's max HP, regardless of
how high that max may be!  (Even Gravity, which does damage equal to 1/4 of
max HP, can be useful.)  In general, a good mix of close range fighters and 
gun/bow users is probably best, and be sure to bring one or two characters who 
can use Phoenix Downs!  And since Cuchulainn is a Scorpio, any Cancer or Pisces 
characters you might have (including Agrias) will do particular damage to him.

Cuchulainn has between 450 and 500 HP.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None

%%%CHAPTER III: THE VALIANT%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bs3

--Battle 22: Gollund--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Orran [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Chemist (male) x2, Thief (female) x3, Orator (male) x1

The battlefield here is covered in snow, which restricts your movement.  And
top of that, the buildings are steep.  So, you'll want to deploy characters
with a good Jump or Move range, or equip accessories to boost it.  Because you
start on the bottom and the enemy is on rooftops above you, guns and bows are 
not too effective here (you can't hit the enemy from below).  Instead, try
bringing Black Magick or the Dragoon's Jump attack.  Finally, the enemy has 
three Thieves that like to steal your equipment, so you may want to protect 
your investments by equipping the Safeguard ability, which prevents steals.  

Orran possess the Celestial Stasis spell, which will Disable, Stop, or 
Immobilize at least half the enemy forces every time he casts it.  However, 
he's still vulnerable until he gets this spell off, and the enemy Chemists can
hit him from a distance with their guns.  So, keep an eye on his HP.

From where you start the battle, move a healer character and another character
to the right and up the low steps.  These characters will be in a good position
to heal Orran (with White Magick or Throw Items) if he needs it.  You can also
cast Protect him on if he's relatively healthy to boost his defense.  The rest
of your squad can go around the other side of the building to start fighting
the enemies there.  The enemies will probably be no match for your forces; the
key is just to keep Orran from getting killed, since if he's KOed, you lose the
battled.

This battle is also a great opportunity to do some stealing!  Both Chemists are
carrying Mythril Guns, which are 2 attack points stronger than the Romandan
Pistols you're toting.  These are the best prize to steal.  Additionally, you
can grab an Orichalcum Dirk (a good dagger) and Germinas Boots (boots that 
boost both your move *and* jump) from the Orator.  The Thieves may also carry
Jujitsu Gis and Main Gauche, although Main Gauches aren't as strong as the
Orichalcum Dirk.  Especially later in the battle, when Orran may have paralyzed
lots of enemies, try to steal some of their gear if their can!

Orran's Counter Tackle will knock enemies off the roofs for extra damage, and 
you can try this yourself with Rush.  The Orator tends to stay on the highest
roof and may be tough to reach, but you should be able to jump up there using 
the "steps" on the right side of the roof.  At that point, you can attack him
while on the roof or Rush him off the roof so your entire crew can attack him.
Or, just use Black Magick to attack from below.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 1500 gil, Battle Folio


--Battle 23: Lesalia Castle Postern--
YOUR FORCES:
  1st Squad - Ramza, Alma [guest], 2 others
  2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Zalmour [Celebrant; Sagittarius], Knight (male) x3,
   Monk (female) x2

If you didn't spot the rest of your team right away, they're behind the gate.
Since none of the enemies here have much in the way of range attacks (just some
weak Geomancy spells), you needn't rush down to attack them.  Instead, keep 
your characters up on top of the castle and let the enemies come up to you.
The majority of them will come up the stairs, so position the bulk of your team
there.  Because the enemies are often in clusters, magick (and geomancy) works 
well on them.  The railing blocks direct gun shots down onto the ground, but
if you move up on top of the railing, you should be able to shoot from there.
Standing on the railing also gives you a height advantage and makes it harder
for the enemies to hit you.

Alma will probably cast Aegis on Ramza once, which will make him super-powered
for a few turns.  (Shell and Protect will reduce the damage he takes, Regen
heals him, and Haste gets him more turns!)  Take advantage of that!  After
that, she'll just thwack your characters with her Healing Staff to restore
their HP.

The annoying part of this battle is Zalmour, who can cast Cura and Arise to 
heal his troops.  When you have the chance, start attacking him.  (You may
also want to try stealing his White Robe if you get a chance.)  He'll go down 
quickly, and, as soon as you KO him, you win the battle.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Ether


--Battle 24: Monastery Vaults - Second Level--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Chemist (male) x1, Time Mage (male) x2, Dragoon (male) x3

This is your first encounter with enemy Dragoons.  Their standard attack has
a two-tile range attack and is quite strong, and they can also use the Jump 
attack.  If one of them jumps at a character, try to move that character away 
before the Dragoon lands (assuming you have a chance, that is).  If you cast 
Haste on your characters, you'll get more turns and hence a better chance of
being able to duck out of the way.

Since the Dragoons are so strong physically, you'll probably want to bring some 
tough close-range fighters to fight back with.  The Dragoons have a high evade
rate, so equipping the Concentration ability (Archer) on any characters that
have it is a good idea, as it ensures that your attacks never miss.  Also, if 
your fighters have Fire Shields or Ice Shields equipped, remember that casting 
a fire or blizzard spell on the group will both damage the enemy Dragoons and
heal any characters with the appropriate shield -- it's good for close-quarters
fighting!

Take out the enemy Chemist so he can't heal the enemies, but save the Time 
Mages for last.  Pretty much all they'll do is cast Haste.  If you have the
chance, though, position one of your characters next to the character getting
the Haste, as this allows you to 

BATTLE TROPHIES: Battle Folio


--Battle 25: Monastery Vaults - Third Level--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Isilud [Nightblade; Gemini], Knight (male) x2, Archer (male) x2,
   Summoner (male) x1

Your first order of business in this maze-like level is to send one or two
characters down the hall to kill the Summoner -- used ranged attacks to take
him out quickly before he can hit you with any Summoners.  After the Summoner, 
go after the archer that will have come up behind him.

At this time Isilud and his gang will be nearing you from behind.  You'll want
to get up on top of the bookshelves to fight him on the same level.  If you 
have a Jump statistic of at least 5 (you can increase with the Spiked Boots or 
Germinas Boots), you can jump directly on top of the shelves; otherwise, you'll 
have to use the stairs in the corner.  The stairs can get a little crowded, so 
being able to jump up is helpful.

Watch out; Isilud has the Dragoon's Jump attack and an incredibly long jump 
range.  Haste is useful to avoid it.  His plain sword attack is strong too, and 
he can also counterattack.  He also has Safeguard, so you can't steal or break 
his sword or other equipment.  Just ignore the other guys and attack Isilud.
The Mythril Gun and Agrias's Holy Sword techniques are both quite effective 
here, and you can also use your own Jump attacks if you've got a Dragoon.
When Isilud drops to critical HP, he'll teleport away and you win.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Guardian Bracelet


--Battle 26: Monastery Vaults - First Level--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Wiegraf [White Knight; Virgo], Knight (female) x2,
   Archer (female) x2, Black Mage (female) x1

Spread your characters out in your initial deployment since Wiegraf is almost
guaranteed to hit your group with a Judgment Blade before you have a chance to 
move.

The tall wall divides this level into two halves -- the half where you start
and the half where the bad guys start, with a small doorway in the middle.  But 
Wiegraf will come running through to your side right away.  Just go after 
Wiegraf; most of his followers are irrelevant, as they probably won't even 
reach you before Wiegraf goes down. The Archers can shoot through the doorway
from the other side, though, so Archer's Bane may be helpful.

As before, Wiegraf will use Judgment Blade a lot.  Judgment Blade also randomly 
casts Stop on you sometimes, but you protect yourself from that by equipping 
Jade Armlets.  (The armlets won't stop you from taking HP damage from Judgment 
Blade, though.)  Focus your attacks on Wiegraf.  If you can't kill him in two 
or so rounds, the other enemies will show up and you're in trouble.  Wiegraf 
must be knocked down to 0 HP before you win.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 2500 gil


--Battle 27: Zeklaus Desert--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Luso [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Behemoth x3, Behemoth King x2, Dark Behemoth x1

It's Behemoth city!  When the formation screen appears, deploy all your 
characters towards the upper-left corner of the available purple tiles.  This
will start your characters as close to Luso as possible.

Luso can hold his own pretty well -- he comes with an Icebrand sword, which is 
better than anything sold in stores at this point.  Still, if he gets 
surrounded by Behemoths, he'll get killed and you'll lose the battle, so move a 
healer into position ASAP.  (Casting the Protect spell on him or your other 
characters is also a good idea, as the Behemoths only use physical attacks.)  
If you move some other fighters down into the canyon with the Behemoths, you'll 
keep them from ganging up on any one particular character.  Remember that all 
the Behemoths, being monsters, can counterattack, so Luso can take damage
pretty quickly fighting against them.  (Fortunately, he's smart enough to
flee if his HP drops to critical, but even if it's not yet critical, a series 
of behemoth attacks could take him out before he has a chance to move!)

Try to take out a few of the purple "regular" Behemoths quickly, before the
Behemoth Kings and Dark Behemoth have a chance to make it over to you.  Those
are lot stronger and will take several attacks to kill.  Agrias's Holy Sword
techniques are good for taking out the monsters and can't be counterattacked.

If you have an Orator or someone else with Speechcraft and Beast Tongue, it's
definitely worth trying to recruit some of the monsters here.  If you can turn
one Traitor and keep it alive through the battle, it'll join your squad.  None
of these monsters are ones you could otherwise recruit at this point in the
game, and the Behemoth King and Dark Behemoth are particularly rare.  If you
get any of them, you can use them to breed more behemoths and poach them for
rare items!  (Or, Luso automatically poaches any enemy he kills, so he if kills 
any of the behemoths here, you should also get something good.)

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 28: Grogh Heights--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Squire (male) x2, Chemist (male) x2, Archer (male) x1,
    Thief (female) x1

This is a fairly straightforward battle.  The main challenges are the Thief, 
who of course can steal your gear, and the Chemists, who both have guns and a 
humongous range from their vantage point atop the heights.  You'll want to
target the Chemists first.  Fire back with your own guns, or have Mustadio use
his Arm Shot from a distance to Disable them.

The small passes between the cliffs can be a bit of a choke point as you try to
climb up.  If you boost your Jump height with accessories and agile jobs, that
will help you scale the heights quickly.  On the other hand, if the enemies
do get bunched up in a row in a pass, firing one of Agrias's Divine Ruination 
skills (if you have it) will decimate them.

Because this is a fairly easy battle, it's a good chance to build up your 
weaker characters if you want.  I suppose you could also try letting the 
enemies decay into crystals or chests, but these guys don't really have much 
worth taking.  (Hey, they're deserters, what do you expect?)

BATTLE TROPHIES: Mythril Gun


--Battle 29: Yardrow--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Rapha [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Marach [Netherseer; Gemini], Summoner (female) x2,
   Ninja (male) x3

This is another protect-the-guest battle, so deploy somebody with healing 
abilities or you're toast.  In fact, bringing two might not be a bad idea!

Move a character into the gateway to block it prevent the enemies from going 
after Rapha.  At the start of the battle, one of the Ninjas will probably give 
himself an unfair height advantage by climbing up on the roof and throwing 
weapons at you.  Use guns or magick to take him out quickly.  You could also
equip the Thief ability Sticky Fingers, which will let you catch whatever the
ninja throws at you, but it's probably not worth giving up your regular 
Reaction Ability for.

The Ninjas here can hit really hard since they get two attacks.  Make them your 
first target, and stay out of hand-to-hand range when possible.  Even at a 
distance, the Ninjas can still Throw weapons at you, but this attack isn't 
nearly as strong.  As at Grogh Heights, the gate into the city is a bit of a 
choke point, which means it's a great opportunity to fire some Divine 
Ruinations and hit several enemies at once.  

If you've got anybody with an attack that can go through the wall (i.e., magick
or some monster skills), you can try to kill the Summoners that way.  The 
enemies start pretty bunched up inside, so this can be a good way of attacking 
more than one enemy at a time.  Otherwise you'll have to go through the Ninjas 
at the gate.  As usual, watch what areas the Summoners are targeting so you can 
try to keep your team split up and out of the way.

Watch out for Rapha's skills -- they target a 3x3 square of the map and hit
random tiles, making them as likely to hit you as the bad guys.  (Marach's 
skills do the same, which fortunately means he's pretty unlikely to
actually hit you ... and even if they do, they do very little damage.)

Although Marach teleports away when you defeat him, you must defeat ALL the  
enemies to win here.  Since Marach is really the least threatening guy here, 
save him for last.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 2000 gil, Yagyu Darkrood, Holy Water


--Battle 30: Zeltennia Castle--
YOUR FORCES: Delita, Ovelia [guest]
ENEMY FORCES: Ninja (male) x1, Ninja (female) x1

It's just Delita and Ovelia against two Ninjas.  This should be a cinch;
although the Ninjas can hit hard, Delita and Ovelia have enough HP to survive
a few attacks, and one Holy Sword technique should be enough to take out each
ninja.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 31: The Yuguewood--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Rapha [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Black Mage (male, undead) x2, Time Mage (female, undead) x2,
   Ghoul x1, Ghast x1, Revenant x1

Every enemy here is undead, including the humans.  After you KO them, when 
their counter runs out, they may REVIVE instead of turning into a crystal!  
This means that, after you KO the first enemy, you have to hustle to finish off 
the rest before the first ones start reviving again.

Fortunately, there's an easier way.  Just use Mustadio's Seal Evil skill, which 
turns any undead enemy into stone and prevents them from resurrecting :) (plus 
it almost always hits!)  You can also handle the three ghost monsters by
Poaching them; a Poached monster disappears from the map and hence can't be
revived.

Since the enemies are undead, Cure spells and other healing abilities (e.g.
Raise, items, and Chakra) will do quite a bit of damage to them while 
simultaneously healing any nearby allies.  You can even strike them with the 
Healing Staff!  Summon spells also work well, as the enemies are usually packed 
together.  The two Black Mages are your toughest opponents, so take them out 
first.  The Time Mages are a bit of a pain too, since they can cast Slow or 
Immobilize on you.  You can prevent the former by equipping Diamond Bracelets 
and the later by equipping Guardian Bracelets.  For your close-range fighters, 
defense against Immobilize is the most important, but for your gunners and 
magick users, being Immobilized may not be such a problem.  They have enough 
range that they can still attack even if they're rooted in one spot, so you 
might be better off giving them Diamond Bracelets instead.

Rapha is just an "ordinary" guest here, so it doesn't matter if she gets KOed.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Phoenix Down x2


--Battle 32: Riovanes Castle Gate--
YOUR FORCES:
   1st Squad - Ramza, Rapha [guest], 1 other
   2nd Squad - 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Marach [Netherseer; Gemini], Knight (male) x3, Archer (female) x3

Deploy another fast character with Ramza, but make sure both are well-armored.
You'll want the two of them to break through to the enemy back line quickly and
take out the Archers.  The second squad starts further from the battle, but 
they can bring up the rear and keep fighting the Knights.

You'll face a constain rain of arrows from the enemy Archers atop the gates, so
equipping Archer's Bane on as many characters as possible will be a big help.
The Golem summon is also quite helpful if you have it; cast it at the beginning 
of the battle and it will temporarily absorb some of the physical damage you 
receive.  The Mystic ability Defense Boost would also be helpful here, as would 
the Protect spell or the Kiyomori Iaido (which casts Protect).  Equipping 
shields and capes will also boost your evade rate.

Rafa is here as a guest and Marach as an enemy.  If EITHER of them is reduced
to critical HP, they will BOTH teleport away.  You want to be rid of them;
Marach's pole attack is reasonably strong, and he tends to block your route up
to the Archers.  So, a simple strategy is to de-equip all of Rafa's armor 
before the battle and then take her out with one attack.  This will get Marach
out of the way and let you get to the Archers more easily.

Take out the enemy Knight on the bridge to keep him from blocking your path,
then start hurrying up the steps.  You want to get to the enemy Archers as
quickly as possible.  (If you have the Dragoon ability Ignore Elevation, this 
is easy-peasy, of course; you can just jump right up from the drawbridge.)
Spells that you can fire at them from a few tiles away will be helpful.  If you 
have Arithmeticks, that will be helpful as well.  Finally, you could also try
riding a Black Chocobo up to the top of the gate; this strategy would be best
combined with the Golem spell to prevent the Chocobo from being shot to death
by the Archers.

Keep your close-range fighters in the rear so they can fend off the enemy 
Knights as they approach.  Since the enemy Knights have a fairly high evade 
rate, Concentration may also be useful; alternately, you can just attack them 
with Agrias's Holy Sword techniques, as they never miss.  If you keep killing 
off one of the Knights, the other ones may keep bringing him back with Phoenix 
Down, thus wasting their turns.  As long as you stay on level ground, the 
Monk's Revive ability will be useful in bringing back your dead guys.  Once the 
Archers are dead, you can have all your characters mop up the remaining 
Knights.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Elven Cloak, Hi-Potion, X-Potion


--Battle 33: Riovanes Castle Keep--
YOUR FORCES:
   PHASE ONE: Ramza
   PHASE TWO:
      1st Squad - Ramza, 1 other
      2nd Squad - 3 others
ENEMY FORCES:
   PHASE ONE: Wiegraf [White Knight; Virgo]
   PHASE TWO: Belias [Gigas; Virgo], Archaeodaemon x3
Despite his fearsome reputation, Wiegraf really isn't that difficult, if you 
know how to beat him.  For his first form, you have just Ramza.  Make sure he
has the Auto-Potion ability and throw away all your Potions and Hi-Potions,
so that Ramza can use a X-Potion to heal himself whenever Wiegraf attacks
him.  (Auto-Potion doesn't always activate, so if Ramza runs low on HP,
you can also use an X-Potion on yourself to heal.)  Run from Wiegraf and keep 
using the Tailwind ability to boost your speed.  If you can, sucker Wiegraf 
into going into the water and you'll be safe for a turn.  Eventually (after you 
keep using Tailwind), Ramza will get fast enough that he will get two turns in 
a row frequently.  Use these extra turns to get further away from Wiegraf (out 
of the range of his Hallowed Bolt) and keep using Tailwind.  You will reach a 
point where you will not have to use all your moves to get out of Wiegraf's 
range.  Now instead of moving each turn, you can use Tailwind and then "Wait"
to get your next turn faster, allowing you to use Tailwind even more.  Keep 
going until Ramza's speed maxes out at 50.  (You can check it by going to
Status in his menu.)  Then use Focus a few times to build up your attack power.
Now start blasting at Wiegraf with a gun (and keep moving out of range when 
necessary), or use whatever other weapon you have.

After Wiegraf drops to critical HP, he will disappear, only to return shortly 
as Belias.  Yup, it's not over yet.  Your other characters will now show up, 
but Wiegraf summons three Archaeodaemons.  On his first turn, Belias will
start charging up a super-powerful Cyclops summon (200+ HP damage), and if
you survive that, he'll hit you with more summons.  The trick here is that all 
the speed and attack power bonuses from the first phase of the battle persist, 
so Ramza can stand still and shoot away (or run up and attack if he has a
close-range weapon).  You should be able to kill Belias before he gets to cast 
Cyclops.  If not, have your other guys start attacking Belias if they can get
close enough or have range attacks (bows/guns), or using Jump if they can't
get in range for a regular attack.  Agrias should use her Hallowed Bolt sword
technique, which has a chance of inflicting Silence on Belias and keeping
him from casting his summons (unfortunately, you usually *don't* get this 
Silence effect).  You may still be able to beat Belias even if Ramza doesn't 
take him down.  Again, the Lich summon spell or the Time Magick Graviga do a 
lot of damage to Belias, if you can get them off.  He has about 1100 HP and as 
soon as you defeat him, the Archaeodaemons also disappear.

This is, of course, the most extreme strategy for fighting Wiegraf/Belias.
If Ramza is pretty strong, you can take out Belias with fewer moves and 
certainly don't need to spend as much time boosting yourself during the 
first round.  A sufficiently strong Ramza (say, as a Ninja with Brawler
and a Bracer equipped) attacking Wiegraf and Belias from behind could even
do enough damage to punch out both of them without needing any boosts at all.
The Jump attack can also be effective if Ramza has a high speed.  But if you're 
having trouble, the gun/Auto-Potion/Tailwind strategy almost assures you of 
victory.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 34: Riovanes Castle Roof--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Rapha [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Elmdore [Ark Knight; Gemini], Celia [Assassin; Virgo],
   Lettie [Assassin; Sagittarius]

This battle is always really short: either you win fast or you lose fast!  All
you have to do to win is reduce any one of the enemies to critical HP to win.
Problem is, Rapha loves to make suicide ruins at the bad guys, and if she gets
KOed, you lose.

Ramza always starts in a fixed location, regardless of where you place him
on the deployment screen.  Deploy your other characters towards the top of the
deployment screen -- this will start them closer to the battle.

If Ramza is fast enough (e.g. Ninja + Green Beret + Hermes Shoes), he can
move first and immediately rush to attack either Celia or Lettie, and you 
should be fine.  (Elmdore is not a good target; he can use First Strike to
turn your attack into one of his own.)  If Ramza isn't this quick, it's 
entirely possible that Rapha will be killed before you ever get to move.  When 
you do finally get a chance to move, HEAL RAPHA.  Putting Disarm on Rapha (via 
Mustadio's Arm Shot) as soon as you can will guarantee that she will flee the
battle and try to stay out of harm's way.  You can also try casting a Cure 
spell on an empty square within Rapha's move range.  Rapha will move to the 
square to receive the spell and thus you can lure her away from the Assassins.
Send as many characters up to the roof as you can; if nothing else, they can 
serve as decoys to draw attacks away from Rapha.

Celia and Lettie use ridiculous Subdual Arts abilities on you that have a
100% chance of either casting Stop on you or dealing an Instant KO.  You can
guard against the former by equipping Jade Armlets and the latter with
Jujitsu Gis or Chameleon Robes.  Alma's Barette, if equipped on a female
character, will also protect against both Stop *and* KO.

Concentrate all your attacks on a single character, since as soon as any one of 
them drops to critical HP, you win.  If any of your own characters get KOed,
don't bother trying to revive them; you're better off continuing to attack and
ending the battle quickly.  Luck plays a big role here, especially if you're 
not fast enough to get the first move.

If you deploy Luso in his Game Hunter job, he can learn Ultima should Celia or 
Lettie cast it on him.  (Ramza can't learn it until Chapter IV, but if you have 
Luso learn it here, he can cast it on Ramza once you reach Chapter IV to teach 
it to Ramza.)  If you're fully equipped with Jujitsu Gis and Jade Armlets 
(preventing Celia and Lettie from using their Stop or KO attacks on you), they 
will almost always cast Ultima on their turns.  Move Luso in range of whomever 
they target to make sure he gets hit with the spell.  It's not easy to learn 
here since Rapha is so vulnerable, so you're probably better off skipping it--
you'll have another, easier opportunity to learn it in Chapter IV.

It's also possible to steal the Cachusha accessory from Celia and a Barette
from Lettie.  Neither of these items is sold in stores, but, again, you do
also have other, easier methods for acquiring them, so it's probably not worth
bothering with them here.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


%%%CHAPTER IV: IN THE NAME OF LOVE%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bs4

--Battle 35: Dugeura Pass--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x1, Archer (male) x1, Black Mage (male) x2,
    Dragoon (male) x2

There's not a whole lot to say about this fight, because there's nothing here
you haven't seen before.  Send one or two characters up to the top of the pass 
while your other guys fight the main group of enemies.  The Black Mages are 
probably the most dangerous enemies here since their spells can do a lot of 
damage.  Hit them with Disable, Silence, or just move quickly across the 
battlefield to take them out.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 3000 gil, Diamond Armor


--Battle 36: Bervenia--
YOUR FORCES:
  1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
  2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Meliadoul [Divine Knight; Capricorn], Archer (female) x2, 
    Summoner (female) x2, Ninja (female) x1

An enemy Ninja will immediately move down to attack the second squad.  Deploy a 
reasonably strong fighter in the front line of the second squad so you can take
her out quickly.  (Again, you could also use Sticky Fingers to guard against
the Ninja's initial Throw attack, but it's not really worth a Reaction Ability 
slot as there's only a single Ninja and you can take her out quickly.)  Placing 
your slower characters in the first squad is a good idea as they start closer 
to the bulk of the battle.

In general, Dragoons are quite helpful on this level, since there are steep 
building walls--Jump and Ignore Elevation (if you have it) will let you attack 
enemies at a higher level.  Since there are enemy Archers at the very top
raining arrows down on you, Archer's Bane or shields may be helpful.  
Deploy fast and/or shooting characters in the second squad, and fighters in the 
first squad.

While it's tempting to rush the enemies here, you don't want to scale the city
TOO quickly, or you may get surrounded and cut off from your healing.
Additionally, if you don't go up too fast, you can probably lure Meliadoul
down into the town area.  This is really beneficial for two reasons: it leaves
you clear to jump up and KO the Summoners and Archers, and isolating Meliadoul
will make it easier to attack (and steal from) her.

It's probably a good idea to attack the Summoners first, since their spells can
do a lot of damage.  Be careful about taking out the Summoner on the left side 
of the map, though.  The crate there is needed for less agile characters to
climb up the city ramparts, and if you KO her while she's standing on the box,
it can obstruct the route up, making it slow going for some characters.

Meliadoul uses Crush skills that will shatter your equipment and do quite a
bit of damage.  Equipping the Chemist ability Safeguard will protect against
this (especially important if you've got rare gear you don't want to lose), as
well as rendering you immune to the HP-damaging part of the skills as well!
So, equip this ability on as many character as possible.

Meliadoul also has the Defender knight's sword and Chantage, an accessory that 
gives her a permanent Regen and Reraise.  While you don't have to worry about 
the Reraise, as KOing Meliadoul will end the battle, this is a GREAT accessory
to steal.  The Defender is nice too.  To steal from her, first try increasing
your success by raising your Speed (e.g. with Tailwind) or lowering Meliadoul's 
(with Rend Speed).  The support abilities Concentration or Brawler will also 
improve your chance of stealing, as will targeting her from the side or behind 
or using Arm Shot to Disable her (although both of these are redundant with 
Concentration).  Putting Meliadoul to Sleep with Mimic Darlavon (Orator) or 
Repose (Mystic) will also improve your chances to steal, but be warned -- if 
you steal her weapon when she's asleep, she may still use her Crush skills when 
she wakes up due to an apparent bug in the game.  Finally, since Meliadoul is a 
Capricorn, you'll have better luck stealing with a Taurus, Virgo, or male 
Cancer, and poorer chances stealing withan Aries, Libra, or female Cancer.

It may take a lot of stealing attempts before you succeed, so if you're serious
about stealing, wipe out the other enemies first.  (The Chantage is worth the 
effort!)  If you're planning on stealing both the Defender and Chantage, swipe 
the Defender first as this reduces her attack power and prevents her from using 
her Crush skills (unless you steal it while she's asleep).

If you don't care to steal, or once you've gotten the goods, you can just
rush Meliadoul.  Spread your characters out to avoid taking too much damage 
from the summon spells.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Jade Armlet, Remedy x2


--Battle 37: Finnath Creek--
YOUR FORCES:
  1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
  2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Random chocobos and pigs

When deploying characters, don't put anybody on the solitary square in the 
second squad; it's in the middle of the water.

On this level, you'll face a random assortment of chocobos and possibly some
Pigs.  You may want to bring an Orator because if a Pig shows up, it's 
definitely worth recruiting.  Although it's no good in a battle, you can use it
to breed the various pig-class monsters, all of which can be poached for great
items.

This battle can be annoying because the regular yellow Chocobos will keep using
Choco Cure to heal themselves.  One strategy is to just use attacks that will
defeat the Chocobos outright by turning them to stone or instantly KOing them
-- then it doesn't matter how much HP they have!  If you have Beowulf, his
Break attacks works great; you could use the Black Mage's Death or the Mystic's
Induration.  Agrias's Northswain's Strike occasionally does an instant KO too,
but fairly infrequently.

If you don't have any petrification or instant-KO attacks, the best strategy is 
to concentrate on one Chocobo at a time.  Since the Red Chocobos will bombard 
you with Choco Meteor for fairly big damage, you'll probably want to kill them 
first.  (Red Chocobos also make good targets for poaching; you may receive a 
Barette from them.)

As annoying as the Choco Cures can be, this level still shouldn't be too 
difficult.  The Ninja ability Waterwalking, the Feather Boots, and the Time 
Mage ability Levitate will all make it easier to navigate the watery terrain 
here.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 38: Outlying Church--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Delita [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Zalmour [Celebrant; Sagittarius], Knight (male) x3,
   Mystic (male) x2

Delita teams up with Ramza as a guest in this battle.  Without him, this might
be a tough battle, but with him, it's a pushover, since his Holy Sword
techniques are even stronger than Agrias's.  Just be sure not to stand between 
Delita and the enemies or YOU'LL get hit too when he uses Divine Ruination!

Zalmour stands atop the church and uses Curaga to heal his followers.  A nice
trick is to stand next to the guys that Zalmour is going to cast Curaga on (you
can find out in the AT list; just click on Zalmour's name) for free healing.

Ignore Elevation or a Jump attack with high vertical range can be useful for 
attacking enemies on higher levels, but they're far from critical--Delita can
pretty much kill all the enemies on his own!  Zalmour doesn't have anything
worth stealing, either, so just thrash him and move on.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Angel Ring


--Battle 39: Beddha Sandwaste--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Barich [Machinist; Sagittarius], Knight (male) x2,
  Archer (male) x2, Black Mage (male) x2

You start this battle with all your characters poisoned, even if you equip
accessories guarding against poison!  Bringing somebody with the Esuna spell
may be helpful to de-poison yourself quickly.  You can also use the Lifefont
ability, Chantage accessory, or Dragonheart ability to offset the HP losses
from the poison.

Barich has all of Mustadio's abilities, which means he can easily Immobilize
or Disable you.  Esuna or the Monk ability Purification will also clear these 
up, though Remedies will NOT.  (Purification is especially effective since it
activates immediately and has a good hit rate.)  Barich also has a Glacial Gun, 
which shoots ice spells at you.  Equipping White Robes here is a good idea, as 
it will reduce the damage from the Glacial Gun and the Black Mage in the back.  
Ice Shields would render you completely immune to the Glacial Gun ... but if 
you're immune, Barich will just use Arm Shot and Leg Shot instead, which is 
WORSE, so that's probably a bad strategy.

Since the battle ends when Barich is KOed, the best tactic is probably just to
rush him.  Barich often tends to retreat into the back of the battlefield,
though, so throw an Immobilize of your own on him (e.g. with Leg Shot) as soon 
as you can to keep him in place.  (Slow or Stop will also work.)  Then pound on 
him; you have to reduce him all the way to 0 HP before the battle ends.

There's a Black Mage in the back casting powerful -ja spells at you.  Equipping
Aegis Shields and White Robes may be a good idea to protect against his spells.
Or, use Magick Counter to give him back what you're getting.

You may also want to try stealing from Barich.  This is your first chance to 
snag a Glacial Gun, which can't be bought in stores, though you'll find them  
later.  Barich's Lambent Hat and Luminous Robe are also nice, but you'll be 
able to buy them shortly in stores.  Stealing the Glacial Gun takes away his 
range attack, but he can still Immobilize and Disable you at close range with 
his punches.  As with Meliadoul, pumping up your Speed or equipping Martial 
Arts and Concentration will improve your stealing success rate, as will 
Disabling Barich and/or putting him to Sleep.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 5000 gil


--Battle 40: Fort Besselat - South Wall--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x3, Archer (male) x2, Thief (male) x1,
   Ninja (male) x1

Leave behind the magic-users behind unless they have Equip Heavy Armor or some 
good defensive abilities; they'll get killed easily.

Split up your characters and attack the side walls on each side.  Get up on top
as soon as you can; it's very advantageous position.  This works especially 
well if you've got archers or gunners -- station them atop the walls, don't 
move (so their CT gauge fills faster), and just shoot at the enemies.  Watch
out for the Thief, who might -- take

Don't worry about the Knights initially.  You should be able to get up on top
of the walls before the Knights can reach you, and once you're up there, you've
got a definite height advantage in taking them out.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Circlet


--Battle 40: Fort Besselat - North Wall--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Monk (male) x1, Archer (male) x2, Summoner (male) x1,
   Dragoon (male) x2

There are high walls on this level, which can make it tricky to navigate if you 
don't have characters with a high Jump statistic.  Characters who can't jump 
directly over the first wall will have to cross one-by-one using the "box" in 
front of it.  This can be time-consuming, especially when you're suffering the 
summons and arrows of the enemy forces.  (Archer's Bane is, of course, helpful 
in defending against the latter.)

In particular, there's a Summoner tucked away behind the first wall who will 
bombard you with some nasty summons (like Leviathan).  Get a character over
the initial wall ASAP to take him out.  Even if you can just weaken him to 
critical HP, he'll probably start casting Faerie to heal himself instead of 
attacking you.  You can also try Arithmeticks as a way of attacking enemies on 
the far side of the wall.

A lone Monk starts out on the ground near you.  If you can get your party over
the wall quickly, you can postpone having to deal with him.  Otherwise, you'll
have to take out him quickly so he's not attacking your back.  (Or, just throw 
an Immobilize on him so he can't catch up with you.)

Once the Summoner is taken out, you can split up your characters.  Have the
ones who can easily scale heights climb up the tower to take out the Archers,
while the others finish up the Dragoons on the ground.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Carabineer Mail


--Battle 41: Fort Besselat Sluice--
YOUR FORCES:
   1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
   2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x4, Black Mage (male) x2, Archer (male) x2

Split up your characters and go up the paths.  Because the enemies have such a
height advantage, guns are not so good here; it's hard to get a clear shot.
Jump attacks, on the other hand, are quite useful.  A fun trick to do is stand 
on the steps or below the dam wall and use Jump attacks on the stationary
Knights.  As long as none of your other characters gets close to them, the 
Knights won't move and will just sit there while you Jump on them.  The Black 
Mages have some strong spells, so you may want to target them first, though.

Since two of the Knights are pretty stationary, this is a good chance to let
the other KOed enemies decay into crystals/chests for loot (and additional
kills, if you're trying to unlock the Dark Knight job).  You could even bring
a weaker character or two and attack and heal each other to build up EXP or
JP, if you want (though it's hardly necessary).

Unlike the PSone version, you don't need to do anything with any switches to
clear this level.  Just take out all the enemies and the battle ends.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 42: Mount Germinas--
YOUR FORCES:
   1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
   2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Archer (male) x3, Thief (male) x2, Ninja (male) x1

This is the first time you get to use your new buddy Orlandeau.  For a good 
taste of his power, deploy him in squad 1.  Move him up the mountain as far
as he can and then use Shadowblade on the Ninja leader.  Bang, he's dead.  You 
almost have to feel sorry for the poor bandits... almost.  Heh, heh.  With 
Shadowblade you can KO a fully healthy bad guy each turn just with Orlandeau 
and also refill Orlandeau's own HP by 270 or so.

There are a pair of thieves in this battle, so either take them out quickly
or equip Safeguard to keep them from nabbing your stuff.  You don't want to
lose any rare items to them!

The Archer that starts in the back corner is carrying an Artemis Bow, a strong 
bow, which you might want to steal.  But if you don't, there's plenty more (in 
fact, an infinite supply from random battles) that you can get later.  If you 
DO want to steal the bow, a good strategy for it is to kill off all the other 
enemies and then surround the Archers with your characters, blocking him from 
moving.  Since bows can't be used against adjacent tiles, he can't attack you, 
and you can just stand there and attempt steals 'til you get the bow.

This map also contains the Invisibility Cloak, although it's not necessary to
claim it now.  To get the cloak, put the Treasure Hunter ability and move to
the very top of the peak.  The top of the peak forms sort of an "L" shape; the
tile holding the Cloak is the one between the two "legs" of the L:
  ___
 /   
/  X  
--/ --
When you land on this tile, you'll receive either an Ether or the Cloak; your
chance of getting the Cloak goes up the lower your Bravery.  (You only get to
pick up the item once, so if you get the Ether, you can no longer get the 
Cloak; you'll have to reset the game and try again.)  You can also pick up the 
cloak in any random battles at this location, though, so it's by no means 
necessary to acquire it during the story battle.

BATTLE TROPHIES: 7700 gil, Winged Boots, Germinas Boots


--Battle 43: Lake Poescas--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Archer (male, undead) x2, Mystic (male, undead) x1,
  Summoner (female, undead) x1, Revenant x2

This is a really easy battle.  Use Mustadio and/or Balthier's Seal Evil ability 
and you can gun down each of the Revenants in one shot.  (You can also use cure
spells against them, as always.)  Magick and Dragoons will also be helpful for
attacking the enemies atop the wooden platform.  They're undead, too, so you 
can use Seal Evil on them as well.

Once you get on top of the platform, watch out for the enemy's Counter Tackles.
They can knock your characters off the platform, which will put you back out of
range AND do a fair amount of damage.  Just stay away from the edge and you
should be fine.  (You can check which enemy units do and don't have Counter
Tackle by viewing their status screen.

The only thing tricky about this level is that the undead humans will keep 
coming back to life if you don't finish off the rest of the enemy party in 
time--but, again, Seal Evil will prevent this.

Both the archers have Artemis Bows if you're in the mood for a little stealing.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Phoenix Down x2


--Battle 44: Limberry Castle Gate--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Celia [Assassin; Virgo], Lettie [Assassin; Sagittarius],
   Reaver x4

This battle looks hard at first, but it's not.  All you have to do is weaken 
Celia or Lettie to critical HP and the battle will immediately end.

The Reavers will only use Bio spells, which don't do all that much damage, so
your main threat is Celia and Lettie.  Their Subdual Arts skills can hit with
you a 100% KO or Stop, and they also have a 100% Charm against male characters.
The Charm is the worst of these since it turns your characters actively against
the rest of your team, so give your male characters Nu Khai Armbands to 
immunize them, or just deploy all female characters.  Pairing a Jujitsu Gi with 
a Jade Armlet will protect you against both KO and Stop; if you have Barettes 
or Ribbons, you can use those too.  If you have Construct 8 on your roster, 
it's completely immune to status changes and is quite useful here.

Because this battle is fairly easy, it's your best chance to learn Ultima.  You
can learn this spell if Ramza is a Squire or Luso is a Game Hunter and Celia or
Lettie casts the spell on him.  If Ramza is protected against KO and Stop 
(from equipping a Jujitsu Gi and a Jade Armlet), Celia is almost guaranteed to
cast the spell on him on her first round.

Once you get Ultima, just have your main group gang up on Lettie to quickly end 
the battle.  A few sword techniques and/or Construct 8's Dispose should do the 
trick.  You can completely ignore the Reavers.  Since this battle is so easy to
end quickly, your best defense is a good offense.  Even if one or two allies 
gets KOed, don't bother reviving them.  (Since Ramza starts stranded from your
main team, it's pretty likely him for him to be KOed.)  Just finish off Lettie 
and you'll be done in no time at all.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Echo Herbs


--Battle 45: Limberry Castle Keep--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Elmdore [Ark Knight], Celia [Assassin], Lettie [Assassin]

It's just your team versus Elmdore, Celia, and Lettie.  Celia and Lettie have
the same abilities as before.  As long as you're equipped with Jujitsu Gis and
Jade Armlets (or other equipment that protects you against KO/Stop), they'll
mostly just do Ultima, which isn't too bad.  If you "kill" either of them, they 
will turn into Ultima Demons, which are stronger, so leave them be.

Elmdore is even tougher than his underlings; he has an 100% working teleport to 
any square and does big damage to a wide area with his Muramasa Iaido.  Worse,
he has Shirahadori, which gives him a high evade rate against a wide range of
physical attacks, even guns.

First, spread out your characters to try to minimize how much his Iaido can
hurt your team.  Then, attack Elmdore with things he *can't* dodge.  Sword
techniques are great, as is Construct 8's Dispose, if you have him.  You can
also use Magick and Arithmeticks, or, in a pinch, a Dual Wielded attack, since
he can only block one of the hits.  Other physical attacks are nearly useless.

Also, whenever Celia or Lettie starts casting Ultima, have the targeted 
character stand next to Elmdore.  (Check the Turn List in case you didn't catch 
who the target is.)  This will cause the Ultima to spill over and hit Elmdore
for a fair amount of damage (100-200 HP), a nice way of getting in some extra 
damage against him.

You need only reduce Elmdore to critical HP to end the battle.

If you didn't learn Ultima during the prior battle, you can also learn it here.

Note: In the North American PSone release, you could steal all of Elmdore's
powerful Genji equipment.  This is no longer possible (you can't steal from
him at all), so don't even try!

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 46: Limberry Castle Inner Court--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Argath [Deathknight; Virgo], Ultima Demon x5

Argath himself can't do much damage, but his Ultima Demons can cast some really
powerful magic.  Especially Argath takes a while to wear down, you'll need to
take out the Demons first.  Fortunately, they're pretty slow and don't have
much HP, so chances are good you can take out one or two before they can even 
move.  The large gap in the middle of the stage can make it hard to reach the
Ultima Demons in the rear, so either bring characters with Ignore Elevation or
just use a variety of long-range attacks (guns, Arithmeticks, Summons, Jump, 
Dispose, etc.)

Once you've finished off all the demons, you can attack Argath.  He comes
equipped with Mirror Mail, which reflects most magick.  (The -ja Black Magick
spells, Ultima, Meteor, and summons all still work, though.)  He also has 
Safeguard, so Orlandeau's Crush skills won't work against him, but other sword 
skills will.  Fortunately, Argath's own attacks are quite weak, but his 
constant use of  Shadowblade keeps healing him.  As long as your whole team is 
attacking him, though, you'll be able to deal way more damage than he can 
recover.

The really aggravating part is Argath's Critical: Recover HP reaction ability, 
which has a chance of completely restoring his HP when you reduce his HP to 
critical.  (And since he has a fairly high Bravery stat, it's likely to 
trigger!)  

Fortunately, there's also an easy way to stop this.  Just having Mustadio or
Balthier keep using Arm Shot on him until you put Disable on him.  (Beowulf's
Disable also works ... the Mystic Art Hesitation does *not*, since the Mirror
Mail will reflect it.)  Being Disabled will prevent him from using his reaction 
ability (as well as from restoring his HP with Shadowblade), and you can easily 
pound him into oblivion before Disable wears off.

If for some reason this isn't an option (e.g. none of Mustadio, Balthier, and
Beowulf is in your party), your best bet is to reduce his HP fairly low (to
about 100 or so) but not yet put him in Critical status.  Then, use one very 
strong attack against him (e.g., an Orlandeau sword technique) to KO him 
without ever putting him in critical status.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 47: Limberry Castle Undercroft--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Meliadoul [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Zalera [Death Seraph; Gemini], Knight (undead, male) x2,
   Skeleton x1, Bonesnatch x1, Skeletal Fiend x1

Deploy Mustadio and/or Balthier and use Seal Evil to quickly petrify the two
undead Knights.  The various skeletons are not really worth bothering with; 
Meliadoul can take them out.  Just go after Zalera.

Zalera's main attack is Nightmare, which inflicts Sleep and Doom on a small
group of people.  Equipping Protect Rings will guard against both of these.
Zalera also likes to use Bind (causes Stop on a small group) and Flareja, a
strong attack spell.  One strategy here is to leave one character vulnerable to
Sleep to sucker Zalera into casting Nightmare.  If you then wake the character
up (use Purification or a weak attack), Zalera will probably just keep casting
Nightmare over and over.  Construct 8 is also quite useful here since it is
inherently immune to Stop, Sleep, and magick.

Attack Zalera with Lich, Divine Ruination, Graviga, and Shadowblade.  He has 
about 1100 HP.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 48 (optional): Dorter--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Meliadoul [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Cletienne [Sorceror; Gemini], Black Mage (female) x1,
   Time Mage (female) x1, Summoner (female) x2

This is the same battlefield as you saw at the beginning of Chapter II.  The
enemies here are all magick-users, so there's no value in reaction abilities or
armor that defend against physical attacks (e.g. Counter or Shirahadori).
Instead, equip Aegis Shields, which have a high magick block rate, and 
abilities like Magick Counter.  And, if you have Construct 8, it's basically
invulnerable in this battle since it's immune to magic.

You'll probably want to take out the Summoners first; they're close by and
you'll want to stop them from hitting you with Summons.  The Time Mages, on the
other hand, can be ignored.

Cletienne has an array of strong offensive and defensive spells, plus he can 
use Magick Counter to throw your spells back at him.  If you want to avoid
this, Guns and Jump may be your best bets for attacking him up on the roof.
(Magical guns, however, count as magick attacks that he can Magick Counter.)
You could also use Orlandeau's Duskblade or another MP-draining ability to
steal Cletienne's MP so he can't even use magicks.  But since he has little HP, 
it's probably just as easy to attack him head-on.  As soon as he's KOed, you 
win the battle.

Cletienne has a Dragon Rod, a rare-ish rod, that you can steal.  You needn't
get it here, though, as you can also steal one a few battles later or poach it.
Plus, the Dragon Rod is pretty crummy anyway.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 49: Eagrose Castle Keep--
YOUR FORCES:
   1ST PHASE: Ramza, Zalbaag [guest], 4 others
   2ND PHASE: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES:
   1ST PHASE: Dycedarg [Rune Knight; Scorpio], Knight (male) x5
   2ND PHASE: Adrammelech [The Wroth; Scorpio]

Equipping Nu Khai Armbands before this battle is a good idea.

Use Agrias's, Orlandeau's, and Meliadoul's sword techniques to hit Dycedarg 
from down below.  (Construct 8's Dipose is also useful, but you may not want
to deploy it here since there's no way to protect it against Confusion.)  In 
particular, hitting Dycedarg with Crush Weapon will break his Defender sword 
and prevent him from using any of his sword techniques against you.  (You could 
also try stealing the Defender if you want, but it's a little tricky -- using 
Ignore Elevation to jump up to the top of the arch may be your best bet.)

It's quite likely that you can finish off Dycedarg before he has a chance to
move much of anywhere, but it's possible he'll start descending the stairs.  If
he does, run under the arch and keep attacking him.  He likes to use Hallowed
Bolt and Divine Ruination (if you haven't yet broken his sword); to avoid
these, don't put characters next to each other or on the same line of fire.

Zalbaag is likely to get KOed either way, but it doesn't matter as you don't
need to keep him alive.  The enemy Knights can be safely ignored.

When Dycedarg is KOed, he'll return as Adrammelech.  Everyone else will 
disappear from the board (including Zalbaag), and the battle restarts.  If
Adrammelech is still up on the arch, you can keep attacking him with sword
techniques, but after a character attacks, start moving your characters under 
the archway so that you can keep hitting Adrammelech once he starts coming down
the steps.

Adrammelech uses the Befuddle spell to confuse you, but if you equipped Nu Khai 
Armbands, you'll be immune to this.  Note that Confusion is one of the few
status conditions that Construct 8 is NOT immune to.  In fact, there's no way
to protect it from confusion, so you probably won't want to use it here.  
Adrammelech is pretty slow, so you can probably get in quite a few licks--and
maybe even kill him--before he even has a chance to cast a spell.  Like all 
Lucavi, Adrammelech will take a lot of damage from Lich or Graviga since they
take away half his maximum HP.  He has 1500 HP.

If you want, you can pick up a Blood Sword during this battle using Treasure
Hunter.  It's located in the rectangular area where you start, but in the 
corner furthest from your starting point.  As with other rare Treasure Hunter 
items, having a low Bravery will improve your odds of getting it.  You can pick 
it up during either stage of the battle.  However, it's hardly necessary to 
snag -- you may already have one from Gaffgarion, you can find another one in 
the bonus dungeon, and there's a unlimited supply available from poaching 
Hydras.  So, you needn't bother with it unless it's convenient.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 50: Mullonde Cathedral--
YOUR FORCES: 
   1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
   2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: White Mage (male) x1, Summoner (male) x1, Orator (male) x2,
   Geomancer (male) x2

If you have anyone with Ignore Elevation, deploy him or her in the first squad
and you can immediately jump up and attack the Summoner and White Mage, who are
the most annoying opponents.  The rest of the squad will have to climb up the
steps.

The characters in the second squad will be battling against two Orators, so 
giving them Earplug could be useful.  Again, Ignore Elevation will help them
get atop the church quickly, although the steps are reasonably close by.

The Summoner has another Dragon Rod you can steal, if you didn't get one from
Cletienne and/or want a second one.  But, again, it's not good for very much.

Honestly, this battle is pretty easy.  It's noteworthy mostly because it's the 
only story battle where the enemy  has Geomancers :)

BATTLE TROPHIES: X-Potion


--Battle 51: Mullonde Cathedral Nave--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Folmarv [Divine Knight; Leo], Loffrey [Divine Knight; Capricorn],
   Cletienne [Sorceror; Gemini]

Despite what the victory conditions screen says, all you have to do here is 
KO any of one of the three Knights Templar and then they all will retreat.
Cletinne is the weakest, so just attack him.  Loffrey and Folmarv have an 
annoying habit of breaking your equipment, so Safeguard is probably a good idea
-- it both saves your equipment AND prevents you from taking damage from
the Crush attacks.  Since you only need to KO one guy here, you can probably
finish this up quite quickly.

If you deploy Meliadoul, there will be some extra dialogue between her and
Folmarv on her first turn.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 52: Mullonde Cathedral Sanctuary--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Zalbaag [Ark Knight; Cancer], Archaeodaemon x2, Ultima Demon x1

The demons here are actually quite a bit more powerful than Zalbaag and use a
variety of strong magick attacks.  So, unlike most boss battles, you're 
probably better off killing at least two of the demons first, and *then* going 
after Zalbaag.

Zalbaag frequently flees into a corner, plus he uses Lifefont to recover his
HP with each move.  Hitting him with an Immobilize (e.g. from Leg Shot) will
stop both of these.  In fact, if you can Immobilize him right away, you may be
able to just focus your attacks on him and finish him off before the demons
hit you with too magic.  Physical attacks are not that effective against him 
since he has Defense Boost, but he'll go down eventually ... and if you take
out the demons first, he can do very little to hurt you.

Zalbaag can (and probably will) turn your characters to vampires, but you can
cure this with Holy Water.  Construct 8 is useful in this battle as it is 
immune to vampirization (though the raw damage from the Vampire ability can 
still hurt it) and has a very long range.

Ironically, if Zalbaag tries to vampirize a character who's already a vampire,
the Vampire attack will backfire and cause *Zalbaag* to turn into a vampire!
This will prevent him from recovering HP with Lifefont.  But, the odds on this
are a bit too low to really bank on.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Elixir


--Battle 53: Monastery Vaults - Fourth Level--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Knight (male) x3, Archer (male) x1, Monk (male) x2

Your first priority is to kill off the guys down on the floor on the other side 
of the room, especially the Monks.  Most range attacks will work from atop the
central "ridge" of books, and reasonably agile melee fighters can climb over 
the ridge to reach the enemies.  Characters who can't easily climb over the 
ridge should just stand atop it -- there will be enemies coming that way soon 
as well.

The Knights' behavior will depend on how quickly you advance.  If you quickly
moved most of your team across the ridge, they'll probably descend under the
archway to fight you there.  But if you still have some characters on the
higher levels, they may try to cross the narrow walkway up top.  In this case,
they'll vulnerable to a Divine Ruination or Shockwave that can hit several of
them in a line.  Unyielding Blade techniques (Meliadoul and Orlandeau) are also 
useful against all the enemies here.  Overall, this isn't a particularly hard 
battle.

You can steal Yoichi's Bow, which is even stronger than the Artemis Bow, from 
the Archer ... of course, since you're past the point of no return, there's no 
need to bother with this unless someone in your current team can use it.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 54: Monastery Vaults - Fifth Level--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Loffrey [Divine Knight; Capricorn], Black Mage (male) x2,
   Time Mage (male) x1, Summoner (male) x2

Now it gets interesting.  The enemy forces are magick-heavy here, so adjust
your defenses accordingly -- Aegis Shields are good, as is Magick Counter and
cloaks that give a good boost to your magick evade rate.  Counter, Shirahadori,
and First Strike are totally pointless.  Construct 8, being immune to magick, 
is good to deploy if you have it--it won't be able to navigate the holes well,
but Dispose has such a long range that it doesn't need to travel very far!

The floor is laded with holes (the black spots) that impede your movement.  If
you have Fly or Winged Boots, however, you can simply hover right across them.
You can also jump across the holes with a good jump rating.  If you can't jump
across, there's a looping path around the outsides of the map that lets you
walk all the way, but it's slow and you'll keep getting hit by magick on the
way.  Avoid this route if you can.

Deploying lots of characters with range attacks is useful as you can just blast
away regardless of the gaps in the floor.  Loffrey's Save the Queen sword gives
him a permanent Protect spell that makes him slow to kill.  So, try to KO the 
other guys (especially the Summoners) first before you take on Loffrey.  

Loffrey uses Unyielding Blade techniques to crush your gear, but equipping
Safeguard will both preventing him from breaking your equipment and spare you
from the HP damage.  Speaking of Crushing, using Crush Weapon on Loffrey is a
great tactic; destroying his sword will remove his Protect as well as prevent
him from using his sword techniques.  (You can also use Rend Weapon or steal 
it.)

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 55: The Necrohol of Mullonde--
YOUR FORCES:
   1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
   2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Cletienne [Sorceror; Gemini], Time Mage (male) x2,
   Ninja (male) x2, Samurai (male) x2

The 2nd squad starts some distance away, so fill it with fast characters or 
characters with long-range attacks.  

Cletienne has really strong spells and a range of the whole battlefield.  Since
he starts close to you, just forget the other enemies and rush him.  If you can
pounce on him on quickly, you can probably to wrap this fight up very quickly.

Cletienne's Magick Boost reaction ability allows him to gain magick power when
you hit him.  So, don't try to wear him down with weak attacks.  Instead, try 
only attack him with your strongest attacks so that you can take him out in as
a few hits as possible.  Or, you can simply use MP-draining abilities--
Orlandeau's Duskblade works especially well--on Cletienne to take away all his 
MP, so that he can't even use his magick.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 56: Lost Halidom--
YOUR FORCES:
   1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
   2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Barich [Machinist; Sagittairus], Chemist (male) x1,
   Dark Behemoth x1, Hydra x1, Greater Hydra x1, Tiamat x1

This can be a tough fight.  Barich and his crew start on a separate piece of 
land from you.  Barich and his Chemist can shoot at you from afar, but if you
jump over to his portion of the battlefield, his monsters will tear you to
shreds.

Barich, as before, will use Aimed Shot abilities to try to Immobilize and
Disable you, but this time, if you're equipped with Thief's Caps, you're immune
to this.  Shirahadori is also great for defense, as it allows you to block the
shots from the enemy guns (only in video games...), even though shields/cloaks
are of no use.  Auto-Potion is also helpful for dealing with the enemy gun
attacks.

The second squad starts pretty far away from Barich.  A good tactic may be to
fill the first squad with characters with medium-range attacks (e.g. sword
techniques).  They should be able to move forward and target Barich across the
gap without having to jump over the chasm.  Meanwhile, deploy characters with 
long-range attacks such as guns, Arithmeticks, or a long-range Jump in the
second squad.  On their first turns, have them move up towards the first squad
and start targeting Barich with their range attacks.  If you completed the 
Gollund Colliery quest, Beowulf and Construct 8 will both be of great use here 
for their long-range attacks (Vengeance and Dispose, respectively).  Barich may 
try to hide behind his monsters (and/or the Chemist), in which case you'll have 
to take them out first in order to shoot him.  Unfortunately, Barich's own
Thief's Cap prevents you from Immobilizing HIM.

Barich's Hydras will usually spend a turn or two advancing along Barich's
portion of the battlefield without attacking you.  After that, they'll fly over 
and land on your side!  At this point, you may want to jump over Barich's side 
and start attacking him directly--if you've done enough to damage to him 
already, you can probably take him out with a few attacks.  (He does use
Lifefont to regenerate his HP, though.)

If you completed the Nelveska Temple and restored Reis to human form, you could
also try putting Reis in the second squad.  Have her run up to the little
"bridge" connecting the two halves of the battlefield and use Dragon's Charm
to charm the enemy Tiamat.  Not only will this prevent the Tiamat from
attacking you, it will turn it against Barich!  However, it usually takes a
turn or two for the Tiamat to come within range, so this may not be the most
efficient strategy -- and you have to watch out for the Dark Behemoth in the
mean time!  If you DO use this strategy, you may wish to change Reis to a job
other than Dragonkin and equip Rubber Boots so that the Tiamat's Tri-Thunder
attack won't kill her before she can charm it.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Battle 57: Airship Graveyard--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Hashmal [Bringer of Order; Leo]

Hashmal's two main attacks are Bind, which puts Stop on a group of characters,
and Quake, a fairly powerful area attack spell.  Of course, equipping Jade
Armlets will protect you against the former.  Since completely protecting
yourself against Stop will cause him to JUST cast Quake, one strategy is to
leave one character unprotected against Stop as a decoy.  Hashmal will probably
try to Stop him/her, buying your other characters time to attack.  Using this
strategy, you can probably defeat him before casts more than one Quake (perhaps
before he casts ANY).

And, if you completed the Gollund Colliery quest, you have an ace up your 
sleeve: Construct 8, who is immune to both magick and Stop!

Although Hashmal's spells are strong, with 5 of you versus 1 of him, you 
shouldn't have too much trouble taking him down.  Just rush him.  As always, 
Lich and Graviga are effective against him.  He only has 1500 HP.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Ragnarok


--Battle 58: Airship Graveyard--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Alma [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: 
   1ST PHASE: Ultima [High Seraph; Virgo], Ultima Demon x4
   2ND PHASE: Ultima [Arch Seraph; Virgo]

Be sure to deploy your best characters for this, the final battle.  If you have 
Beowulf and he's learned the Drain Spellblade, use him!  Drain does a LOT of 
damage to Ultima's second form.  Lich and Graviga are extremely effective as 
well.  

Alma will fight as a guest in this battle.  She starts off with only 1 HP, so
toss her an X-Potion or cure spell to keep her alive.  She will first cast 
Aegis on herself, then start casting on the rest of the team.  Aegis includes
a number of useful buffs, so this is actually pretty helpful.  Note that if 
Ramza or Luso casts the Ultima spell on Alma, she can learn it.  This is not 
advised, however; you want her casting Aegis, which is quite a bit more useful!
(You can toss Alma an Ether or Hi-Ether if she starts running out of MP.)

The Ultima Demons can do more damage than Ultima, so try to defeat them first.  
They don't have all that much HP, so you might even be able to take them out 
with group attacks.  If you're using Orlandeau, Shadowblade is also handy since 
it restores his HP at the same time as doing damage.

Ultima has several different attacks.  There's a physical attack, which is 
fairly strong but otherwise nothing special, the Grand Cross spell, which
inflicts random status conditions, and an souped-up Ultima spell that is 
still rather weak and slow to charge.  Note that this Ultima spell has a
"friendly fire" effect and can damage Ultima's own units (and Ultima herself).
You can use this to your advantage; if you see her charging the spell up, move
the targetted unit close to some enemies and they'll take damage too.  (You
can recognize Ultima because it's the only spell she charges up that shows
estimated HP damage in the preview -- Grand Cross is a status attack only.)
Ultima can also teleport around the battlefield, often putting her out of your 
reach (which is another reason not to try killing her before the Demons).  

If the battle drags on, the Ultima Demons you took out early on may start
turning into crystals.  Grab these as soon as they appear.  Ultima will try to
claim them, and, if she does, her HP will be completely restored!

It only takes about 1200 points of damage to defeat Ultima's first form.  Of 
course, like all good final bosses, Ultima has a second form that appears
after the first is defeated.  This one has over 3000 HP (!), but it's probably 
easier, since there won't be any Ultima Demons around to harass you.  Attack 
her with the aforementioned Drain attack (Beowulf), Lich, Graviga, and sword 
techniques.  Fortunately, Ultima is pretty slow, and you have quite a bit of 
time to heal up and attack between her moves, especially if Alma has been 
casting Haste on you via Aegis.  And, if Alma has been casting Aegis on your 
party, Ultima may well waste her turns using Dispelja to remove the effects of 
Aegis, and not even inflict any damage on you.

Again, Ultima teleports around the battlefield on each of her turns.  If she 
moves out of range, just wait in the center of the ship and on her next turn 
she should move in range again.

Once you defeat Ultima's second form, you win the game.  Congratulations!


%%%SUBQUEST BATTLE STRATEGIES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bssub

--Gollund Colliery Battle 1: Gollund Colliery Floor--
YOUR FORCES:
  1st Squad - Ramza, 2 others
  2nd Squad - Beowulf [guest], 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Chemist (male) x5

For some reason, you are being attacked by a large band of Chemists.  (Note
that there's one hidden under the staircase right next to where you start!)
Since the Chemists exclusively fight with guns, there's no need for any type of
magick defense.  And since guns always have a 100% hit rate, boosting your 
evade rate is pointless; leave behind the cloaks and shields and go for dual-
wielded or two-handed weapons and other accessories.  Finally, close-range 
reaction abilities like Counter are pointless; choose reaction abilities like 
Auto-Potion or Adrenaline Rush that are useful at any range.

The key to this battle is to close the distance between you and the Summoners
as quickly as possible.  Fast characters or those with a high Move rate will
be good for this.  You can also use Arithmeticks, Summons, Jump, or your
own guns to hit from a distance.

Since the Chemists all have Items, they can keep healing themselves and 
reviving their KOed comrades, which gets a little annoying.  If you have 
Orlandeau and/or Meliadoul, using their Crush abilities to break the Chemists' 
armor will reduce their maximum HP and limit the amount they can heal 
themselves.  (Rend and Steal abilities work for this, too, but they often miss 
and don't do any direct damage!)  You can also use Summons to strike a whole 
area and wipe all the critical-HP Chemists who have just been revived.

Reviving any of your *own* KOed can also be difficult--because the Chemists 
have guns, they'll immediately shoot and KO any character with critical HP.
You'll need Arise to effectively revive characters.  Of course, if a KOed 
character's death counter is getting low, you may need to toss a Phoenix Down
or Raise on them anyway--even if they just KOed again, you've at least reset
their counter and saved them from permanent death.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Mythril Bow, Mythril Shield


--Gollund Colliery Battle 2: Gollund Colliery Slope--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Beowulf [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Chemist (male) x1, Thief (male) x2, Behemoths x1,
   Behemoth King x1

This battle has a similar setting as the previous, but there's only Chemist
and, instead, two Thieves and two behemoths.  (The Behemoth King is hiding in 
the cubby-hole behind the Thief near your start position.)  With a more
conventional assortment of enemies, this should actually be a more
straightforward battle.

The Chemist here has a Glacial Gun that you may want to steal -- though if he
happens to start with the Maintenance ability, you're out of luck.  He can do
quite a bit of damage from it and you can't reach him to attack right away, but
equipping Ice Shields will protect you from the damage.  The Thief on the top 
level has a tendency to just sit in the corner until you come very close, 
making him a sitting duck for magick or Jump attacks.

Since the Behemoth King is a somewhat rare monster, you may also want to Entice 
or Tame it onto your team.  Alternately, Poach it and you'll score either an 
Artemis Bow or a Cherche perfume.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Mythril Knife, Mythril Spear


--Gollund Colliery Battle 3: Gollund Colliery Ridge--
YOUR FORCES:
  1st Squad - Ramza, Beowulf [guest], 2 others
  2nd Squad - 2 others
ENEMY FORCES: Chemist (male) x2, Blue Dragon x2, Pig x1

This time, you're fighting two Chemists, two Blue Dragons, and a dancing pig 
(huh?).  The Pig is safe to leave 'til last; it can't do any harm.  The Blue 
Dragons, however, can and WILL harm you.  Equipping Ice Shields will defend
against their Ice Breath attack, but even their physical attacks are strong.
The Blue Dragons are weak against fire, so use fire attacks for extra damage.  
Do NOT use ice attacks (including Geomancy, the Icebrand, and the Glacial Gun), 
as they will absorb the ice and gain HP!  Special sword techniques are your 
best offense (as usual).

If you Entice the Pig to your team, you can breed and Poach pigs for great 
items, so this is a great opportunity to recruit one!  If you already have a 
Pig on the team, you can just axe this one.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Mythril Sword, Mythril Armor


--Gollund Colliery Battle 4: Gollund Coal Shaft--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Beowulf [guest], Reis [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Syneugh [Archaeodemon], Plague Horror x3, Ochu x2

You need to keep Reis, the Holy Dragon, alive in this battle.  Be sure to bring
someone who can heal her.

In order to get into Reis's area, you need to climb up onto the upper level and 
pass through the narrow doorway.  If you use jobs or accessories that get your
Jump score up to 4, you can jump directly up onto the ledge, which helps you
close the distance quickly.  Otherwise, you'll have to take the long route up 
by using the stairs behind where your party starts.

The Plague Horrors will turn you to stone or cast Doom on you if given the 
chance, so kill them first -- both the Plague Horrors and Ochus are weak 
against ice, so use ice attacks!  If the enemies get lined up in the narrow 
passage, use Shockwave (Monk) or Divine Ruination (Agrias/Orlandeau) to hit the 
whole line of them.  Reis will probably also rip into them with her Ice Breath.

After taking out the Plague Horrors, go after Syneugh.  (Reis should be 
able to handle the two Ochus.)  Make sure to keep Reis healed.  Syneugh uses 
Gigaflare a lot, which hits a wide area but isn't nearly as powerful as it 
looks (although it does do a number on the frame rate ^_^).  It also hits his
own teammates if they happen to be standing in your vicinity!  Syneugh doesn't 
have very much HP; if you have Orlandeau, he might able to kill Syneugh in
one shot.  This battle isn't really as tough as it may look -- just make
sure Reis stays healed!

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Balthier Subquest Battle: Dorter Slums--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Balthier [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Archer (male) x3, White Mage (female) x1, Monk (male) x1,
   Thief (male) x1

The bulk of your team will start away from Ramza and Balthier, so it may be
helpful to bring characters with a high Move range or guns, so that they can
join the fray quickly.  You'll need to make sure Ramza doesn't get separated
and surrounded.  Balthier won't fight on the frontlines, but he has a super-
strong gun and will assist from the rooftops.  Unless Ramza gets surrounded,
this should be an easy battle.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Nelveska Temple Battle: Nelveska Temple--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Construct 7 [Automaton], Cockatrice x3, Hydra x2

The enemies here will hit you hard and fast.  When deploying characters, put
Orlandeau on either the far left or far right.  If you have another character
with an automatic Haste (e.g. from the Tynar Rouge), place her behind
Orlandeau.  Together, they can probably KO one of the Hydras on the pillars
before it has a chance to move.

The Hydras will attack you first.  Watch out for their Tri-Attack, which hits
both the unit in front of them as well any to either side.  Try to kill off one 
of them before the Cockatrices reach you.  The Cockatrices have relatively 
little HP, so you may be able to take them out with group attacks (e.g. 
Hallowed Bolt).  Since all the enemies are fairly close by, you often don't
need to move attack to them.  Remember that not moving gives you your next turn
faster, so don't move unless you need here.  Since you're getting assaulted
from all sides here, Orlandeau's Shadowblade attack is quite useful here -- it
both deals damage AND restores a lot of his HP, keeping him healthy.

Construct 7 will probably come out of its nook in the temple to attack you.
It attacks are brutal and can do 300+ damage to you.  Try to thin out the 
other monsters a little bit first so you won't be swarmed while you're wearing
Construct 7 down.  Once you've taken out at least half the other monsters, rush 
Construct 7.  It has NO Faith, so magick attacks are useless, and it's also
immune to all elements except Lightning, so even non-magickal attacks that do
elemental damage (like the Monk's Shockwave) don't work.  Regular physical 
attacks and sword techniques will work.  In addition, Construct 7 IS weak to
non-magickal lightning attacks, so Reis's Thunder Breath attack will do quite a
bit of damage; it should take off more than half the Construct's HP!  When you 
KO Construct 7 the first time, it will come back with 1 HP, so KO it again and 
the battle will end.

However, there are ALSO a bunch of hidden items that you can find during this 
battle.  If you want to get them, you have to get them during this battle, as 
you can't come back here after defeating Construct 7.

On top of the two pillars where the Hydras start, you'll find the best polearm 
(right pillar) and shield (left pillar).  They're called the Javelin and 
Escutcheon, but they're really totally different items.  The lower your 
Bravery, the better your odds of discovering them; otherwise, you'll end up 
with a regular Javelin and Escutcheon, the WORST polearm and shield.  To get up 
on top of the pillars, move Construct 8 or Reis next to the pillar as a 
stepping-stone.  You'll need at least a jump of 4 to get up using the stepping-
stone method.  (Ignore Elevation is not an option because you need that ability 
slot for Treasure Hunter!)

There are also two other hidden items: the Sasuke's Blade ninja blade, and the
Nagnarok sword, a sword that turns enemies into Toads.  The Nagnarok has only 1 
attack power but a high evade rate when used with Parry.  Both these items also 
require low Bravery, or you'll get Elixirs instead.

Sasuke's Blade is hidden in the grassy area behind the temple.  When you're 
facing the temple, on the right side, you'll see a staircase-like cliff that 
you can use to climb up on top of the temple.  Once you're on top of the 
temple, continue moving away from your starting point into the green and brown 
grassy area at the back end of the map.  The specific tile is near the very far 
back.  Face the temple and move the cursor the upper-left corner of the map.  
Now, move the cursor one tile to the right and one tile down.  You should be on 
a tile with a height of 4.  This is the tile with Sasuke's Blade. 

The Nagnarok sword is much closer to where you start.  When the battle starts, 
you'll see that Construct 7 is in the "doorway" of the temple just in front of 
where you start.  It's a black area with pillars on either side.  You'll have
to lure Construct 7 out of the way.  Once Construct 7 moves out of the way, 
move into that "doorway," as if you were walking inside the temple.  This is a 
narrow passageway -- move the character as far back in the passage as the game 
will let you in.  The tile deepest inside the temple has the Nagnarok. 

This can be a tough battle in its own right, and trying to claim all these 
items will make it even harder.  Bringing as any many women with Chantage as 
possible will help keep you alive, of course -- and even Angel Rings (which 
only give you Reraise once per battle) are useful.  If your Treasure Hunter is 
relatively weak, try equipping him/her with the Invisibility Cloak found on 
Mount Germinas.  As long as the character doesn't take any actual action and 
just moves around picking up items, s/he should be left alone completely.  
KOing one or both Hydras at the very start of the battle will leave their 
bodies atop the pillars, preventing you from climbing up there until they 
crystallize ... but go ahead and KO them anyway.  You're being attacked by so 
many enemies at the start that it's easier to take them out and then just wait 
for them to crystallize once things have settled down.

The biggest concern when item-hunting is Construct 7 and its strong attacks.
Unfortunately, it's immune to most of the status conditions you might want to
inflict; instead, use Rend Speed over and over to whittle down its speed and
minimize the number of turns it gets.  Once you've taken away all its speed,
you can then use Rend Power on it to make it even weaker.  (Note that if you 
combine Arts of War with Dual Wield, you get two Rends per turn.)  If you're
doing the Rends at close range, you will have to endure Construct 7's
counterattacks, which is why Chantage will be helpful.  Beware of accidentally 
killing Construct 7 with any counterattacks you might have; you don't want the
battle to end prematurely!  (And, keep in mind that all of Construct 7's
special attacks decrease its own HP a little bit.)  You'll probably need to 
stand by and keep healing Construct 7 while you continue item-hunting.  The
other enemies can (and should!) be safely killed, of course.

Because the Javelin II and Esutcheon II have the same names as the crummy 
Javelin and the Escutcheon, it's hard to tell during the battle which one 
you've picked up.  The Javelin II is gray instead of silver and has a fatter
point, and the Escutcheon II has gold trim (instead of silver) and an extra 
vertical bar on its face.  These details can be tough to spot in the few 
seconds the item is displayed, though.  An easier method is to put Reequip on 
your Treasure Hunter, which will allow you to examine the items list during
battle.  As long as you have "Display Unequippable Items" set to "On" (under
Options), you can see your entire list of equipment.  Press Select to check the 
stats.  If the Javelin or Escutcheon has great stats, it's the one you want; if 
it has terrible stats, it's the "regular" version.  (You can reset if you don't 
get what you're looking for.)  You needn't even use up a turn to use Reequip 
in this way; just cancel out of the equipment menu without changing anything 
and you can take another action.

If you're not shooting for ALL the items, the Escutcheon II is generally the 
best to pick up since it can be equipped by many jobs and cannot be found
anywhere else in the game.  (The Javelin II and Sasuke's Blade can eventually 
be caught with Sticky Fingers, and a Sasuke's Blade can be stolen in another
subquest.)  The Javelin II is probably second-best, since it's the strongest
polearm, whereas Sasuke's Blade is inferior to the Koga and Iga blades found in 
Midlight's Deep.  The Nagnarok is the lowest priority, since it is of rather 
dubious value to begin with and can always be poached from Swines.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Cloud Subquest Battle: Sal Ghidos--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Cloud [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Squire (male) x1, Monk (male) x1, Thief (male) x3

At this point in the game, a bunch of generic enemies with underpowered jobs
shouldn't pose much threat -- if you can't win this battle, you probably 
shouldn't be playing the game ;).  The main concern here is the three Thieves, 
who may try to steal your stuff.  If you've got any rare gear, you'll probably 
want to equip Safeguard to make sure you don't lose it -- or just take the 
Thieves out ASAP.  You also need to make sure Cloud stays healthy, since you 
lose the battle if he's KOed.  He's usually not in any danger, though, since he
often flees into the far side of the map and avoids the melee completely.

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Disorder in the Order Battle: Brigands' Den--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Agrias [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Squire (male) x2, Knight (male) x2, Monk  (female) x1,
   Ninja (male) x1

Agrias fights as a Guest in this battle, but it's not necessary to keep her 
from getting KOed.  (You won't lose if she does.)  In fact, if you want to 
steal from all the enemies here, it's probably a GOOD idea to KO her yourself,
to keep her from finishing off the enemies before you do.  Since she's a Guest,
you can leave her KOed as long as you want and she won't ever disappear.

This battle is mainly a stealing extravaganza!  Every enemy here has at least
one rare item you can't find in stores (although all these items are also
available in at least one other place in the game as well).  The Squires have 
Blaze and Glacial Guns respectively, the Ninja has a Sasuke's Blade, the Monk 
has Ninja Gear and a Barette, and the Knights have a Venetian Shield and a 
Kaiser Shields.  If you get nothing else, the shields are probably your best 
bet.  Since there's a LOT to steal here, equipping Concentration or Martial
Arts to boost your success rate be helpful.  Don't forget that raising your 
Speed also helps you steal items, so use Ramza and Luso's Tailwind (or the 
Bard's Rousing Melody) to crank up your Speed stat.  Balthier's Plunder skills 
are also advantageous here--they're more likely to successfully steal than a 
regular Steal.

A couple of the enemies start up on top of the fort, which makes them hard to
reach unless you have a good Jump or Ignore Elevation.  However, if you march 
up to the top of the ramp in front of the fort, you can still hit them up with 
a lot of special attacks (e.g. sword techniques), and guns and (especially)
Construct 8's Dispose are always good for attacking from a distance.

Note that all the enemies in this battle act as "special" characters who will 
never crystallize or turn into chests.  This can be kinda handy if you want
to steal from them.  You can knock out all but one enemy, then revive just the
enemy you want to steal from, pilfer what you want, KO the enemy again, and
repeat.  You never have to worry about anyone disappearing completely.  Just 
don't finish off the last enemy until you're done stealing!

BATTLE TROPHIES: None


--Lionel's New Liege Lord Battle 1: Lionel Castle Gate--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Beowulf [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES: Alite [Templar; Scorpio], Archer (male) x2,
  Time Mage (female) x1, Ninja (male) x2

Beowulf fights on your team as a Guest in this battle, which means you only
get to choose 3 other charactes to deploy.  And while it's not spelled out in 
the victory conditions, you have to keep Beowulf alive -- if he gets KOed, you 
immediately get a Game Over.  Be sure to equip him with some good armor or a
shield beforehand.  It's probably a wise idea to deploy a decent healer as 
well so that you can keep his health up.  Since your principal enemy here has
Safeguard, Meliadoul's sword techniques are useless, so you probably won't
want to deploy her.

Aliste starts up on the roof, but since he has Elmdore's Master Teleportation 
ability, he'll probably warp down to fight you before you can climb up after 
him.  He's a Templar just like Beowulf, so he has all of Beowulf's Spellblade 
skills.  (He has a nice set of Genji gear, but, also like Elmdore, he has 
Safeguard, which means you unfortunately can't steal it from him.)  Since
he can inflict a lot of status changes on you, be sure to have Remedy or Esuna
ready.  Alternately, try wiping out Aliste's MP using the Knight's Rend MP,
Orlandeau's Duskblade, or the Dark Knight's Infernal Strike.

You might want to send one or two of your less powerful characters to take out 
the Ninjas coming through the castle gate.  The other enemies can probably
be ignored.  The Archers won't do too much damage, and they're hard to attack
since the castle wall blocks your ability to shoot at them.  If you want to
take them out, use Construct 8's Dispose, which can go through walls.

Focus your attacks on Alite.   He uses Shirahadori to guard your physical 
attacks.  You can try to weaken this by using Orator skills to lower his 
Bravery (since a lower Bravery means reaction abilities trigger less often), 
and Beowulf may help you in this regard.  Otherwise, just throw some spells and
sword techniques (or Construct 8's Dispose) at him until he goes down.  The 
first time you KO him, he'll revive with 1 HP, but just punch him out a second 
time and you win the battle for real.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Genji Armor


--Lionel's New Liege Lord Battle 2: Lionel Castle Oratory--
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, Beowulf [guest], 3 others
ENEMY FORCES:
   PHASE ONE: Bremondt [Celebrant; Gemini], Mystic (female) x2,
                 Samurai (female) x2, Ninja (male) x2
   PHASE TWO: Bremondt [Dark Dragon; Gemini]

Bremondt has a pretty powerful set of underlings here.  Most importantly, the
Samurai to Bremondt's right (the left side of the screen when the battle
begins) has a stealable Masamune.  This is by far the easiest place to get this 
weapon, so be sure to steal it!  (The only other way to get a Masamune is to
catch it using Sticky Fingers when enemy Ninjas throw it.)

Some of Bremondt's other troops are pretty tough, too.  The Mystic on his
left (again, the right side of the screen initially) is equipped with Chantage,
which means that there's no point in attacking her, as she'll just revive on
her next turn.  The only way to take her out is to break the Chantage or steal
it.  Since Chantage is extremely useful, stealing it isn't a bad idea, although
you CAN get them elsewhere.  Watch out, both Mystics also have a pretty strong
attack since they're equipped with bags.

Other rare items available here are a Cachusha and Barette--stolen from the
Mystics on Bremondt's right and left, respectively--and the Sortile'ge perfume,
also stolen from the Mystic on his right.  You'll be receiving a Sortile'ge
and Hydrascale Bag for completing this quest anyway, though, so these are 
pretty skippable.

Bremondt himself is equipped with a Lordly Robe and (despite being male) a
Ribbon, which gives him a fair amount of HP.  (Unfortunately, he has Safeguard,
so you can't steal this stuff from him.)  As long as at least one of his
underlings is KOed, though, he usually wastes his turns casting Arise.  (This
can actually helpful be if you accidentally KO the Samurai with the Masamune
before you're able to steal it.)  Just make sure at least one of the generic 
enemies stays knocked out while you go after Bremondt.  Since the Ribbon 
doesn't protect Bremondt from the Atheist status, you can also try using 
the Mystic's Disbelief (or Beowulf's Doubt) to prevent him from casting
magicks.  Alternately, attack his MP with Rend MP / Duskblade / Infernal 
Strike.

When Bremondt is first KOed, he will transform into the Dark Dragon, and all
the other enemy troops will be wiped from the board.  It's now time for the
second phase of this battle.

The Dark Dragon has some really strong physical attacks, and might occasionally 
use breath attacks as well.  It can Counter you when you attack, so you're
probably better off using sword techniques or other abilities that aren't
standard melee attacks.  The Dark Dragon has about 3,000 HP; when you defeat 
it, you'll clear this battle and the subquest.

BATTLE TROPHIES: Zeus Mace

%%%MIDLIGHT'S DEEP%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00bsmd

For a general description of how to advance in Midlight's Deep and find items, 
see the Midlight's Deep section of the walkthrough.


---Level 1: The Crevasse---
In this level, you start out at the top of a large cliff with a staircase-like 
path winding down it.  The enemies are all at the bottom, which gives you a big 
height advantage.  It's easy to rain ranged attacks down on them.  (If you do 
want to use melee attacks, Ignore Elevation or other jump boosts are helpful 
for navigating the cliff and descending quickly.)  The enemies here are all 
weak jobs and monsters, so they shouldn't be that difficult.  (Sometimes
you'll get nothing but goblins!)  This a good warm-up for the tougher 
Midlight's Deep battles, though.

Remember to find the exit before you KO the last enemy.  Otherwise, you won't
be able to advance to the next level!

ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 2, Y: 2 | height:  7) Glacial Gun 
(X: 9, Y: 0 | height: 22) Blaze Gun
(X: 4, Y: 9 | height: 17) Kiyomori
(X: 6, Y: 0 | height: 20) Elixir


---Level 2: The Stair---
Despite the name, this floor isn't quite a stair.  Instead, it's a bumpy 
landscape full of variations in height.  (So, again, Ignore Elevation and jump
boosts are helpful.)  This level is a head-on confrontation between you and 
your opponents, who start quite close to you.  You do still have a bit of a 
height advantage, though.  

The enemy's forces are usually comprised of Archers, ahrimans, and skeletons.  
Since there are often multiple Archers, the Archer's Bane ability is quite 
helpful.  Having your own strong range attacks also lets you KO the Archers 
quickly.  Take out the Archers first, then go after the skeletons (their Anima
attacks can be pretty strong!), and finally the ahrimans.  Since you're being 
attacked by the full party at once, putting Disable or Chicken on some enemies 
or using Rend/Crush Weapon on humans will stop their attacks and give you some 
breathing room.

You may fight ghosts or goblins instead, which is usually an easier battle.  
Both groups of enemies are definitely toughter than those in The Crevasse, 
however.

ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 2, Y: 7 | height: 6) Blood Sword
(X: 6, Y:10 | height: 9) Elixir
(X: 8, Y: 1 | height: 1) Save the Queen
(X: 4, Y: 0­ | height: 0) Elixir


---Level 3: The Hollow---
The Hollow has a big chasm running through the center of it, dividing the map
into three separate regions.  Your party starts on a separate "island" from the
enemy squad and you can only cross with a jump.

If you bring a lot of characters with long-range attacks (guns, Arithmeticks,
Construct 8's Dispose), this should be fairly easy.  From your starting point,
guns and Dispose can hit almost all of the enemies.  Since they have to
navigate around the pits, you can just stand there and blast away.  Just Wait
instead of moving and you can get your next turn even faster.  Still, the
enemies will catch up with you eventually, so you'll want to bring along a good 
close-range fighter or two (like Orlandeau) as well.

Probably the most dangerous enemy here are the Mindflayers.  Their Mind Blast
ability can Berserk or Confuse you, and has enough range that it can reach
across the chasm.  Try to take them out first.  (Remember that Confused
characters can be cured by whacking them with a physical attack.  This doesn't
cure Berserk, though.)

You'll likely see some Black Mages as well, who can of course hit you with 
magick from a distance.  Stealing away their MP is one good way of dealing with
them.  A gun paired with Rend MP can do this from a long distance, and
Orlandeau's Duskblade has a decent range too.

ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 4, Y: 3 | height: 1.5) Elixir
(X: 8, Y: 6 | height: 0.5) Zeus Mace
(X: 7, Y:15 | height: 1.5) Elixir
(X: 2, Y: 9 | height: 4.5) Yoichi Bow


---Level 4: The Catacombs---
The Catacombs are actually just a big staircase that winds back and forth,
similar to The Crevasse (the first floor).  However, the staircase is longer
and each tier is separated by a chasm, so you can't jump straight down.

Depending on the enemies you face, this level can either be easy or pretty 
challenging.  There are three main types of enemies you'll face here: Malboros,
Aevises, and Mystics.  The Malboros are the easiest.  They're slow, don't have
ranged attacks, and tend to bunch up in groups.  You can take your time
advancing against them and attack them with wide-range attacks (e.g. Hallowed
Bolt).

The other enemies are tougher.  The Aevises will quickly fly up the stairs to
attack you and can fly over your front line to attack the magick-/item-users in
the back.  The Mystics can also be a pain since they will put lots of status
conditions on you and often start near your team.  If you have any Hair
Adornments to equip on your female characters, they will protect against lots
of potential status ailments.  Attack the Mystics first since they have less HP 
and you can probably KO them the fastest.  Attack the Aevises second and save
any Malboros for last.

The exit is almost always towards the end of path, as are most of the items.
This can make them difficult to reach if the enemy squad confronts you head-on.
You'll probably have the best luck finding everything when you're fighting the
Malboros and have plenty of room and time for navigation.

ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X:12, Y: 2 | height: 7) Elixir
(X: 4, Y: 8 | height: 4) Rod of Faith
(X: 5, Y:10 | height: 4) Kaiser Shield
(X: 5, Y: 9 | height: 6) Faerie Harp


---Level 5: The Oubliette---
The Oubliette is basically a "king of the hill" scenario.  You're up on top of 
a hill which is surrounded by loads of enemies.  There's only one path up (or
down) the hill, which loops counterclockwise around the cliff.  Note that the 
Excalibur is hidden right on the top of the hill, where you start.  Be sure to 
pick this one up ... the permanent Haste is very useful!  If you have Reequip, 
you can even arm yourself it with it right away.  

Of course, it's possible to launch attacks down at the enemies from atop the
the cliff, but it's trickier than it looks.  The angle is so steep that guns
probably won't work.  Your best best is probably just to wind your way down the
trail.  For the most part, you'll be on the opposite side of the hill as the
enemies and they can't hit you anyways.  Do be careful when you're descending
the initial ramp, though.  If you stand close to the edge of the cliff, any 
enemy Archers or Summoners CAN hit you from below.

Because the trail is pretty narrow, it can get hard to see where your 
characters are, or how far your moving/targeting range extends.  Don't forget
that you can rotate the "camera" by tapping the analog stick (in the lower-left
of the PSP) left or right.  This will often help you get a better view.
Pressing the R button on top of the PSP will also tilt the camera angle.

After you've made a couple turns around the hill and end up facing the irection 
you did when you started the level, you'll come to a pass that's only two tiles
wide.  This is the best place to fight.  You can just send Divine Ruinations 
or Shockwaves down this corridor and rip the enemies.  (If you have both Agrias 
and Orlandeau you can cover the entire pass with Divine Ruinations.)  

Another tactic is the to block the full width of the pass with Invisible 
characters.  (Ninja Gear, Septie`me perfume, and the Invisibility Cloak can all 
make characters Invisible.)  The enemies can't walk past your Invisible 
characters, and because you're Invisible, they won't be able to attack you
either.  Then, you can just have the rest of your team launch magicks or sword 
techniques at the enemies from behind your "invisible wall."

Any White Mages you encounter are actually the most dangerous enemies here, as
they will keep healing and Raising the other enemies.  Kill them first.  If the 
enemy team is nothing but various sorts of dryads, it's much easier.

With all the carnage going on, finding the exit can be tough.  Try using Ignore 
Elevation and jumping down to the far end of the path right away.  This works
best if the character is Invisible or otherwise has a good defense, as s/he is
otherwise likely to get surrounded and KOed.

ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 4, Y: 8 | height: 18) Excalibur
(X: 0, Y:11 | height: 11) Elixir
(X: 6, Y:11 | height:  7) Iga Blade
(X: 6, Y: 0 | height:  1) Elixir


---Level 6: The Palings---
The Palings seems really small at first, but scroll around to see the whole 
picture.  It's a mostly flat level with three big rock ridges.  Select a long 
range attack to get a feel for where they are.  Since you can't move over or
through the ridges (even with Ignore Elevation), you'll have to wind your way 
around them.  A much better strategy, though, is to just cast magick *through* 
them, while the enemies are still trying to navigate around them.  Sword 
techniques and summon spells work great for this purpose.  You can even use 
Jump to attack over the walls.  Using Invisible characters to block the passage
works here, too (see The Oubliette, above).

As in The Oubliette, it can often get pretty hard to see where you're going, so
rotate the camera to keep track of where the enemies are and where you can
move.

Sometimes, you'll encounter a slew of Vampire Cats here.  They like to use 
Blaster to turn you to stone, so you may want to equip Jade Armlets for
protection just in case, or at least bring a supply of Gold Needle or Remdies.

Note that all the hidden items are right in the starting corner -- there's no 
reason not to pick them up!  (If you start on top of one the item tiles, you
have to first move to another tile and then move to the item tile before you
can get the item to appear.)

ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 0, Y: 9 | height: 5) Elixir
(X: 0, Y: 8 | height: 5) Blaster
(X: 1, Y, 8 | height: 5) Cursed Ring
(X: 1, Y: 9 | height: 5) Ninja Gear


---Level 7: The Crossing---
The Crossing is a mostly flat level with a big rock ridge running through the 
middle.  There's a small gap running through the ridge (the Crossing, I 
suppose) that separates it into two smaller cliffs.  

You start off next to one of the ends of the ridge.  Most of the time, the
enemies will all be clustered around the other cliff.  Advance forwards and
start fighting them, using height to your advantage where you can.  Again,
because you're often fighting a large group at once, abilities that quickly
put an enemy out of commission (e.g. Chicken or Arm Shot) are helpful.

Sometimes, the enemies will be more spread out across the level.  Advance 
foward just the same and cross the level on the level ground.  Trying to climb 
over the ridge is just liable to get your characters separated and surrounded.

There's actually not much need to climb up onto the top of the ridge except to 
find the items stashed up there.  Most of the items (including the two rare
weapons) are atop the cliff that you start beside.  To get up there, from the 
starting point, move forward a little bit, then move sideways into the gap 
through the ridge.  From here, you can jump on top of the ridge, but you'll
need a Jump of 5.  If you need a boost, use Construct 8 or another large
monster as a stepping stool.  (Remember, of course, that you can't combine 
Ignore Elevation with Treasure Hunter.)

ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 4, Y: 4 | height: 12) Elixir
(X: 4, Y:10 | height: 13) Staff of the Magi
(X: 4, Y:12 | height: 12) Koga Blade
(X: 4, Y:14 | height: 10) Elixir


---Level 8: The Switchback---
This level has two tiers.  You start on the high one and have to cross it,
descend a stair, and fight back across the lower tier (hence the name "The
Switchback.")  As in other levels like The Oubliette, the decline is so steep
that it's pretty hard to shoot downwards, so you're better off heading for
the stairs.

Often times, you'll encounter a swarm of Archers (and nothing but!) here, so
readying Archer's Bane beforehand is a good strategy.  This fight isn't too
tough since the Archers can't do all THAT much damage (and often take time
charging up Aim).

On other occasions, you'll fight very powerful monsters -- behemoth, dragons,
and hydras (oh my!).  When you see these guys, you may want to forestall 
hunting for items or the exit and just focus on surviving. 

ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 4, Y: 6 | height: 3) Perseus Bow
(X: 6, Y: 7 | height: 3) Lordly Robe
(X: 9, Y: 8 | height: 3) Ragnarok
(X:10, Y:10 | height: 3) Elixir


---Level 9: The Interstice---
The Interstice has a tricky layout.  You start on one of two pillars.  (There's
also a tiny mini-pillar in between the two pillars.)  Parallel to the pillars
is a flat plateau area where the enemies often start.  The terrain in between
and on the other side of the pillars is flat.

The enemies often start on top of the plateau.  From their position here, they
will launch spells and arrows up at you.  If you stand on the side of the 
pillar closest to them, you can hit them back with some ranged attacks.  To 
really attack them (and to use any close-range abilities), though, you'll need 
to take down the long route down to their plateau.  Jump across the mini-pillar
to the other pillar.  From here, there's a staircase down to the plateau.

You should probably hurry for the staircase as quickly as you can.  While you
CAN attack from the top of the pillars, it's too crowded to move around, making
it difficult to target the enemies you want.  Start moving across the pillars
as fast as you can.  You *could* also use Ignore Elevation to jump down to
the plateau, but this is pretty tricky because: (a) there's a hole in the 
corner of the map closest to where you start; the only route you can take is
directly down off the front of the pillar where you start and (b) the character 
is liable to get surrounded and killed quickly.  Only try this if you have a
pretty sturdy character with a lot of HP or a good reaction ability (e.g.
Shirahadori).

You'll also need to take the plateau route if you want to claim all the items
-- the Maximillian armor is located on the far end of the plateau, and the
Venetian Shield is down on the flat floor.  (The Grand Helm is up on the
pillars.)  All of these are definitely worth grabbing.

The specific enemies you face here, of course, vary.  Often times, you'll face
an assortment of Black Mages, Archers, Knights, and Chocobos.  Don't forget
that you can stop the Black Mages pretty quickly by stealing their MP --
Orlandeau's Duskblade works well for that.  Another set of enemies involves
Ninja and Samurai.  They're fairly easy.  If you're just looking to clear the
battle, kill the Ninjas first, since they can throw from a distance.  But, if
the Ninjas are at a high level (90+) they will throw rare weapons at you that
you can catch the Thief reaction ability Sticky Fingers.  Kill off the Samurai
first and then just sit around and let them throw weapons at you.

Finally, sometimes, instead of the Ninja and Samurai convention, you get 
dragons and Cockatrices.  This is tough.   Try to stay in a tight group on the 
pillars and use your best attacks.  Attack the Cockatrices first, then go for 
the dragons closest to you.

Note that with all enemy groups, some of the enemies can sometimes be very hard 
to see, if they slip in between the pillars or between the pillar and plateau.
Try to track where they're moving so you don't forget about them if you can't
see them on the screen.

Finding the exit in this level can be tricky.  It's often on the flat "flooor"
below the pillars and plateau.  Your best best is to put Ignore Elevation on
an invisible character and immediately to quickly from the starting pillar down
to the flat ground.  If you don't have the items/abilities for that, you'll
have to take the very long route: hop across the pillars, descend to the
plateau, cross the plateau, and THEN reach the set of stairs down the floor.

ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X: 3, Y: 4 | height: 8) Grand Helm
(X: 3, Y: 5 | height: 2) Venetian Shield
(X: 9, Y: 0 | height: 4) Maximillian
(X: 3, Y:10 | height: 2) Elixir


---Level 10: Terminus---
YOUR FORCES: Ramza, the Byblos [guest], 4 others
ENEMY FORCES: Elidibus [Serpentarius], Reaver x6

Note that the battle with Elidibus is considered a story battle; you'll have to 
deploy Ramza the first time you visit here.  If you want to learn the Zodiark
summon spell (and this is your only opportunity to do so), you'll need to 
deploy someone who is a Summoner (which can be Ramza or someone else).

There's no exit to find here, just a confrontation with Elidibus and a whole 
pile of Reavers.  Elidibus is at the top of a spiral staircase; you'll have to 
fight your way up past the Reavers to reach him.  

The enemy Reavers are gray.  The purple monster behind you, the Byblos, is NOT 
an enemy; its a Guest fighting on your side.  Don't kill it; it's your friend!  
(The personal name of the Byblos is random, but it can be identified by its
"Byblos" monster type and purple color.)  The Byblos is pretty slow-moving, but 
it can heal you from afar.  Keep it alive and it will join you afterwards.

Begin fighting your way up the stairs.  The Reavers aren't hard to kill; sword
techniques or Dual Wielded physical attacks work wonders.  Since their Bio
spells take time to charge, you can often KO them before they can even cast the
spell.  The Bio spells don't do all that much HP damage.  However, they can 
inflict a variety of status ailments, so bring an ability like Esuna or 
Purification to remove these -- Purification is especially helpful since it 
doesn't need to charge.

You can probably Elidibus quickly.  Elidibus's main attack is the extremely 
powerful Zodiark summon (700+ damage).  It's obvious when he's going to cast it 
from the humongous damage estimates -- plus it takes a long time to charge. 
Get out of the way if you can!  Split your team up so he can't take out too
many at one time.

Once you've gotten past the Reavers, healing is pretty much pointless because 
Zodiark will basically kill you no matter how much HP you have.  (And, if 
you're using Beowulf, keeping his HP low will allow Vengeance to do more 
damage!)  Do, however, revive KOed characters.   Angel Rings and Chantage will 
be quite useful in this battle as they let you recover from the inevitable KO.  
(Angel Rings work only once; Chantage works multiple times.)  Another tactic is
to use the Mystic ability Disbelief or Beowulf's Doubt to give your characters
the Atheist status, which temporarily reduces your Faith to 0 and makes you
immune to magick.  Atheist status also renders your own magick useless, though,
so you WON'T want to put it on any magick-users in your team.  (Atheist status
also prevents you from learning the Zodiark spell; see below.)  A final tactic 
to survive Zodiark is to pair Construct 8 with one or more characters with 
Chantage.  Construct 8 has a permanent Atheist status, so Zodiark won't
KO it, and as long it's alive, the Chantage characters will revive themselves.
(Unfortunately, since Construct 8 is slow and takes a long time to get across
the battlefield, it may not be all that much help with the actual fighting.)

While Zodiark is Elidibus's main attack, you'll also need to watch out for his
Poisonous Frog, which turns characters into toads (and poisons them), rendering
them usueless.  For female characters, equipping any Cachushas or Ribbons you 
have may be a good idea as they will protect you from both Poison and Toad 
status.  Alternately, you can just use Esuna or Purification to remove the 
status -- Purification is especially helpful since it doesn't need to charge.

When you reach Elidibus, attack him with your strongest abilities -- preferably
ones that hit from a distance so that he can't counterattack you.  Sword
techniques, as always, are great.  He's particularly vulnerable while charging 
Zodiark, so be sure to attack him at these times.  Attack Boost will also help
you do more damage quickly.  The key to this battle is mostly just surviving 
Zodiark; if you can keep one or two heavy hitters alive, you can fell him
fairly quickly.

You can learn Zodiark if Elidibus casts it on a Summoner and the Summoner 
survives the spell.  (Coming back to life with Reraise doesn't count; the 
Summoner must NOT be KOed by the spell.)  When this happens, there's a random 
probability (high but not 100%) that you'll learn the spell.  The easiest way 
to learn the spell is to equip the Time Mage ability Mana Shield and make sure
your Bravery is reasonably high.  As long as you have at least 1 MP, this 
ability (when activated) causes all attacks to damage only your MP instead of 
HP.  So, being hit with Zodiark will empty out your MP, but leave the character 
standing.  If you don't learn the spell on your first attempt, use an Ether or 
Chakra to get back at least 1 MP and try again.  If you don't have Mana Shield, 
an alternate method is to put Equip Heavy Armor on the Summoner to get his or
her HP as high as possible, then start hitting Elidibus with Rend Magick as 
many times as you can (preferably using a gun, bow, or polearm to attack from a 
distance, so that he can't counterattack).  This will lower his magick power 
and decrease the amount of damage Zodiark can do, potentially allowing your 
Summoner to withstand the spell without Mana Shield.  (Mana Shield is only 400 
JP, though, so it's not too tough to learn.)  Using the Atheist status to
temporarily reduce your Faith to 0 will NOT work; your Summoner must take at
least 1 HP damage from Zodiark in order to learn it.  (Of course, it's fine to
cast Atheist on all your other characters if you want.)

Elidibus has 2600-2700 HP.  If you are trying to learn Zodiark, keep track of
how much damage you're doing and don't hurt him too much until you learn the 
spell.  You don't want to kill him on accident.  (Remember, this battle is your 
only chance to learn Zodiark.)

The four hidden items are all located on the platform where Elidibus starts.
You'll have a much easier time finding them if you come back AFTER you beat
him, instead of trying to get them during the battle with Elidibus.

ITEM LOCATIONS:
(X:10, Y: 7 | height: 15) Chaos Blade
(X:12, Y: 5 | height: 15) Chirijiraden
(X:12, Y: 7 | height: 15) Elixir
(X:10, Y: 5 | height: 15) Elixir


*******************************************************************************
VI. JOBS                                                                 00job0
*******************************************************************************

---General Information About Jobs----------------------------------------------

---EQUIPPING ABILITIES---
Each job has a category of Action Abilities (e.g. "Black Magick" or "Steal").
This category of abilities is always available for use by the job.  In
addition, each job can equip one other job's Action Ability category.  So, you 
can have a Black Mage with the Knight's Arts of War ability, or a Samurai who 
uses both her inherent Iaido ability plus the Chemists' Items ability.

Each job can also equip one Reaction Ability, one Support Ability, and one
Movement Ability.  Note that the Reaction/Support/Movement Abilities that a job
can learn are NOT automatically available (with a few exceptions noted below).
You must use your slots to equip them!

The exception to all of the above is the Onion Knight job, which can't equip 
any abilities at all.

---JOBS & STATS---
A character's current stats are, of course, partially determined by his or her
current level, as well as by the jobs you used to level up with in the past.
(Note that you can use job effects on level ups as a way of grinding your 
characters' stats even higher.  See Level Downs & Stat Grinding under
Statistics and Leveling for more information.)

But, a character's CURRENT job also plays a big role in determining your 
current stats.  Black Mages have high MP and magick strength, but a weak 
physical attack.  Thieves are speedy but don't have much HP.  Below, I've
given rough approximations of each job's stats on a scale of 1 star (poor) to
5 stars (excellent).

Three stats do not change with level ups and depend only on your current job
plus your accessories/equipment. Movement range is the number of tiles a
character can move per turn.  Jump height is the maximum height distance 
between tiles that a character can traverse while moving.  (Additionally, when
faced with a gap, characters can make horizontal jumps equal to half their Jump 
height.)  Finally, each job has a inherent evade rate for physical attacks.
Note that this inherent evade rate is only good against attacks from the front.
(By contrast, shields can also evade attacks from the side, and cloaks can
evade attacks from all directions.)

Note that even though the status screen has a space for an inherent magikal
evade rate, all controllable jobs have a 0% basic magick evade.  The only way
to evade magick is to equip shields or accessories.

---UNLOCKING JOBS---
Aside from Squire and Chemist, jobs must be unlocked.  In order to use a given
job, a character must first gain Job Levels with other jobs.  For example, to
switch to the White Mage job, a character must have Chemist at job level 3 or
higher.  (The requirements for each job are listed in the charts below.)

Job Levels are determined by the TOTAL amount of JP you've earned with a given
job.  Spending JP to purchase abilities does NOT decrease this total.  So, a
character who's earned 730 JP with Samurai would have a Samurai job level of 4,
even if he's spent 500 of those JP on abilities.

Job Level 1         0 JP total
Job Level 2       200 JP total
Job Level 3       400 JP total
Job Level 4       700 JP total
Job Level 5      1100 JP total
Job Level 6      1600 JP total
Job Level 7      2200 JP total
Job Level 8      3000 JP total
Mastered         All abilities learned

Note that it's possible to Master a job even if your job level is less than 8.
Squire, Geomancer, and some special jobs require less than 3000 JP to Master,
and you can Master other jobs with less than 3000 JP if you learn a lot of 
abilities from crystals.  Your Job Level is actually independent of whether
you've Mastered the job and continues to go up until it reaches 8, even if
you've already Mastered the job.  Keep this in mind, because most jobs unlock
based on JOB LEVELS, not on Mastered jobs.  (For instance, Dark Knight requires 
you to have job level 8 with Geomancer, even though you can master Geomancer
with only job level 7!)

The Job Level for Onion Knight is determined by the number of other jobs that 
you've Mastered.  Mime always has Job Level 1.  Both Onion Knight and Mime are
always Mastered.

---SPECIAL JOBS---
Some story characters that join your party have special jobs available for
that character.  They aren't available to generic characters.  In all cases 
where a story character has a special job, the special job replaces the Squire 
job for that character.  For more on these special jobs, see the Special Jobs
portion of the job/ability list, below.


---Deciphering the Charts------------------------------------------------------
A few (well, many) words of explanation about the job & ability charts below.

---ACTION ABILITIES---
MP: Action Abilities first list the MP cost of each ability.  If no MP cost is 
listed, the ability doesn't require MP to use.

REFLECT & ARITHMETICKS: For magick, you may see an "R" and/or an "A" after its 
MP cost.  "R" means the spell can be reflected -- if it's cast on a character 
who has the Reflect status, the spell will bounce off and might even strike 
another target!  "A" means it can be cast using the Arithmetician's 
Arithmeticks ability.

SPEED: Next comes the Speed ("SPD") of the ability.  This determines how long 
the ability takes to charge up.  The SMALLER the number, the LONGER it takes to 
charge.  If no number is listed, the ability is used instantaneously and 
doesn't need to charge.

RANGE: Two numbers are listed for Range ("RNG").  The first ("H") is the 
horizontal range in tiles -- how many tiles away can the target be?  Usually, 
you'll see a number.  You might also see "Weapon" instead, which means the
range of the ability is equal to the range of the user's current weapon.  
"4Dir" means "4 directions"; the ability reaches only in the cardinal 
directions and extends the length of its effect radius (see below).  The second 
number under Range ("V") is the vertical range.  Some abilities can only target 
characters who are within a certain height of the caster.  A * displayed here 
means the ability has an infinite vertical range and can target characters at 
any height (most abilities actually fall into this category).

EFFECT RADIUS: Many abilities affect not just the character targeted, but 
nearby tiles as well.  This is the "Effect Radius" of the ability, and is 
listed under "RAD".  Again, the first number is the horizontal radius -- how 
wide is the effect radius in terms of # of map tiles?  (An ability with a 
radius of 1 targets only one tile; a greater radius target more.)  The second 
number is the vertical radius.  In most cases, the effect radius only holds 
over tiles within a certain vertical height of the central target.

So, for instance, the spell Blizzaga has a range of 4/*.  This means that it
can target any unit within 4 panels of the caster, regardless of vertical
distance.  It also has an effect radius of 2/3.  This means that it has a
radius of horizontal size 2 -- it hits both the targeted tile and neighboring 
tiles that are 1 tile away.  The vertical radius is 3, so any neighboring tiles
that differ in height by more than 3 will NOT be part of the effect radius.

TARGETS: Target ("TAR") determines whether the ability affects only allies 
within in the effect radius, only foes, or both.  Continuing the Blizzara 
example, Blizzara target All units within the radius, meaning that both enemy 
units and your own allies will be affected.  Look out!

LINE OF FIRE: Finally, Line of Fire ("LF") displays whether the ability
requires an unobstructed line of fire between the user and the target.  If Y
(yes) is displayed here, the ability requires a direct line of fire and CANNOT
travel through other units or obstructions such as walls.  (If there is another
unit in the way, that unit will be hit instead!  See Shoot Enemies Next to You
under Various Tricks for tips on how to exploit this to your advantage.)  If N
(no) is displayed for Line of Fire, the ability does NOT require a direct line
of fire and works even if there are walls or other units in the way.  Of 
course, Line of Fire is irrelevant for abilities that affect only the user or
units in adjacent tiles, since there can't be any other obstacles in between.

---REACTION ABILITIES---
Reaction Abilities trigger when the character is hit by a specific kind of
action.  The action that triggers that the Reaction Ability is listed under
Trigger.  ("Critical HP" means when you have less than 20% of your max HP and 
the character is kneeling/crouching.)

Most Reaction Abilities don't always activate.  In most cases, the chance of a 
Reaction Ability activating is equal to the character's Bravery.  If "Yes" is 
displayed under Bravery ("BRV"), the chance of the Reaction Ability activating
is equal to your Bravery.  If "No" is displayed, Bravery does not affect the
Reaction Ability; the ability either ALWAYS works, or is affected by something
else listed in the description for that ability.

---SUPPORT AND MOVEMENT ABILITIES---
Support and Movement Abilities are pretty straightforward.

---INNATE ABILITIES---
Abilities marked with a + are automatically used by that that job and only 
needs to be equipped when you switch to another job.  For example, the Ninja 
doesn't need to equip Dual Wield to use two weapons.  You only need Dual Wield 
when you change to a different job and want to retain that ability.

---RECOMMENDED ABILITIES---
Some abilities have been marked with *.  A * here means the ability is (in my 
usually inaccurate opinion) one of the job's best.

%%%STANDARD JOBS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00job1

---SQUIRE----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : none
Needed for jobs : Knight (lv. 2), Archer (lv. 2), Onion Knight (lv. 6),
                  Mime (lv. 8)

Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, axes, flails         Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes                          Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 5%
  HP: ***     MP: ***     Phys. Atk.: ***    Mag. Atk.: **      Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Fundaments--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Focus *                  Slf 1/- Self -  300  Raises physical attack power by 1
                                                for duration of battle
Rush                     1/1 1/- Any  -  80   Weak physical attack, may knock 
                                                enemy back one tile; does
                                                variable damage (may be more or
                                                less than estimate)
Stone                    4/* 1/- Any  Y  90   Weak (ranged) physical attack, 
                                                may knock enemy back one tile;
                                                does variable damage (may be 
                                                more or less than estimate)
Salve                    1/2 1/- Any  -  150  Cures Blind, Silence, Poison

--Reaction Abilities--
                   TRIGGER        BRV JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Counter Tackle     Phys. attack   Yes 180  Counterattack using Rush

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Equip Axes +                          170  Equip Axes regardless of current job
Beastmaster                           200  Monsters in adjacent tiles gain an
                                             extra ability.  (Limited to
                                             vertical range of 3.)
Defend                                50   Allows use of Defend action to
                                             double evade rate for 1 turn
JP Boost *                            250  Raises JP received by the unit by
                                             50%

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Move +1 *                             200  Movement range + 1

JP to master: 1670

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Squires are what you'd expect from a starting job -- functional, but nothing 
all that special.  Their abilities are useful early on, but there aren't too
many that you'd use later on.  Move +1 is a great all-purpose movement ability
though, and definitely worth learning before you move on from Squire.  (Most
other jobs have a movement range of only 3, making it tough for them to keep
up with the battle.)  JP Boost is also great for helping you learn other 
abilities quickly, especially when you switch to a new job and need to gain 
levels quickly.  It's a great investment to learn JP Boost early on.

If you're into grinding levels, Focus and Stone are good abilities to use 
repeatedly to build up experience or JP.

---CHEMIST---------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : none
Needed for jobs : White Mage (lv. 2), Black Mage (lv. 2), Onion Knight (lv. 6),
                  Mime (lv. 8)

Equippable weapons: Knives, guns                         Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes                          Jump height    : 3
Innate ability: Throw Items                              Physical evade : 5%
Stats:
  HP: ***     MP: ***     Phys. Atk.: **     Mag. Atk.: **      Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Items--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Potion *                 1/* 1/- Any  Y  30   Can use Potions (restore 30 HP)
Hi-Potion *              1/* 1/- Any  Y  200  Can use Hi-Potions (restore 70 
                                                HP)
X-Potion *               1/* 1/- Any  Y  300  Can use X-Potions (restore 150 
                                                HP)
Ether                    1/* 1/- Any  Y  300  Can use Ethers (restore 20 MP)
Hi-Ether *               1/* 1/- Any  Y  400  Can use Hi-Ethers (restore 50 MP)
Elixir                   1/* 1/- Any  Y  900  Can use Elixirs (restore all HP &
                                                MP)
Antidote                 1/* 1/- Any  Y  70   Can use Antidotes (cures Poison)
Eye Drops                1/* 1/- Any  Y  80   Can use Eye Drops (cures Blind)
Echo Herbs               1/* 1/- Any  Y  120  Can use Echo Herbs (cures 
                                                Silence)
Maiden's Kiss            1/* 1/- Any  Y  200  Can use Maiden's Kisses (cures 
                                                Toad)
Gold Needle              1/* 1/- Any  Y  250  Can use Gold Needles (cures 
                                                Stone)
Holy Water               1/* 1/- Any  Y  400  Can use Holy Water (cures Undead 
                                                and Vampire)
Remedy *                 1/* 1/- Any  Y  700  Can use Remedies (cures Stone, 
                                                Blind, Confuse, Silence, Oil, 
                                                Toad, Poison, and Sleep)
Phoenix Down *           1/* 1/- Any  Y  90   Can use Phoenix Down (revives 
                                                KOed character with minimal HP)

Note 1: All Items abilities require you to have the corresponding item in your
inventory.  One item is consumed with each use.  Aside from Elixirs, all the
items can be bought at the Outfitter, although some do not become available 
until later in the game.

Note 2: The Throw Items ability (equippable, and also innate in the Chemist 
job) extends the range of all Items abilities from 1 to 4.

--Reaction Abilities--
                   TRIGGER        BRV JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Auto-Potion *      Any HP loss    Yes 400  Use weakest potion available on self

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Throw Items +*                        350  Increases horizontal range of Items 
                                             command from 1 to 4.
Safeguard *                           250  Equipment can't be broken or stolen
Reequip                               0    Allows use of Reequip action to
                                             change unit's equipment (but
                                             consumes turn)

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Treasure Hunter                       100  Allows you to discover any hidden
                                             items on the destination tile, 
                                             which are then added to your
                                             inventory.  Your chance of getting
                                             a more valuable item increases 
                                             with LOW Bravery.

JP to master: 5140

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Despite being a "basic" job, Chemists are great!  Items are great for healing
because they don't take any time to charge and never miss.  Ethers and
Hi-Ethers are also a convenient way to restore MP.  And, since the effect of 
items is fixed, you can assign the Items ability even to a character with low 
magic ability.  The only real downside is that items can only heal one 
character at a time.

Early in the game, Chemists make great healers.  Plus, once you're able to buy
guns (late in Chapter II), they have a good range attack, giving them something
else to do when the team doesn't need healing.

Be sure to learn Throw Items before you switch your Chemist to another job.
Otherwise, your items will only have a range of 1 and won't be much good at 
all.  (Chemists themselves don't need to learn Throw Items, as they have it as 
an intrinsic ability.)

It's pretty safe to skip the items that cure negative status (Eye Drops, etc.);
you don't have to face these status conditions all that often.  Save your JP
and just learn Remedy; once Remedies become available (midway through Chapter 
II) they duplicate the effects of ALL the other items.  The exception is Holy
Water, but there's pretty much only point where you have to worry about being
hit with the Undead or Vampire conditions.

Safeguard is an important support ability, especially later in the game when 
you have rare equipment that you can't buy in stores.  You don't want that 
being broken or stolen!  Although you don't need to equip Safeguard all the
time, it's good to have on hand for particular battles where the enemies are
apt to break your equipment.

The Treasure Hunter movement ability, on the other hand, isn't all that useful 
during the main game since most of the items you find from it are nothing
special.  However, in the game's sidequests, Treasure Hunter will net you some
rare items you can't find anywhere else, so at that point you'll definitely
want to have at least one character learn Treasure Hunter.  (Preferably someone
with low Bravery, as this increases your chance of getting good items with it.)

---KNIGHT----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Squire lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Monk (lv. 3), Samurai (lv. 4), Dark Knight (Mastered!)

Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords              Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes           Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 10%
  HP: ****    MP: ***     Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: **      Speed: ***  

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Arts of War--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Rend Helm                Weapon  Any  Y  300  Destroys target's headgear
Rend Armor               Weapon  Any  Y  400  Destroys target's armor
Rend Shield              Weapon  Any  Y  300  Destroys target's shield
Rend Weapon *            Weapon  Any  Y  400  Destroys target's weapon
Rend MP                  Weapon  Any  Y  250  Lowers target's MP
Rend Speed *             Weapon  Any  Y  250  Lowers target's speed
Rend Power               Weapon  Any  Y  250  Lowers target's phys. attack
Rend Magick              Weapon  Any  Y  250  Lowers target's mag. attack

When combined with the Dual Wield support ability, Arts of War fires twice per
use since the character is wielding two weapons.

--Reaction Abilities--
                   TRIGGER        BRV JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Parry                             No  200  Block physical attacks with weapon;
                                             rate of success is equal to 
                                             current weapon's Block Rate (see 
                                             weapon list).  Not effective
                                             against rear attacks.

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Equip Heavy Armor +*                  500  Can equip heavy armor + helmets
                                             regardless of job
Equip Shields +                       250  Can equip shields regardless of job
Equip Swords +*                       400  Can equip swords regardless of job
                                             (does not apply to knight's 
                                             swords)

--Movement Abilities--
none

JP to master: 3750

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
The Knight's greatest asset is not the Arts of War, but its fairly good
fighting stats and inherent ability to equip swords, heavy armor, and shields, 
a power that can be transfered to other jobs with its support abilities.  Equip
Heavy Armor helps make vulnerable jobs tougher, and Equip Sword is quite useful
for many of the story characters, who need to have a sword equipped in order to
use their special abilities.

Knights are also a good job late in the game, when you've learned all the 
abilities you want and now just want to maximize your characters' power.  They
have good HP and attack power, and are one of the few jobs that can equip 
knight's swords, the single-player game's most powerful weapons.  (The only 
other standard job that can use them is Dark Knight, which has quite a few 
prerequisites to unlock).  

The Arts of War abilities are only moderately useful as Knight.  They have
fairly low accuracy and if you're close enough to use them, you'll often want
to just start attacking and KO the enemy rather than mess with his/her stats.  
However, pairing Arts of War with a gun (e.g. by using the Orator's Equip Gun
ability) or the Archer's bows lets you use these attacks at a distance, which
makes them quite useful.  You can break your enemies' weapons before they can
get close enough to use them!

---ARCHER----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Squire lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Thief (lv. 3), Ninja (lv. 4)

Equippable weapons: Bows, crossbows                      Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, hats, clothes                 Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 10%
  HP: ***     MP: **      Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: **      Speed: ***  

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Aim--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Aim +1 *                 Weapon  Any  Y  100  Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +2 *                 Weapon  Any  Y  150  Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +3 *                 Weapon  Any  Y  200  Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +4                   Weapon  Any  Y  250  Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +5                   Weapon  Any  Y  300  Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +7                   Weapon  Any  Y  400  Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +10                  Weapon  Any  Y  700  Charge up attack for more damage
Aim +20                  Weapon  Any  Y  1200 Charge up attack for more damage

Each of these Aim abilities does more damage than the previous one, but also
takes longer to charge.  (e.g., Aim +4 does more damage than Aim +3).  Note
that if the enemy you're targeting moves while you're charging, your attack
will miss.

--Reaction Abilities--
                   TRIGGER        BRV JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Adrenaline Rush *  Any HP loss    Yes 900  Raise Speed by 1
Archer's Bane *    Arrow attack   Yes 450  Evade bow / crossbow attacks

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Equip Crossbows +                     350  Can equip crossbows regardless of 
                                             job (does not apply to regular
                                             bows)
Concentration *                       400  Prevents enemies from evading your
                                             physical attacks

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Jump +1                               200  Jump height + 1

JP to master: 5600

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Archers make a very valuable addition to your team early in the game, when you 
have few other range attacks.  Later in the game, as you acquire guns, sword 
techniques, and other ranged attacks, Archers become somewhat less useful.  For 
one thing, their Aim command is of limited value.  The high Aims (Aim +10, 
etc.) take too long to charge and there's rarely any enemy you can target with
them.  The short Aims will increase your damage a little and are worth using
when you have the chance, but don't increase your offense enough to make them
worth choosing over another command.

Archer's Bane, though, is a great reaction ability against enemy Archers -- 
with a high Bravery, you're almost impervious to arrows!  Since you'll fight 
Archers in quite a few battles throughout the game, this is a good ability to
learn early on.

Always equip your Archers with the 2-handed longbows rather than crossbows--
longbows do more damage, have a longer range, and don't need a direct line of
fire.  Crossbows do let you equip a shield at the same time, but since your 
Archers should be on the back line anyway, they don't need shields that much.  
Note that Archers are in fact the ONLY standard job that can equip longbows.  
The Equip Crossbows ability only let other jobs use crossbows (not longbows), 
which makes the ability of dubious value since crossbows are not so good.

---MONK------------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Knight lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Geomancer (lv. 4), Samurai (lv. 5)

Equippable weapons: none                                 Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Clothes                                Jump height    : 4
Innate ability: Brawler                                  Physical evade : 20%
Stats:
  HP: *****   MP: ***     Phys. Atk.: *****  Mag. Atk.: **      Speed: ****

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Martial Arts--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Cyclone                  Slf 2/0 Any  -  150  Non-elemental attack
Pummel                   1/1 1/- Any  -  300  Non-elemental attack, does
                                                variable damage (may be more or
                                                less than estimate)
Aurablast                3/3 1/- Any  Y  300  Non-elemental attack
Shockwave *             4Dir 8/2 Any  N  600  Earth attack
Doom Fist                1/0 1/- Any  -  300  Causes Doom status (enemy is KOed
                                                after 3 turns)
Purification *           Slf 2/0 Any  -  200  Removes Stone, Blind, Confuse,
                                                Silence, Berserk, Toad, Poison,
                                                Sleep, Immobilize, Disable
Chakra *                 Slf 2/0 Any  -  350  Restores some HP and MP
Revive *                 1/0 1/- Any  -  500  Revives KOed character with 
                                                minimal HP

--Reaction Abilities--
                   TRIGGER        BRV JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Critical:RecoverHP Critical HP    Yes 500  Restores HP completely
Counter *          Phys. Attack   Yes 300  Counter-attack with physical attack
First Strike *     Attack command Yes 1300 Cancels enemy's Attack command and
                                             you attack enemy instead (does not
                                             work against monsters)

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Brawler +*                            200  Raises unarmed attack strength

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Lifefont *                            300  Restores HP whenever you Move

JP to master: 5300

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Monks rock!  In my opinion, they have the best selection of abilities in the
game.  Shockwave and to a lesser extent Aurablast are decent offensive
abilities.  And, they have three healing abilities that don't require any
charge time: Chakra can restore HP *AND* MP to a group, Revive revives KOed
character and usually has an 80+% hit rate, and Purification cures a number of
status changes to a group.  Martial Arts is a great command to have as it gives
you both offensive and defensive abilities packed into one ability slot.  The
one caveat is that the healing abilities work only over a small vertical range
-- you can't Revive someone at a different height than you, for instance -- so
be mindful of that during battle.

Monks also have great reaction abilities.  Counter is a great reaction ability
to have in almost all situations.  Getting counterattacks in response to enemy
attacks lets you do a LOT more damage.  Against humans, First Strike is even 
better since it cancels the enemy's attack outright, but it's not effective 
against monster attacks -- so don't use it when you're traveling the map and
will just be facing random battles.  Critical: Recover HP can be moderately 
useful too since it can restore your HP to full and save a critically wounded
character, but many attacks can KO you outright and never even put you in
critical HP.  (So, Counter is usually better.)

Another advantage of Monks is that they have good stats: they have a strong
attack and are pretty speedy.  Consider pairing their attack with the Ninja's
Dual Wield to get two punches and double your damage!  Their only weakness is 
that they can't equip much in the way of armor, but Equip Heavy Armor can be a
good remedy for that.

---WHITE MAGE------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Chemist lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Mystic (lv. 3), Arithmetician (lv. 5)

Equippable weapons: Staves                               Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                   Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 5%
  HP: **      MP: *****   Phys. Atk.: ***    Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ****

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: White Magicks--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Cure *          6 RA 25  4/* 2/1 Any  N  50   Restores HP
Cura *          10RA 20  4/* 2/1 Any  N  180  Restores HP (more)
Curaga          16RA 15  4/* 2/2 Any  N  450  Restores HP (even more)
Curaja          20RA 10  4/* 2/3 Any  N  800  Restores HP (best)
Raise *         10RA 25  4/* 1/- Any  N  200  Revives KOed character with 
                                                 minimal HP
Arise *         20RA 10  4/* 1/- Any  N  600  Revives KOed character with full 
                                                 HP
Reraise *       16RA 15  3/* 1/- Any  N  1000 Gives Reraise status
                                                 (automatically return once 
                                                 from KO)
Regen *         8 RA 25  3/* 2/0 Any  N  350  Gives Regen status (restores HP 
                                                 each turn)
Protect         6 RA 25  3/* 2/0 Any  N  70   Gives Protect status (decreases
                                                 physical damage received)
Protectja       24   15  3/* 2/3 Any  N  600  Gives Protect status
Shell           6 RA 25  3/* 2/0 Any  N  70   Gives Shell status (decreases 
                                                 magick damage received)
Shellja         20   15  3/* 2/3 Any  N  600  Gives Shell status
Wall            24RA 25  3/* 1/- Any  N  400  Gives both Protect and Shell 
                                                 status
Esuna           18RA 34  3/* 2/2 Any  N  300  Cures Stone, Blind, Confuse, 
                                                 Silence, Berserk, Toad, 
                                                 Poison, Sleep, Immobilize, 
                                                 and/or Disable
Holy            56RA 17  5/* 1/- Any  N  600  Holy attack

--Reaction Abilities--
                   TRIGGER        BRV JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Regenerate *       Any HP loss    Yes 400  Gain Regen status (restores HP each
                                             turn)

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Arcane Defense *                      400  Lowers damage received from magick

--Movement Abilities--
none

JP to master: 7070

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
White Mages are, of course, a healing oriented job; Holy is their only real
offensive spell.  However, they tend not to be as effective on defense as
Chemists, since their spells consume MP and need time to charge up.  The charge
time is particularly problematic if an ally has just been hit for a lot of 
damage and you need to patch him/her up right away -- you might not have time
to wait!

What's GOOD about White Mages?  Well, they can heal more than one character at 
a time (since most of their spells affect more than one tile).  They can cast a 
few other "buffing" spells like Protect and Shell, though note these buffs can 
miss if you have low faith or magick power!  Their Arise spell is also capable
of restoring a character at full HP, which Phoenix Down or a Monk's Revive
cannot do.  They're also the fastest of the mage jobs.

Overall, though, the charge times and MP costs associated with White Magick 
make Chemists a better choice.  If you're likely to get any use out of White 
Mages, it's probably in the early stages of the game, when you'll frequently 
face barrages of weak attacks spread out against your team.  Then, the ability 
to heal multiple characters at once is important.

White Magick can also be used an offensive weapon against undead enemies,
though there aren't too many undead enemies and most are pretty easy anyway.
Besides, you can use Chemists' Items to hurt undead enemies too!

---BLACK MAGE------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Chemist lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Time Mage (lv. 3), Arithmetician (lv. 5), 
                  Dark Knight (Mastered!)

Equippable weapons: Rods                                 Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                   Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 5%
  HP: **      MP: *****   Phys. Atk.: **     Mag. Atk.: *****   Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Black Magicks--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Fire *          6 RA 25  4/* 2/1 All  N  50   Fire attack
Fira *          12RA 20  4/* 2/2 All  N  200  Fire attack (stronger)
Firaga *        24RA 15  4/* 2/3 All  N  500  Fire attack (even stronger)
Firaja          48   10  4/* 3/3 All  N  900  Fire attack (strongest)
Thunder *       6 RA 25  4/* 2/1 All  N  50   Lightning attack
Thundara        10RA 20  4/* 2/2 All  N  200  Lightning attack (stronger)
Thundaga *      24RA 15  4/* 2/3 All  N  500  Lightning attack (even stronger)
Thundaja        48   10  4/* 3/3 All  N  900  Lightning attack (strongest)
Blizzard *      6 RA 25  4/* 2/1 All  N  50   Ice attack
Blizzara *      12RA 20  4/* 2/2 All  N  200  Ice attack (stronger)
Blizzaga *      24RA 15  4/* 2/3 All  N  500  Ice attack (even stronger)
Blizzaja        48   10  4/* 3/3 All  N  900  Ice attack (strongest)
Poison          6 RA 34  4/* 2/2 All  N  150  Causes Poison status
Toad            12RA 20  3/* 1   All  N  500  Causes Toad status, or cures Toad
                                                status if target already a Toad
Death           24RA 10  4/* 1   All  N  600  Instant KO
Flare           60RA 15  5/1 1   All  N  1000 Non-elemental attack

--Reaction Abilities--
                   TRIGGER        BRV JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Magick Counter *   Magick attack  Yes 800  Counterattack w/ same spell

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Arcane Strength                       400  Raises magick damage

--Movement Abilities--
none

JP to master: 8400

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
When it comes to magick, Black Mages are the mythril standard -- they have a
lot of MP (second only to Summoner in standard jobs, and third to Summoners
and Beowulf's Templar job overall), and THE highest magick strength of any job.
Plus, they can equip rods that boost their magick abilities even further, and
their Arcane Strength makes their magick do more damage.  In other words, the 
magick abilities of other jobs get even stronger when used by a Black Mage -- 
so a great strategy is to learn spells from other jobs, then turn your 
characters into Black Mages.  (Or, even better, learn Arithmeticks and then
turn into a Black Mage so you can cast ALL spells at high power!)  They're the 
best magick job available.

So, how about Black Mages' own spells?  Well, Black Magick tend to be pretty 
useful--especially early in the game, when you have few other abilities that 
can attack multiple enemies.  Against monsters, you can also use Black Magick
to exploit their elemental weaknesses (check the Monsters section below to see
what they are).

Later in the game, Black Magick isn't quite as effective since you have other 
ways of attacking groups of enemies that don't consume MP and don't need to 
charge (e.g., sword techniques, Iaido).  Plus, the strongest Black Magick 
spells take a while charge, although the Time Mage's Swiftness support ability 
is one remedy for this -- or you could use Arithmeticks, which lets you cast 
spells without charge time.  Note that the -ja spells CANNOT be used with 
Arithmeticks, so if you're using Arithmeticks, you'll probably want to learn
Flare first.  (On the other hand, -ja spells can't be reflected, so even if
an enemy has Reflect, you can use -ja spells to still attack with magick.)

Magick Counter is also a good reaction ability when faced when lots of enemy
mages.

---TIME MAGE-------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Black Mage lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Summoner (lv. 3), Arithmetician (lv. 4)

Equippable weapons: Staves                              Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                  Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                  Physical evade : 5%
  HP: **      MP: *****   Phys. Atk.: *      Mag. Atk.: ****    Speed: *** 

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Time Magicks--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Haste  *        8 RA 50  3/* 2/0 Any  N  100  Causes Haste status
Hasteja         30   15  3/* 2/3 Any  N  600  Causes Haste status
Slow  *         8 RA 50  3/* 2/0 Any  N  80   Causes Slow status
Slowja          30RA 15  3/* 2/3 Any  N  600  Causes Slow status
Stop  *         14RA 15  3/* 2/0 Any  N  350  Causes Stop status
Immobilize *    10RA 34  3/* 2/1 Any  N  100  Causes Immobilize status
Float           8 RA 50  4/* 2/1 Any  N  200  Causes Float status
Reflect *       12RA 50  4/* 1   Any  N  300  Causes Reflect status
Quick *         24R  25  4/* 1   Any  N  900  Fills CT gauge - instant turn!
Gravity         24RA 17  4/* 2/1 Any  N  250  Damage = 1/4 of user's max HP
Graviga         50RA 10  4/* 2/3 Any  N  550  Damage = 1/2 of user's max HP
Meteor          70   5   4/* 4/3 Any  N  1500 Non-elemental magick attack

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Critical: Quick *    Critical HP  Yes 800  Fills CT gauge to 100; instant turn!
Mana Shield *        Any HP loss  Yes 400  Damage dealt only to MP instead of 
                                             HP if MP >0

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Swiftness *                           1000 Speeds spell/ability charge time

--Movement Abilities--
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Teleport                              650  Teleport to any square when moving
                                             regardless of move range or
                                             obstacles in the way.  Chance of
                                             failure increases with longer move
                                             distance.
Levitate                              540  Permanent Float status

JP to master: 8920

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Time Mages mostly play a support role, casting spells to assist allies or keep
the enemies from acting.  These abilities can be quite useful, but it's 
probably a good idea to have another ability ready set from another job (e.g. 
another magick command) to supplement them with more conventional offense or
defense.  The Samurai's Iaido, if available, is also a good choice since it's
boosted by the Time Mage's high magick attack but saves your MP for Time 
Magick.  Having good magick stats (Magick Attack and Faith) is also important
so that your Hastes and Slows are likely to succeed.

Meteor and the Gravity spells can also be good attack spells, but they can be 
somewhat slow, especially Meteor.  (Gravity and Graviga are particular useful
against major bosses since they are helpful in cutting down the bosses' large
HP totals.)  Try first casting Immobilize to keep enemies from running out of 
your way out of your Meteor.  The Time Mage's own Swiftness support ability 
also speeds the charge time of these spells.  It's good for Time Magicks as 
well as for Summons and Cloud's Limit attacks.

A great ability to transfer to other jobs is the Mana Shield reaction ability,
which makes damage go to your MP instead of your HP as long as you have at 
least 1 MP.  This isn't so good for magick users since it quickly drains your
MP, but it can be great on physical fighters who weren't going to use their MP
anyway -- especially if you pair it with Manafont or another ability that lets
you recover MP quickly.  Mana Shield is also very helpful in surviving the
Zodiark summon in order to learn it (see Summoner, below).

On the other hand, the Teleport movement ability isn't quite as great as it 
seems.  While you can conceivably warp long distances with it, the further 
you're teleporting, the greater the likelihood the teleport will fail and 
you'll end up back where you started, unable to move at all that turn.

---SUMMONER--------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Time Mage lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Bard (lv. 5), Mime (lv. 5)

Equippable weapons: Staves, rods                         Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                   Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 5%
  HP: **      MP: *****   Phys. Atk.: *      Mag. Atk.: ****    Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Summon--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Moogle          8    34  4/* 3/2 Ally N  110  "Moogle Charm": Restores HP
Shiva           24   15  4/* 3/2 Foe  N  200  "Glacial Shards": Ice magick 
                                                attack
Ramuh *         24   15  4/* 3/2 Foe  N  200  "Judgment Bolt": Lightning magick 
                                                attack
Ifrit           24   15  4/* 3/2 Foe  N  200  "Infernal Blaze": Fire magick 
                                                attack
Titan *         30   10  4/* 3/2 Foe  N  220  "Gaia's Wrath": Earth magick 
                                                attack
Golem *         40   25   All allies  N  500  "Earthen Wall": Blocks physical 
                                                attacks targeting allies until 
                                                its HP damage limit is reached
Carbuncle       30   20  4/* 3/2 Ally N  350  "Ruby Light": Gives Reflect 
                                                status
Bahamut         60   7   4/* 4/3 Foe  N  1600 "Megaflare": Non-elemental attack
Odin            50   8   4/* 4/3 Foe  N  900  "Obliteration": Non-elemental 
                                                attack
Leviathan       48   8   4/* 4/3 Foe  N  860  "Tidal Wave": Water magick attack
Salamander      48   8   4/* 3/2 Foe  N  860  "Wyrmfire": Fire magick attack
Sylph *         26   15  4/* 3/2 Foe  N  400  "Whispering Wind": Inflicts
                                                 Silence status
Faerie *        28   15  4/* 3/2 Ally N  400  "Fey Light": Restores HP
Lich *          40   10  4/* 3/2 Foe  N  600  "Descending Darkness": Dark 
                                                attack; does damage equal to
                                                1/2 of target's maximum HP but
                                                may miss
Cyclops         62   9   4/* 3/2 Foe  N  1000 "Climactic Fear": Non-elemental 
                                                attack
Zodiark *       99   6   4/* 4/3 Foe  N  n/a  "Darkening Cloud": Non-elemental 
                                                attack

When Summons are used, a special attack name (not just the name of the sword) 
is displayed -- these are listed in quotation marks above.

The Zodiark summon cannot be purchased with JP; it must be learned from the 
boss on the last floor of the bonus dungeon.  See the Midlight's Deep battle 
strategies for more tips on how to learn it.

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Critical:Recover MP  Critical HP  Yes 400  Restores MP to maximum

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Halve MP *                            1000 Halves MP cost of abilities

--Movement Abilities--
none

JP to master: 9800

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
While summons don't have quite the power in FF Tactics as they do in some other 
FF games, they're still strong.  Plus, they have a wide effect radius, and, 
unlike Black and White Magick, don't hurt your teammates or heal the enemies.  
The Summon command also offers you a nice mix of both offensive abilities and a 
few defensive ones: Moogle and Faerie restore HP, and the very useful Golem 
summon blocks all enemy physical attacks for a while.  The Lich summon is also 
particularly effective against many of the game's major bosses; it always takes
away half their maximum HP despite their high HP totals.

The disadvantages of Summons are that they take quite a while to charge and
cost a fair amount of MP.  The former could be remedied with the Time Mage's
Swiftness ability, which shortens charge time.  MP costs can be dealt with 
using the Summoner's own Halve MP support ability to decrease MP costs, with 
equipment that boosts your max MP (all robes, and some hats), or with the
Chemists's Ethers & Hi-Ethers.  There are also some abilities that let you gain 
MP from your enemies: The Mystic's Absorb MP lets you absorb MP from enemy 
spells, or you could also pair Summon with Mystic Arts to use Empowerment to 
steal enemy's MP.  (Orlandeau's Duskblade and Beowulf's Syphon can also steal 
MP.)  Unfortunately, you can't equip *both* Swiftness and Halve MP as they use 
the same support ability slot, but you could pair Swiftness with MP-boosting 
equipment, Items, Empowerment, or Absorb MP.

---THIEF-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Archer lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Dragoon (lv. 4), Ninja (lv. 5)

Equippable weapons: Knives                               Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes                          Jump height    : 4
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 25%
  HP: ***     MP: *       Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: *       Speed: ****

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Steal--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Steal Gil                1/1 1/- Foe  -  10   Steal small amount of gil
Steal Heart *            3/1 1/- Foe  N  150  Inflicts Charm; only effective on
                                                monsters and opposite sex
Steal Helm *             1/1 1/- Foe  -  350  Steal target's helmet
Steal Armor *            1/1 1/- Foe  -  450  Steal target's armor
Steal Shield *           1/1 1/- Foe  -  350  Steal target's shield
Steal Weapon *           1/1 1/- Foe  -  600  Steal target's weapon
Steal Accessory          1/1 1/- Foe  -  500  Steal target's accessory
Steal EXP                1/1 1/- Foe  -  250  Steal target's current EXP

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Vigilance            Any HP loss  Yes 200  Enter into "Defend" state (doubles
                                             evade rates)
Gil Snapper          Any HP loss      200  Receive gil equal to HP lost
Sticky Fingers       Throw            200  Blocks Ninja's Throw attack; thrown
                                             item is added to your inventory!

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Poach *                               200  Monsters KOed with physical attack
                                             are poached and disappear from the 
                                             map; item becomes available at
                                             Poachers' Den

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Move +2 *                             560  Movement range + 2
Jump +2                               500  Jump height + 2

JP to master: 4520

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Thieves are poor at magick and only moderately strong physically.  But, boy,
are they fast!  Their movement range and jump height are both 4, so they can
get across the map quickly.  

This job is useful mainly for its abilities.  Stealing your opponents'
equipment not only cripples them, but adds items to your inventory--and this is
the best way to get a number of rare items!  If you like getting rare items, 
you'll also want Poach; many pieces of equipment can only be obtained through
poaching monsters.  (A side note about Poach: this also has the advantage of
removing monsters' bodies from the map, preventing them from getting revived.)

You could just learn the crucial Steal abilities and then move onto other job.
Ninja, in particular, might be a good to graduate your Thief too, since the 
success of Steal is affected by your speed--and Ninjas are even faster than 
Thieves!

When Thieves aren't stealing, they can also fight.  Since they can only equip 
knives, though, their offense can be somewhat weak on its own.  You may want to 
use an ability like Equip Axes or Equip Swords to bolster their offense.

If you're planning on using Steal Heart at all, a female Thief is somewhat more
advantageous to have than a male Thief, as Steal Hearts works on the opposite
gender and there are somewhat more male enemies than female ones.

Move +2 is also a great movement ability and makes characters quite a bit more
mobile.  Note that this ability supercedes the Squire's Move +1 in every way
-- there's absolutely no trade-off or downside to selecting Move +2 over Move
+1 once you've learned +2.

The Thief's reaction abilities, on the other hand, tend not to be too useful.  
Gil Snapper is worthless as the amount of gil you receive from it is so small--
the same goes for Steal Gil.  Sticky Fingers is not particularly useful for the 
bulk of the game as you won't fight too many Ninjas, but can be used in the
optional sidequests to harvest rare weapons from high-level enemy Ninjas.  So,
again, if you like rare items, Thief is your job :)

---ORATOR----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Mystic lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Bard (lv. 5), Mime (lv. 5)

Equippable weapons: Knives, guns                         Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                   Jump height    : 3
Innate ability: Beast Tongue                             Physical evade : 5%
Stats:
  HP: ***     MP: ***     Phys. Atk.: ***    Mag. Atk.: **      Speed: *** 

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Speechcraft--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF  JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Entice *                 3/3 1/- Foe  N  100  Enemies join party
Stall                    3/3 1/- Any  N  100  Resets target's CT
Praise                   3/3 1/- Any  N  200  Raises Bravery by 4 #
Intimidate *             3/3 1/- Any  N  200  Lowers Bravery by 20 &
Preach                   3/3 1/- Any  N  200  Raises Faith by 4 #
Enlighten *              3/3 1/- Any  N  200  Lowers Faith by 20 &
Condemn                  3/3 1/- Any  N  500  Causes Doom status (enemy is KOed
                                                after 3 turns)
Beg                      3/3 1/- Foe  N  100  Receive gil from enemy
Insult                   3/3 1/- Any  N  300  Causes Berserk status
Mimic Darlavon           3/3 2/* Any  N  300  Causes Sleep status

# Note: These abilities change Faith or Bravery by 4.  3 points of this change 
remains only for the battle, but 1 is permanent.

& Note: These abilities change Faith or Bravery by 20.  5 points of this change
is permanent.

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Earplug              Speechcraft  Yes 300  Cancels Speechcraft ability used on
                                             character

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Equip Guns +*                         800  Can equip guns regardless of job
Tame                                  500  Physical attacks will recruit
                                             monsters if they have critical HP
                                            (< 20% of max)
Beast Tongue +*                       100  Can use Speechcraft against monsters

--Movement Abilities--
none

JP to master: 3900

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Like Time Mages, Orators play a supplementary role.  One of their main purpose
is to recruit enemy units -- if you want to recruit monsters on this team, you
need this job!  (To recruit monsters, either use Entice + Beast Tongue, or 
equip Tame and hit monsters with a physical attack.)  

Equip Guns is the other key Orator ability.  While Orators can equip guns
naturally, Equip Guns lets you transfer this ability to other jobs.  Having the
long range of a gun is handy for "support" jobs that aren't going to be on the
front lines.

Finally, the Orator lets you play with Bravery and Faith statistics.  Boosting
your Bravery is particularly useful as it increases the strenght of some
attacks and makes your Reaction Ability more likely to activate -- and has no 
side effects.  However, you can just as easily raise your Bravery with Ramza's 
Steel ability, which also has the advantage that it never misses.  Since Faith 
controls both the damage you deal with magick and receive from enemy magick, it 
can also be advantageous to raise your magick users' Faith (making them 
stronger) and lower everyone else's Faith (since they won't be using magick, 
decreasing their Faith makes enemy magick less effective).  It's not essential 
to tweak your Bravery and Faith like this, but if you DO want to do so, a good 
tactic is to do it in a random battle against weaker monsters (e.g. at Mandalia 
Plain), where you can use Speechcraft with less enemy interference.  A tough 
story battle is not a good place to grind Bravery and Faith.

You can safely skip Earplug since you'll face enemy Orators only very rarely.

---MYSTIC----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : White Mage lv. 3
Needed for jobs : Orator (lv. 3), Arithmetician (lv. 4)

Equippable weapons: Staves, rods, poles, books           Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                   Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 5%
  HP: **      MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: *      Mag. Atk.: ****    Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Mystic Arts--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Umbra           4 RA 50  4/* 2/1 Any  N  100  Causes Blind status
Empowerment *   2    50  4/* 1/- Any  N  200  Drain 1/3 of MP from target
Invigoration    16   50  4/* 1/- Any  N  350  Drain 1/4 of HP from target
Belief *        6 RA 25  4/* 1/- Any  N  400  Causes Faith status (character
                                                has 100 Faith; both character's
                                                own magick and others' magick
                                                targeting the character are
                                                maximally effective)
Disbelief *     6 RA 25  4/* 1/- Any  N  400  Causes Atheist status (character
                                                cannot use magick but is also
                                                immune to others' magick)
Corruption      20RA 20  4/* 1/- Any  N  300  Causes Undead status
Quiescence      16RA 34  4/* 1/- Any  N  170  Causes Silence status
Fervor          16RA 20  4/* 1/- Any  N  400  Causes Berserk status
Trepidation *   20RA 25  4/* 1/- Any  N  200  Lowers target's Bravery
Delirium        20RA 20  4/* 1/- Any  N  400  Causes Confusion status
Harmony         34 A 34  4/* 1/- Any  N  800  Removes Float, Reraise, Regen,
                                                Invisible, Protect, Shell,
                                                Haste, Faith, Reflect
Hesitation *    10RA 20  4/* 2/0 Any  N  100  Causes Disable status
Repose          24RA 17  4/* 2/1 Any  N  350  Causes Sleep status
Induration      16RA 10  4/* 1/- Any  N  600  Causes Stone status

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Absorb MP            Magick       Yes 250  Gain MP equal to MP cost of spell

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Defense Boost *                       400  Lowers physical damage received

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Ignore Weather                        200  Move through swamps at normal speed
                                              even if it's raining; cancels
                                              weather effects on Black Magick
Manafont                              350  Restores some MP whenever you move

JP to master: 5970

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Mystics specialize in inflicting status conditions on their foes.  These spells
often fail, so if you want to use this job, a character with high Faith is 
necessary to increase your success rate.  In general, though, Mystic is just 
not a very useful job.  They don't have much in the way of direct offense or 
defense, and their status affliction spells just aren't useful enough to
compensate for their charge time, MP cost, and success rate.  Mustadio and, 
later, Beowulf are much more effective at inflicting these kinds of status 
conditions.

Defense Boost can be a somewhat useful support ability, however.

---GEOMANCER-------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Monk lv. 4
Needed for jobs : Ninja (lv. 2), Dancer (lv. 5), Mime (lv. 5),
                  Dark Knight (lv. 8)

Equippable weapons: Swords, axes                         Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: Shields, hats, clothes, robes          Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 10%
  HP: ***     MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Geomancy--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Sinkhole *               5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Non-elemental attack, causes 
                                                Immobilize
Torrent                  5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Water attack, causes Toad
Tanglevine *             5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Non-elemental attack, causes Stop
Contortion *             5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Non-elemental attack, causes 
                                                Stone
Tremor                   5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Earth attack, causes Confusion
Wind Slash *             5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Wind attack, causes Disable
Will-o'-the-Wisp *       5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Fire attack, causes Sleep
Quicksand                5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Water attack, causes Doom
Sandstorm                5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Wind attack, causes Blind
Snowstorm                5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Ice attack, causes Silence
Wind Blast               5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Wind attack, causes Slow
Magma Surge              5/* 2/0 Any  N  150  Fire attack, instant KO

Note: During battle, only one Geomancy ability is available for use at any
given time.  The available ability is determined by the terrain type of the 
tile on which the user is standing:
Sinkhole        : Soil, Wasteland
Torrent         : Canal, River, Lake, Ocean, Waterfall
Tanglevine      : Grassland, Underbrush, Vines
Contortion      : Gravel, Flagstone, Stone Wall, Earthen Wall, Gravestone
Tremor          : Stone Outcropping, Basalt
Wind Slash      : Book, Tree, Brick, Bridge, Furnishings, Iron, Moss, Coffin
Will-o'-the-Wisp: Wooden Floor, Carpet, Coffer, Stairs, Wooden Deck
Quicksand       : Marsh, Swamp, Poisonous Fen
Sandstorm       : Sand, Stalactite, Salt Flat
Snowstorm       : Snow
Wind Blast      : Roof, Chimney
Magma Surge     : Lava, Machinery

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Nature's Wrath       Phys. attack Yes 300  Counter using Geomancy command
                      or Geomancy        

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Attack Boost *                        400  Raises physical damage

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Ignore Terrain                        220  Moving through water does not
                                             decrease movement range
Lavawalking                           150  Can move across and stop on lava
                                             tiles

JP to master: 2870

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Geomancers are sort of a hybrid physical/magick job -- they're pretty decent
fighters, and can also do long-range elemental and status attacks with their
Geomancy.  When the Geomancer job first becomes available, it can be quite 
useful.  Geomancy doesn't cost any MP and activates instantly, and it can hit a 
group of enemies.  Unfortunately, as the game progresses, the damage inflicted 
by Geomancy doesn't keep pace with enemy HP, and they quickly become less
useful.  Plus, there's also the disadvantage that you don't have much choice
over the Geomancy attacks available at any given time -- at most, you can 
choose between two or three different attacks by moving to tiles with different 
terrain.  You can't really choose a specific kind of status condition to
inflict.

Attack Boost, however, remains a great support ability throughout the game 
and useful for any fighting-oriented job.  It increases the power not just of 
the Attack command, but other "special" physical attacks like sword techniques.

Lavawalking is the game's most singularly useless ability, as only a single,
optional map has lava on it, and it's usually a fairly easy battle anyway.  
But, hey, it's only 150 JP, what a steal!

---DRAGOON---------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Thief lv. 4
Needed for jobs : Samurai (lv. 2), Dancer (lv. 5), Mime (lv. 5),
                  Dark Knight (lv. 8)

Equippable weapons: Polearms                             Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes           Jump height    : 4
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 10%
  HP: ****    MP: *       Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: *       Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Jump--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Horizontal Jump 2 *                   150  Extends horizontal range of Jump to 
                                             2 or fewer tiles
Horizontal Jump 3                     350  Extends horizontal range of Jump to
                                             3 or fewer tiles
Horizontal Jump 4                     550  Extends horizontal range of Jump to
                                             4 or fewer tiles
Horizontal Jump 5                     800  Extends horizontal range of Jump to
                                             5 or fewer tiles
Horizontal Jump 8 *                   1100 Extends horizontal range of Jump to
                                             8 or fewer tiles
Vertical Jump 2 *                     100  Extends vertical range of Jump to 2
Vertical Jump 3                       250  Extends vertical range of Jump to 3
Vertical Jump 4                       400  Extends vertical range of Jump to 4
Vertical Jump 5                       550  Extends vertical range of Jump to 5
Vertical Jump 6                       700  Extends vertical range of Jump to 6
Vertical Jump 7 *                     1000 Extends vertical range of Jump to 7
Vertical Jump 8                       1500 Extends vertical range of Jump to 8

The Jump command causes the user to temporarily disappear from the battlefield
(by jumping off the screen).  On return, the user strikes the targeted unit
with a physical attack, then bounces back to his/her original tile.  All the
action abilities simply extend the maximum horizontal or vertical range of this 
attack.  The speed of a Jump is equal to twice the user's Speed statistic.
Jump does NOT require an unobstructed line of fire.  (Note that the unit's tile 
cannot be moved into while s/he is off the screen.)

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Dragonheart *        Phys. Attack Yes 600  Cast Reraise on self (return once
                                             from KO automatically)

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Equip Polearms +                      400  Can equip Polearms regardless of job

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Ignore Elevation *                    700  Infinite jump height in movement

JP to master: 9150

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Dragoons are sort of a souped-up Knight.  They have comparable HP and attack 
power, can equip armor, and their polearms have a range of two tiles.  Dragoons
also have the Jump attack, which is quite effective.  It does a good amount of
damage, potentially has a HUGE range (if you've learned the right abilities),
and puts the Dragoon temporarily out of damage.  Just make sure your target
doesn't move out of the way and cancel your Jump attack!  Unfortunately, you
can't preview the exact CT list for a Jump attack like you can with magicks,
but you can look at the enemy CT gauges when selecting a target.  Don't target
any enemy who has a high CT gauge, especially if your character is relatively
slow.

A tip about learning the Jump action abilities: Each Horizontal Jump or 
Vertical Jump ability replaces all the ones below it.  In other words, if you 
have Horizontal Jump 8, you can do a jump of 1-8 panels; you don't need to 
learn any other remaining Horizontal Jumps.  So, a good strategy is to just
learn a couple of the early Horizontal and Vertical Jump abilities (like 
2 or 3) to give yourself a decent Jump, then save up your JP for Horizontal 
Jump 8 and Vertical Jump 7 or 8.  Once you get those, your Jump attack will be 
amazing!  Don't waste your JP building up your range one ability at a time.
(Horizontal Jump 8 is more advantageous to learn first because in most cases
you don't need that great a vertical range to your jump, anyways.)

Both Ignore Elevation and Dragonheart are also great abilities.  Ignore 
Elevation completely changes how can you move around certain maps; for 
instance, you can jump right up a castle wall to attack the Archers up there,
or take a shortcut over the side of a cliff.  This can be very helpful in a
number of story battles as it lets you get the jump on enemy range attackers.
And, of course, Dragonheart gives you a Reraise when attacked -- I'm sure you
can see the value in that :)

---SAMURAI---------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Knight lv. 4, Monk lv. 5, Dragoon lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Dark Knight (lv. 8)

Equippable weapons: Katanas                              Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Helms, armor, robes                    Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 20%
  HP: **      MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: *****  Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Iaido--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Ashura                   Slf 3/3 Foe  N  100  "Spirit Blade": Non-elemental 
                                                 magick attack
Kotetsu                  Slf 3/3 Foe  N  200  "Binding Darkness": Non-elemental 
                                                 magick attack
Osafune                  Slf 3/3 Foe  N  300  "Verse of Oblivion": Lowers enemy 
                                                 MP
Murasame *               Slf 3/3 Ally N  400  "Rain of Wisdom": Restores HP
Ama-no-Murakumo *        Slf 3/3 Foe  N  500  "Cloudsea Curse": Non-elemental 
                                                 magick attack, causes Slow
Kiyomori                 Slf 3/3 Ally N  600  "Purifying Breeze": Gives Protect 
                                                 and Shell status
Muramasa *               Slf 3/3 Foe  N  700  "Doomed Aspirations": Non-
                                                 elemental magick attack, 
                                                 causes Confusion and Doom
Kiku-ichimonji          4Dir 8/3 Foe  N  800  "Sanguine Blossom": Non-elemental
                                                 magick attack
Masamune                 Slf 3/3 Ally N  900  "Ethereal Embrace": Gives Regen 
                                                 and Haste status
Chirijiraden             Slf 3/3 Foe  N  1000 "Raging Inferno": Non-elemental
                                                 magick attack

Iaido abilities can only be used if you possess the corresponding katana in
your inventory (NOT equipped on the character).  There is a chance that the
katana will break when the ability is used.  Aside from the Masamune and
Chirijiraden, all of the katanas can be purchased at the Outfitter, although
some do not become available until later in the game.

When Iaido abilities are used, a special attack name (not just the name of the
sword) is displayed -- these are listed in quotation marks above.

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Bonecrusher          Critical HP  Yes 200  Counterattack and do damage equal to
                                             your own maximum HP
Shirahadori *        Phys. Attack Yes 700  Evade physical attacks.  Does not
                                             work against bows and crossbows,
                                             but DOES work against guns!

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Equip Katana +                        400  Can equip Katanas regardless of job
Doublehand                            900  Equip one weapon in two hands to
                                             increase damage dealt

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ---------------------------------------------------------
Swim                                  300  Can move and act even in water of
                                             depth = 2 (i.e., water up to your
                                             head)

JP to master: 8000

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Somewhat like the Monk and Summoner, Iaido nicely mixes both offense and
healing.  Murasame in particular is a GREAT healing ability, since it restores 
HP to a large group and requires no charge time.  Masamune is in theory also 
very useful as it casts Regen and Haste to a group of characters, but its value 
is more limited in practice since Masamunes are pretty hard to get.
Unfortunately, the downside to Iaido is that the katana have a tendency to 
break pretty frequently, which means that this job expensive quickly.  (Why,
it's almost like Samurai were throwing money at their enemies!)  This means
Iaido actually tends to get more useful later on, when you have more spare cash
for katana.  If you want to use a particular Iaido ability, bringing a couple
of copies of that katana into battle is a pretty good ability.  Equipping
accessories that boosts your magick attack is also advantageous since damage
from Iaido depends on your magick attack stat, not physical attack.

Perhaps the best Samurai ability, then, is Shirahadori, which pumps up your
evade rate in accordance with your Bravery.  With a high Bravery, you can be
virtually invulnerable to physical attacks!  This is one of the best reaction
abilities in the game and definitely worth learning.

Note that the Samurai only has modest stats.  They have limited HP, although 
they can equip heavy armor to boost it.  Their attack is pretty good, but since 
they only have one katana for a weapon, they falter in comparison to the Ninja 
(which gets TWO weapons) or the Knight (which can use knight's swords).  Sure,
you can equip Doublehand to increase your attack power, but that uses up your
support ability slot.

Overall, my feeling is that Samurai is a decent job, but not quite as effective 
as Dragoons or (especially) Ninja.  However, Iaido is a good supplementary
Action Ability and can be particularly good when paired with a magick-oriented
job -- the job's high magick attack will increase the power of Iaido, and Iaido 
gives a mage an alternative to magick that doesn't cost MP and doesn't require 
charging.

---NINJA-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Archer lv. 4, Thief lv. 5, Geomancer lv. 2
Needed for jobs : Dark Knight (lv. 8)

Equippable weapons: Knives, ninja blades, flails         Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes                          Jump height    : 4
Innate ability: Dual Wield                               Physical evade : 30%
Stats:
  HP: *       MP: *       Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: **      Speed: *****

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Throw--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Shuriken *               5/* 1/- Any  Y  50   Throw shuriken
Bomb                     5/* 1/- Any  Y  70   Throw bombs
Knife                    5/* 1/- Any  Y  100  Throw knives
Sword *                  5/* 1/- Any  Y  100  Throw swords
Flail *                  5/* 1/- Any  Y  100  Throw flails
Katana                   5/* 1/- Any  Y  100  Throw samurai katanas
Ninja Blade              5/* 1/- Any  Y  100  Throw ninja blades
Axe                      5/* 1/- Any  Y  120  Throw axes
Polearm                  5/* 1/- Any  Y  100  Throw polearms
Pole                     5/* 1/- Any  Y  100  Throw poles
Knight's Sword           5/* 1/- Any  Y  100  Throw knight's swords
Book                     5/* 1/- Any  Y  100  Throw books

The Throw command allows you to attack by throwing weapons & items from your
inventory.  Obviously, the item/weapon is lost when it is thrown.

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Vanish               Any HP loss  Yes 1000 Gain Invisiblity status
Reflexes             Any evadable No  400  Doubles existing evade %
                       attack

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Dual Wield +*                         1000 Equip weapons in both hands

Note that the damage estimate for Dual Wielded attacks is just for the FIRST 
attack -- if you have a weapon in both hands, the total damage will be much 
higher!

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ---------------------------------------------------------
Waterwalking                          420  Stand on surface of water rather
                                             than decreasing height to go
                                             underwater.  Can move on top of
                                             deep water without penalty.

JP to master: 4040

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
With a high speed and attack strength, and the innate ability to wield two 
weapons, Ninja make life very dangerous for your opponents.  You can do a lot
of damage with two weapons, and their high speed means that Ninjas get to act
first and strike before your enemy does.  (Plus, their good movement range
and jump height makes it easy for them to reach enemies.)  Ninjas are effective 
for sneaking in and taking out enemy archers, gunners, or mages before they can
get a spell or shot off.  Overall, Ninja is one of the most effective standard
job.  Aim for leveling up Archer and Thief quickly to unlock it!

Throw is also a pretty good action ability.  It's not the strongest attack, but
throwing good weapons usually does a fair amount of damage and has a nice 
range.  The strongest weapon that you can buy to throw is the Morning Star 
flail ... well, it's tied with the Slasher axe, but the Slasher costs more 
money.  Buying weapons does mean that the gil costs of Throw add up, but,
fortunately, you can always switch back to regular attacks since the Ninja's
regular attacks are good too.

Good abilities from other jobs to consider for your Ninja are Steal (Ninjas 
have a very high speed, so this makes your steals more effective) and the 
Monk's Brawler.  Brawler lets you get two punches, which can be an extremely 
strong physical attack, especially with high Bravery.

The main weakness of Ninjas (besides pirates) is their physical frailty; they
have very low HP and can't take much damage.  This is particularly problematic
if you're using Ninjas to rush in and attack first -- they can get surrounded
and KOed while your other characters catch up.  To solve this, you can equip 
cloaks or Shirahadori to boost their evade rate, give them an Angel Ring or 
Chantage or the Dragonheart reaction ability for a Reraise, or use Equip Heavy
Armor to gain more HP.

Note that Ninjas can equip both ninja blades and flails.  Overall, flails are
stronger, but they're also more unpredictable -- sometimes they do MORE than 
the estimated damage, sometimes they do LESS.  This can be frustrating if 
you're trying to finish off a weak enemy and end up not quite doing enough
damage.  On the other hand, in the long run, flails DO do more damage.  It's 
your call whether you want to favor predictability or the 

---ARITHMETICIAN---------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : White Mage lv. 5, Black Mage lv. 5,
                  Time Mage lv. 4, Mystic lv. 4
Needed for jobs : none

Equippable weapons: Poles, books                         Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                   Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 5%
  HP: *       MP: ***     Phys. Atk.: *      Mag. Atk.: *       Speed: *

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Throw--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
CT                         n/a   Any  N  250  Base equations on CT
Level                      n/a   Any  N  350  Base equations on level
Exp                        n/a   Any  N  200  Base equations on EXP
Height *                   n/a   Any  N  250  Base equations on height
Prime *                    n/a   Any  N  300  Selects by prime number
Multiple of 5              n/a   Any  N  200  Selects by multiple of 5
Multiple of 4 *            n/a   Any  N  400  Selects by multiple of 4
Multiple of 3 *            n/a   Any  N  600  Selects by multiple of 3

Each time you use Arithmeticks, you select one from the first four abilities 
and one from the second four abilities.  This determines what characters the
ability will target.  For example, selecting "Height" "Multiple of 5" will
target all characters whose current height on the map is a multiple of 5.
Finally, you select the magick to cast on these targets.  Allowable magicks are
those marked with an "A" under Black Mage, White Mage, Time Mage, and Mystic
(see above).  Note that you do NOT need those jobs' Action Abilities equipped;
Arithmeticks always allows access to ALL the allowable magicks you've learned.

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Cup of Life          HP restore   Yes 200  If healing ability used on character
                                             restores more HP than is needed to
                                             return to max HP, the excess HP is
                                             distributed to the rest of the
                                             party
Soulbind *           Any HP loss  Yes 300  Inflicted damage is divided between
                                             you and the character who
                                             inflicted it

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
EXP Boost *                           350  Doubles EXP received in battle

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ---------------------------------------------------------
Accrue EXP                            400  Earn EXP whenever you move
Accure JP                             400  Earn JP whenever you move

JP to master: 4550

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Arithmeticians are extremely powerful magick-wielders.  Unlike conventional 
magick, Arithmeticks takes no time to charge, can strike all the way across the 
board, and costs no MP!  By trying different combinations of multiple and 
CT/Level/EXP/Height, you can customize exactly who your magick is going to hit.

Note that you can preview who Arithmeticks will hit before you use it.  Look
for the characters with yellow targeting tiles at their feet.  If you don't
like the combination of targets you're getting, cancel back a few menus and 
pick a different match of base and multiple.  You can't always target exactly
the characters you want, but you can usually get reasonably close.  Check out 
the Arithmeticks Chart (Ctrl+F and then 00arith) for help targeting.

The problem is that Arithmeticians also require a lot of JP to reach this level 
of power.  First of all, you need to learn spells from the other magick-using 
jobs, then you have to learn all the Arithmeticks abilities to make your 
targeting flexible.  Moreover, Arithmeticians are REALLY pokey and don't get 
many turns, making them slow to earn JP.  (Giving them an accessory to boost 
their speed will help.)

Arithmeticks also have a very low magick strength, so their spells won't be too
effective while they're still an Arithmetician.  To remedy this, change the 
Arithmetician into a Black Mage after you've learned all their abilities and 
set their second action ability to Arithmeticks.  In this highly-evolved form,
they can toast enemies around the battlefield or heal your whole party, without
even having to charge or use MP!

In other words, Arithmeticians are great if you want to spend the time to build 
them up, but you certainly don't need them to beat the regular game.

---BARD------------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Summoner lv. 5, Orator lv. 5, MALE characters only
Needed for jobs : none

Equippable weapons: Instruments                          Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes                          Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 5%
  HP: *       MP: *       Phys. Atk.: *      Mag. Atk.: ****    Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Bardsong--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Seraph Song *        17   All allies  N  100  Restores MP
Life's Anthem        17   All allies  N  100  Restores HP
Rousing Melody *     13   All allies  N  100  Raises speed by 1
Battle Chant *       13   All allies  N  100  Raises physical attack power by 1
Magickal Refrain     10   All allies  N  100  Raises magick attack power by 1
Nameless Song *      10   All allies  N  100  Gives Reraise, Regen, Protect, 
                                                Shell, or Haste
Finale *             5    All allies  N  100  Fills CT to 100 (instant turn!)

Bardsong abilities activate repeatedly until a new command is entered for the
character.  This means that even if you wait out your turns (causing your CT
gauge to fill more quickly), you can keep activating the ability!

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Magick Boost         Any HP loss  Yes 500  Magick attack power + 1
Faith Boost          Magick       Yes 400  Faith + 3

--Support Abilities--
none

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Move +3 *                             1000 Movement range + 3
Fly                                   5000 Ignore terrain and obstacles while
                                             moving

JP to master: 7900

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Bards can cast a variety of buffs to your whole party, regardless of where the 
characters are standing.  Boosting your speed and attack/magic power, or 
quickly filling your CT gauge, can help your whole team fight more effectively.
On the other hand, Bards can't do much ELSE; they have very little HP or MP and 
a weak attack.  Also, their buffs don't always succeed and will miss quite a
few of your party members each time they're used.

Bards can learn Fly, which costs an astronomical 5000 JP!  The ability to fly 
over enemies and obstacles in the terrain is pretty cool; it's sort of a 
combination of Ignore Elevation and Teleport.  But, it's not worth the JP cost 
at all.  On the other hand, Move +3 is much more reasonably priced and is 
extremely effective for getting around the map quickly!  Of course, if you have 
Move +3, then Move +1 and Move +2 become completely obsolete.

---DANCER----------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Geomancer lv. 5, Dragoon lv. 5, FEMALE characters only
Needed for jobs : none

Equippable weapons: Knives, cloths                       Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes                          Jump height    : 3
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 5%
  HP: *       MP: *       Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ***

                                 --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Dance--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Witch Hunt           17  All enemies  N  100  Lowers enemy MP
Mincing Minuet       17  All enemies  N  100  Lowers enemy HP
Slow Dance *         13  All enemies  N  100  Lowers enemy speed by 1
Polka                13  All enemies  N  100  Lowers enemy physical attack by 1
Heathen Frolick *    10  All enemies  N  100  Lowers enemy magical attack by 1
Forbidden Dance *    10  All enemies  N  100  Causes Blind, Confuse, Silence,
                                               Toad, Poison, Slow, Stop, or 
                                               Sleep
Last Waltz           5   All enemies  N  100  Empties enemy CT

--Reaction Abilities--
                     TRIGGER      BRV JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Fury                 Any HP loss  Yes 600  Physical attack power + 1
Bravery Boost        Physical atk Yes 700  Bravery + 3

--Support Abilities--
none

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Jump +3                               1000 Jump height + 3
Fly                                   5000 Can fly over terrain and enemies

JP to master: 8000

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Whereas Bards cast buffs to help your entire party, Dancers lower the stats of
the entire party.  Mincing Minuet does far too little damage to bother with,
but lowering enemy speed or attack power, or inflicting status conditions with
Forbidden Dance, can be useful.

Dancers tend to be better than Bards.  Since there are generally more bad guys
on the map than party members, it's more effective to drop the enemies' stats
than boost your own.  Plus, they have a stronger physical attack.  Dancers also 
work well with the Knight's Parry ability, as their cloth weapons have a VERY 
high parry rate (50%).  

As with Bard, Fly is definitely not worth 5000 JP ... and Jump +3 is pretty
pointless too, since Ignore Elevation lets you jump even higher and costs
fewer JP!  (True, Jump +3 does increase your ability to horizontal jumps, which 
Ignore Elevation doesn't, but there are VERY few places where you need to make 
long horizontal jumps.)

---MIME------------------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Squire lv. 8, Chemist lv. 8, Summoner lv. 5,
                  Orator lv. 5, Geomancer lv. 5, Dragoon lv. 5
Needed for jobs : none

Equippable weapons: None                                 Movement range : 4
Equippable armor: None                                   Jump height    : 4
Stats:                                                   Physical evade : 5%
  HP: *****   MP: *       Phys. Atk.: *****  Mag. Atk.: ****    Speed: *****

                                --ABILITIES--
NO ABILITIES
The Mime copies every action that your other characters take.

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Mimes aren't quite as good as you'd think.  They only mimic abilities in the 
exact direction and range that they were originally used, which means they 
usually miss.  However, if you use them very carefully, they can be useful, as 
they could potentially double the number of actions you take.  Try pairing a 
Mime with a Arithmetician -- everything spell the Arithmetician calculates, the 
Mime will repeat for twice the effect (of course, you could just make two 
Arithmeticians instead...).

---DARK KNIGHT-----------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Knight MASTERED, Black Mage MASTERED, Samurai lv. 8,
                  Ninja lv. 8, Geomancer lv. 8, Dragoon lv. 8, must kill 20 
                  enemies (so that they turn into chests/crystals) with the 
                  character
Needed for jobs : none

Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords,              Movement range : 3
                    fell swords, axes, flails             Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, clothes, armor, robes   Physical evade : 0%
Stats:
  HP: ***     MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: *****  Mag. Atk.: **      Speed: ***  

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Darkness--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Sanguine Sword *         3/* 1/- Any  N  300  Drains HP
Infernal Strike          3/* 1/- Any  N  500  Drains MP
Crushing Blow            3/* 1/2 Any  N  100  Attack, causes Stop.  Element of
                                                this attack is based on element 
                                                of user's current weapon.
Abyssal Blade *       3/Cone 3/2 Any  N  1200 Non-elemental attack; does more
                                                damage to units closer to 
                                                caster.  Consumes HP equal to 
                                                20% of user's maximum HP
Unholy Sacrifice *       Slf 3/3 All  N  1200 Dark attack, causes Slow.  
                                                Consumes HP equal to 30% of 
                                                user's max HP.  The greater the 
                                                user's max HP, the more damage 
                                                this ability does.

Darkness techniques have a 100% hit rate.  However, they cannot be used unless
the user is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.

--Reaction Abilities--
none

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
HP Boost *                            2000 Increases maximum HP by 20%
Vehemence *                           400  Attack strength up by 50%, but 
                                             increases damage received by 50%

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ---------------------------------------------------------
Move +3# *                            1000 Movement range + 3
Jump +3#                              1000 Jump height + 3

#: Move +3 is available for female Dark Knights, Jump +3 for males.

JP to master: 6700

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Well, Dark Knights are very strong.  They have the strongest attack power of 
any regular job, can equip knight's swords and heavy armor, and pretty much
all of their abilities are great (though Crushing Blow, Abyssal Blade, and
Unholy Sacrifice are all height-limited).  Note that you can negate the HP 
costs associated with Abyssal Blade and Unholy Sacrifice by equipping the
Time Mage ability Mana Shield.  Dark Knights are also the only job (aside from 
Onion Knights, of course) that can equip the fell swords, special weapons found 
in the game's multiplayer mode.

So what's the catch?  Well, the requirements for this job are also
astronomical.  You need to completely master two other jobs (one physical, one
magickal) and get four other jobs up to level 8 ... plus you need to kill
20 enemies with the character.  By the time you do all that, you'll probably be 
tough enough that you don't even *need* the Dark Knight job!

So, while the Dark Knight is indisputably powerful, it's also quite
unnecessary as far as the completing the single-player mode.  It's fun to play
with if you do unlock it, but you definitely don't need to jump through the
hoops if you don't want to.

---ONION KNIGHT----------------------------------------------------------------
Required jobs   : Squire lv. 6, Chemist lv. 6
Needed for jobs : None

Equippable weapons: All                                  Movement range : 3
Equippable armor: All                                    Jump height    : 3
                                                         Physical evade : 5%
Stats:                                                     when job lv.8: 30%
  HP: *       MP: *       Phys. Atk.: *      Mag. Atk.: *       Speed: ***  
Upon reaching job level 8 (see below), the Onion Knight's stats will increase:
  HP: *****   MP: *****   Phys. Atk.: *****  Mag. Atk.: ****    Speed: *****

                                --ABILITIES--
NO ABILITIES
The Onion Knight cannot use any abilities, but can use any kind of equipment.
Even items normally reserved for female characters can be used by male Onion
Knights (and by female Onion Knights, too, of course).

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Taken in their base form, Onion Knights seem how exactly how the game describes
them: sad.  Sure, they can equip any piece of equipment, but they have
terrible stats and NO abilities.  Even if you gave them a good sword and armor,
they'd still be just a weaker Knight with no abilities.  Plus, they don't gain
experience from taking actions.

So what's the point of Onion Knights?  Well, for every two other jobs you 
master, the job level of Onion Knight increases.  If you master 16 jobs and
get Onion Knight to job level 8, their stats will see a BIG increase.  (Yes,
mastering 16 jobs is a LOT of abilities to learn.)  Also, if you play the
game's multiplayer mode, you can earn the Onion gear, very strong equipment
that can only be used by Onion Knights.  With these two things, Onion Knights
can be very strong melee fighters, although they still have no abilities.

The Onion Knight also gains the best stat bonuses on level-up, but since they 
don't get EXP from attacking and can't equip Steal EXP, the only way to level
them up is with the Wild Boar's Bequeath Bacon ability (available with the
Beastmaster support ability).  Since Wild Boars can only be obtained by
breeding them from a Swine or from other Wild Boars, this can take quite a 
while.

If you're not interested in spending a lot of time leveling up your jobs or
breeding Wild Boars, you probably won't have much use for the Onion Knight.
(And you certainly don't *need* them for the single-player mode!)  But, if you
want to spend the time, you'll end up with the best stats available in the
game!

%%%SPECIAL JOBS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00job2

These are special jobs used by specific story characters.  They aren't 
available to generic characters.  In all cases where a story character has a 
special job, the special job replaces the Squire job for that character.

All the special jobs have the same reaction, support, and movement abilities as 
the Squire job (which they replace).  Therefore, I haven't bothered to list 
them.  The exceptions are the Ark Knight, Automaton, and Byblos jobs, which 
do have different abilities.

---SQUIRE [RAMZA]--------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Ramza                                           Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords,                      Jump height    : 3
                    knight's swords (ch. 4), flails      Physical evade : 10%
Equippable armor: Shields (ch. 2+), hats, helms (ch. 2+),
                  clothes, armor (ch. 2+), robes
Stats:
  HP: ****    MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ***  

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Mettle--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Focus *                  Slf 1/- Self -  300  Raises physical attack power by 1
                                                for duration of battle
Rush                     1/1 1/- Any  -  80   Weak physical attack, may knock 
                                                enemy back one tile; does
                                                variable damage (may be more or
                                                less than estimate)
Stone                    4/* 1/- Any  Y  90   Weak (ranged) physical attack, 
                                                may knock enemy back one tile;
                                                does variable damage (may be 
                                                more or less than estimate)
Salve                    1/2 1/- Any  -  150  Cures Blind, Silence, Poison
Tailwind *               3/* 1/- Any  N  200  Raises speed by 1 for duration of
                                               battle
Chant *                  1/3 1/- Any  -  0    Restores HP, Ramza loses HP equal
                                                to 1/2 of amount healed
Steel (ch. 2+) *         3/* 1/- Any  N  200  Raises Bravery by 5 #
Shout (ch. 4) *          Slf 1/- Self -  500  Raises Bravery by 10 #, physical
                                                and magick strength by 1, speed 
                                                by 1
Ultima (ch. 4)  10   20  4/* 2/1 Any  N  N/A  Non-elemental magick attack

JP to master: 2570

# Note: These abilities increase your Bravery.  Most of this change remains 
only for the battle, but for every 4 points you increase your Bravery during
battle, you get a 1 point permanent increase in Bravery.

Ultima can only be learned by having Luso or an enemy cast it on Ramza; see the 
"Learning Ultima" section under Various Tricks for more information on this.

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Ramza's Squire job is powered up quite a bit relative to a regular Squire.  He
has better stats, some extra abilities, and he can equip knight's swords and
heavy armor.  (Unlike a regular Squire, though, he can't use axes, oddly
enough.)

Most of Ramza's extra abilities are quite useful.  Tailwind is a speed boost,
Steel is a Bravery boost, and Shout raises all stats but only works on Ramza.  
Steel is particulary useful as it's the fastest way of permanently adding to 
your Bravery; it has a 100% hit rate and costs no MP.  Whenever Ramza has a 
spare turn, it's a good idea to have him use Steel to boost a teammate's 
Bravery (or Shout to boost his own); increasing your Bravery makes your 
reaction abilities much more effective.  In a pinch, Chant is good for healing 
too.  On the other hand, the Ultima spell is actually pretty weak, especially 
given that you have to go out of your way to learn it.

So, Mettle makes for a good set of support abilities.  But since Ramza doesn't 
have much in the way of direct attack abilities and only one healing ability 
that also hurts him, you'll probably eventually want to supplement Mettle with 
some other abilities.  You can switch Ramza to another job (I like to make him
Monk or a Ninja) and equip Mettle as your second command.  Or, since his Squire
job is pretty strong statistically, learn abilities with a different job and 
then switch him back to Squire!

---SQUIRE [DELITA]-------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Delita (ch. 1)                                  Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, flails               Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                   Physical evade : 5%
Stats:
  HP: ****    MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Mettle--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Focus *                  Slf 1/- Self -  300  Raises physical attack power by 1
                                                for duration of battle
Rush                     1/1 1/- Any  -  80   Weak physical attack, may knock 
                                                enemy back one tile; does
                                                variable damage (may be more or
                                                less than estimate)
Stone                    4/* 1/- Any  Y  90   Weak (ranged) physical attack, 
                                                may knock enemy back one tile;
                                                does variable damage (may be 
                                                more or less than estimate)
Salve                    1/2 1/- Any  -  150  Cures Blind, Silence, Poison
Chant *                  1/3 1/- Any  -  0    Restores HP, Delita loses HP 
                                                equal to 1/2 of amount healed

JP to master: 1620

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Like Ramza's, Delita's Squire job has superior stats to a regular Squire, 
although he only has one extra ability, Chant.  Chant comes in quite useful
during Chapter I, as it lets Delita heal other party members for a substantial
amount (albeit at the cost of some of his own HP).  Expect to see the guest AI
using it fairly frequently.

---SQUIRE [ARGATH]-------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Argath (ch. 1)                                  Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, axes, flails         Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes                          Physical evade : 15%
Stats:
  HP: ****    MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Fundaments--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Focus *                  Slf 1/- Self -  300  Raises physical attack power by 1
                                                for duration of battle
Rush                     1/1 1/- Any  -  80   Weak physical attack, may knock 
                                                enemy back one tile; does
                                                variable damage (may be more or
                                                less than estimate)
Stone                    4/* 1/- Any  Y  90   Weak (ranged) physical attack, 
                                                may knock enemy back one tile;
                                                does variable damage (may be 
                                                more or less than estimate)
Salve                    1/2 1/- Any  -  150  Cures Blind, Silence, Poison
Rend Helm                Weapon  Any  Y  300  Destroys target's headgear
Rend Armor               Weapon  Any  Y  400  Destroys target's armor

JP to master: 2320

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Again, compared to a regular Squire, Argath has better stats and a couple extra
abilities: Rend Helm and Rend Armor.  They'd be nice to use, but since Argath
only gains JP during story battles (he doesn't participate in random battles),
you likely won't even have a chance to learn them.  Instead, you may want to
supplement him with a Black Magick spell or two if available, or perhaps Items.

---FELL KNIGHT-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Gaffgarion                                      Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords              Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes           Physical evade : 15%
Stats:
  HP: *****   MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: ***    Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: **** 

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Fell Sword--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Shadowblade *            3/* 1/- Any  N  0    Absorbs HP from target
Duskblade                3/* 1/- Any  N  500  Absorbs MP from target

Fell Sword techniques have a 100% hit rate.  However, they cannot be used 
unless Gaffgarion is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.

JP to master: 1650

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Gaffgarion is cool, but he's only in your party for two battles plus the intro 
battle at the start of the game.  But, his Shadowblade technique is quite
powerful (and restores some of Gaffgarion's HP!), so he'll be helpful while
you've got him.

---HOLY KNIGHT-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Agrias, Delita (ch. 2+)                         Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords              Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes           Physical evade : 25%
Stats:
  HP: *****   MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: ***    Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ***  

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Holy Sword--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Judgment Blade *         2/* 2/0 Any  N  0    Physical attack, causes Stop
Cleansing Strike         3/2 1/- Any  N  400  Physical attack, causes Doom
Northswain's Strike      3/1 1/- Any  N  500  Physical attack, instant KO
Hallowed Bolt *          3/* 2/1 Any  N  700  Physical attack, causes Silence
Divine Ruination *      4Dir 5/2 Any  N  800  Physical attack, causes Confusion
Chant (Delita only) *    1/3 1/- Any  -  0    Restores HP, Delita loses HP 
                                                equal to 1/2 of amount healed

Holy Sword techniques have a 100% hit rate.  However, they cannot be used 
unless Agrias/Delita is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.

JP to master: 3450

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Agrias's sword techniques makes her an invaluable member of your party as soon
as she joins, and she'll stay that way pretty much throughout the game.  Her
Holy Sword abilities are great because they do a lot of damage, require no 
charge time or MP, and have a few panels' range!  She's likely to be a major
part of your offense, especially before you get Orlandeau, who has all of
Agrias's abilities and then some.  Even with Orlandeau available, though, 
Agrias still makes for a good fighter; she's just not quite *as* strong ;).

You may want to save up your JP for Hallowed Bolt and Divine Ruination, her 
best techniques.  Divine Ruination is her strongest technique and can damage 
quite a few enemies if they all happen to be standing on a straight line.  
Hallowed Bolt isn't quite as strong, but it works on a diagonal and can strike 
multiple enemies standing next to each other.

Note that since sword techniques are considered physical attacks, the
Geomancer's Attack Boost can make them even stronger!

Delita's version of the Holy Knight job is even tougher, but he only shows up
as a Holy Knight for a few battles.

---PRINCESS--------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Ovelia                                          Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Staves                               Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                   Physical evade : 20%
Stats:
  HP: ***     MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ***  

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Holy Magicks--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Aegis *         30   25  5/* 1/- Any  N  0    Gives Reraise, Regen, Protect,
                                                Shell, and Haste status
Dispelna        20   25  4/* 1/- Any  N  0    Cures Stone, Confuse, Silence,
                                                Vampire, Toad, Poison, Stop,
                                                Sleep, Immobilize, and Disable
JP to master: 1050

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Well, Ovelia only fights in a few battles, but she's actually a useful 
character (you wouldn't expect her to be, but she is!).  Aegis is a great spell 
since it casts 5 different buffs at once; unfortunately, since you can't 
control her, she'll mostly cast it on herself.

---MACHINIST-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Mustadio                                        Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Knives, guns                         Jump height    : 4
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes                          Physical evade : 18%
Stats:
  HP: ***     MP: ***     Phys. Atk.: ***    Mag. Atk.: ****    Speed: ****

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Aimed Shot--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Leg Shot                 Weapon  Any  Y  200  Causes Immobilize status
Arm Shot *               Weapon  Any  Y  300  Causes Disable status
Seal Evil *              Weapon  Any  Y  200  Turns undead to Stone

JP to master: 1750

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
With his Arm Shot ability and a gun, Mustadio can disable enemies from across
the battlefield.  This is a great ability since it effectively stops enemy from
taking any kind of action for a few turns.  You can Disable enemy mages to keep
them from casting spells while the rest of your team is trying to reach them, 
or Disable a melee fighter and have the rest of your team pounce on him/her 
without fear of reprisal.  Or, when you're just faced with a lot of enemies at
once, Disabling a few can make the crowd more manageable.  Since Disable also 
shuts down reaction abilities, you can also use it to stop monsters from 
counter-attacking you or to keep humans from recovering from your attacks.
Towards the very end of the game, it becomes slightly less useful since many
human enemies are equipped with Thief's Caps, which renders them immune to
Disable status.

Seal Evil is also useful: it turns undead enemies to stone, which not only 
defeats them instantly, but prevents them from reviving.  (And it has a high 
hit rate!)  Although you won't face undead enemies in too many battles, it's 
quite handy in the ones where you do.

In order for Mustadio's Aimed Shot abilities to keep their long range, Mustadio
needs to stay equipped with a gun.  Once you've finished learning his Aimed
Shot abilities, you may want to consider switching him to a Chemist, another
job that can equip guns.  This will let him supplement his Aimed Shots with the
ability to heal your teammates.

Once you get Balthier, though, Mustadio essentially becomes obsolete, since
Balthier has even more abilities and better stats.

---ASTROLOGER------------------------------------------------------------------
Used by: Orran                                           Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Books                                Jump height    : 4
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes                          Physical evade : 15%

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Astrology--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Celestial Stasis *   20    All foes!  N  0    Causes Stop, Immobilize, or 
                                                Disable
Focus *                  Slf 1/- Self -  300  Raises physical attack power by 1
                                                for duration of battle
Rush                     1/1 1/- Any  -  80   Weak physical attack, may knock 
                                                enemy back one tile; does
                                                variable damage (may be more or
                                                less than estimate)
Stone                    4/* 1/- Any  Y  90   Weak (ranged) physical attack, 
                                                may knock enemy back one tile;
                                                does variable damage (may be 
                                                more or less than estimate)
Salve                    1/2 1/- Any  -  150  Cures Blind, Silence, Poison

JP to master: 1865

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Orran is ludicrously powerful, thanks to his Celestial Stasis spell, which will
debilitate most of the enemies on the board every time he uses it and doesn't 
even cost any MP!  Too bad he only shows up in one battle and you don't even 
get to control him :(

---CLERIC----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Alma                                            Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Staves                               Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                   Physical evade : 18%
Stats:
  HP: ***     MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ***  

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Holy Magicks--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Aegis *         30   25  5/* 1/- Any  N  0    Gives Reraise, Regen, Protect,
                                                Shell, and Haste status
Dispelna        20   25  4/* 1/- Any  N  0    Cures Stone, Confuse, Silence,
                                                Vampire, Toad, Poison, Stop,
                                                Sleep, Immobilize, and Disable
Ultima          10   20  4/* 2/1 Any  N  n/a  Non-elemental magick attack
Chant *                  1/3 1/- Any  -  0    Restores HP, Alma loses HP equal 
                                                to 1/2 of amount healed
JP to master: 1050

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Alma is almost identical to Ovelia, except that she has Chant.  As with Ovelia,
Aegis is a great support spell, so she'll be useful during the few battles
where you can control her.  You can use Items to keep up her MP and allow her
to keep casting the spell.  

It's a good idea to de-equip Alma of her all gear before you go to Orbonne 
Monastery in Chapter III, since most of it can't be bought in stores.

When Alma rejoins during the final battle, it is possible for her to learn 
Ultima from casting Ramza or Luso casting it on her, but you're better off with 
her Aegis spell!

---GAME HUNTER-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Luso                                            Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, knight's swords,     Jump height    : 3
                    flails                               Physical evade : 10%
Equippable armor: Shields, hats, helms, clothes, armor,
                  robes
Innate ability: Poach
Stats:
  HP: ****    MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Huntcraft--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Focus *                  Slf 1/- Self -  300  Raises physical attack power by 1
                                                for duration of battle
Rush                     1/1 1/- Any  -  80   Weak physical attack, may knock 
                                                enemy back one tile; does
                                                variable damage (may be more or
                                                less than estimate)
Stone                    4/* 1/- Any  Y  90   Weak (ranged) physical attack, 
                                                may knock enemy back one tile;
                                                does variable damage (may be 
                                                more or less than estimate)
Salve                    1/2 1/- Any  -  150  Cures Blind, Silence, Poison
Tailwind *               3/* 1/- Any  N  200  Raises speed by 1 for duration of
                                                battle
Chant *                  1/3 1/- Any  -  0    Restores HP, Luso loses HP equal 
                                                to 1/2 of amount healed
Steel *                  3/* 1/- Any  N  200  Raises Bravery by 5
Shout *                  Slf 1/- Self -  500  Raises Bravery by 10, attack and
                                                magick strength by 1, speed by 
                                                1
Ultima          10   20  4/* 2/1 Any  N  N/A  Non-elemental magick attack

JP to master: 4430

Ultima can only be learned by having Ramza or an enemy cast it on Luso; see the 
"Learning Ultima" section under Various Tricks for more information on this.

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Luso is basically a clone of Ramza, even down to his stats, and so has the same
strengths and weaknesses.  Luso's main distinguishing feature is his innate 
Poach ability, which can be nice for hunting for the rare items you get from
poaching some monsters.

Overall, Luso's OK -- but you already have one Ramza, and *that* Ramza is the
one you're required to use in story battles.  As a result, Luso is sadly pretty 
redundant in most cases.  Ramza's abilities aren't good enough that you need
two people in the party using them, not when you fill that slot in your party
with a character who has a different set of abilities.

---SKYSEER---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Rapha                                           Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Staves, poles                        Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                   Physical evade : 10%
Stats:
  HP: ***     MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: ***    Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ****

--Action Abilities: Sky Mantra--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Heaven's Wrath *     34  4/* 2/3 Any  N  100  Lightning attack, strikes random 
                                                tiles within radius
Ashura               25  4/* 2/3 Any  N  200  Fire attack, strikes random tiles
                                                within radius
Adamantine Blade     20  4/* 2/3 Any  N  300  Wind attack, strikes random tiles
                                                within radius
Maelstrom            17  4/* 2/3 Any  N  400  Water attack, strikes random 
                                                tiles within radius
Celestial Void *     20  4/* 2/3 Any  N  500  Non-elemental magick attack, 
                                                strikes random tiles within 
                                                radius.  Causes Blind, Confuse, 
                                                Silence, Toad, Poison, Slow,
                                                or Sleep
Divinity             15  4/* 2/3 Any  N  600  Earth attack, strikes random 
                                                tiles within radius

Sky Mantra attacks do not take enemy Faith into consideration.  This is unlike
most magick attacks, which do high damage to targets with high Faith and low
damage to enemies with low Faith.

JP to master: 3150

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
As you've probably observed during her time as a guest, Rapha's Sky Mantra
abilities are pretty useless.  They strike random tiles within their effect
radius, making them often as likely to hit your allies as your enemies, and
they don't even do all that much damage anyway.  (Plus, they take time to
charge.)

On the other hand, given her low Bravery, Rapha is a character that can easily
be made into a good Treasure Hunter.  (You're more likely to get good items
with Treasure Hunter if your Bravery is low.)  And, if you're planning to 
tackle the bonus dungeon, you'll definitely want a Treasure Hunter!  Of course, 
it's not in any way necessary to specifically use Rapha for this; any other
character with low Bravery works fine.  Rapha just tends to be convenient since
her Bravery is already pretty low to start with -- and you may want to lower 
her Bravery even further with the Orator's Intimidate to increase your odds
further.

---NETHERSEER------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Marach                                          Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Rods, poles                          Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, clothes, robes                   Physical evade : 8%
Stats:
  HP: ***     MP: ****    Phys. Atk.: ***    Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ****

--Action Abilities: Nether Mantra--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Hell's Wrath *       34  4/* 2/3 Any  N  100  Lightning attack, strikes random 
                                                tiles within radius
Nether Ashura        25  4/* 2/3 Any  N  200  Fire attack, strikes random tiles
                                                within radius
Nether Blade         20  4/* 2/3 Any  N  300  Wind attack, strikes random tiles
                                                within radius
Nether Maelstrom     17  4/* 2/3 Any  N  400  Water attack, strikes random 
                                                tiles within radius
Corporeal Void *     20  4/* 2/3 Any  N  500  Non-elemental magick attack, 
                                                strikes random tiles within 
                                                radius.  Causes Blind, Confuse, 
                                                Silence, Toad, Poison, Slow, 
                                                or Sleep
Impiety              15  4/* 2/3 Any  N  600  Earth attack, strikes random 
                                                tiles within radius

Nether Mantra attacks do increased damage to enemies with LOW Faith.  This is
the opposite of most magick attacks, which do increased damage to enemies with
high Faith.

JP to master: 3150

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Marach's abilities are quite similar to Rapha's in that they strike random
tiles.  His main interesting feature is that Nether Mantra does more damage to 
enemies with LOW Faith (the reverse of regular magick), with gives you a magick
attack that's actually effective against low-Faith enemies.  Unfortunately,
since Nether Mantra is so random, it's still not all that useful.

While Rapha can easily be turned into a Treasure Hunter thanks to her low 
starting Bravery, Marach has a pretty average Bravery and isn't particularly 
good for this.  In other words: there's generally not much of a reason to put 
Marach in your party, and he's usually considered the least useful of the story
characters.  If you're not set on having all the story characters on your 
roster, you could even skip recruiting him--or sign him up, take his equipment, 
and then delete him.

If you do want to use Marach, you can always switch him to some standard job
instead of relying on his Nether Mantra abilities.  Of course, then he's really
no different from any other generic character.

---TEMPLAR---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Beowulf                                         Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, knight's swords      Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes           Physical evade : 14%
Stats:
  HP: ****    MP: *****   Phys. Atk.: *****  Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ****

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Spellblade--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Blind           6        4/* 1/- Any  N  50   Causes Blind
Syphon *        2        4/* 1/- Any  N  100  Absorbs MP from target
Drain           12       4/* 1/- Any  N  180  Absorbs HP from target
Faith           10       4/* 1/- Any  N  200  Causes Faith status (character
                                                has 100 Faith; both character's
                                                own magick and others' magick
                                                targeting the character are
                                                maximally effective)
Doubt           10       4/* 1/- Any  N  200  Causes Atheist status (character
                                                cannot use magick but is also
                                                immune to others' magick)
Zombie          14       4/* 1/- Any  N  150  Causes Undead condition
Silence         16       4/* 1/- Any  N  90   Causes Silence
Berserk         16       4/* 1/- Any  N  200  Causes Berserk
Chicken *       12       4/* 1/- Any  N  500  Lowers target's Bravery by 50
Confuse         14       4/* 1/- Any  N  200  Causes Confusion
Dispel          20       4/* 1/- Any  N  300  Removes Float, Reraise, Regen,
                                                Invisible, Protect, Shell,
                                                Haste, Faith, Reflect
Disable *       14       4/* 1/- Any  N  50   Causes Disable status
Sleep           20       4/* 1/- Any  N  170  Causes Sleep
Break *         24       4/* 1/- Any  N  300  Causes Stone
Vengeance *     20       8/* 1/- Any  N  600  Deals damage = (Beowulf's max HP 
                                                minus Beowulf's current HP)

Spellblade techniques cannot be used unless Beowulf is equipped with a sword,
knight's sword, or fell sword.

JP to master: 4340

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Beowulf is essentially a Mystic on steroids -- like a Mystic, he specializes in 
inflicing status conditions, but his abilities don't need to charge and in some
cases cost less MP than the Mystic equivalent!  Plus, with a knight's sword,
he can be a pretty good fighter, and Templar has the highest MP of any job in
the game.

A trio of Spellblade abilities are particularly useful.  First off, Chicken
drops an enemy's Bravery by 50, which will turn it into a useless chicken in 
one shot if the enemy's Bravery is less than 60.  It has a 70-100% hit rate, 
and it only costs 12 MP!  It's a great ability for quickly reducing the number
of enemies you need to fight at once, and is also a pretty good way of
prolonging a battle (e.g. to hunt for items in the bonus dungeon).  Vengeance 
is also a great ranged attack that can do quite a bit of damage when Beowulf is 
low on HP (and it has a fantastic range of EIGHT panels); the main downside is 
that it's useless at the start of a battle when Beowulf hasn't been harmed yet.
Finally, Beowulf's Break spell also has a pretty high chance of turning an
enemy instantly to stone.

---AUTOMATON-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Construct 8                                     Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: none                                 Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: none                                   Physical       : 0%
Innate abilities: Counter, Ignore Terrain, Ignore Weather#, cannot enter water.
Construct 8 is also immune to most status conditions, all elements except
thunder, and (by virtue of having 0 Faith) all magick.  It's weak to Lightning,
but only non-magickal Lightning attacks since it's immune to magick.

# Since Construct 8 has no magick and can't enter water, its Ignore Weather 
would appear not to ever actually do anything.  What in the world?

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Tasks--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Destroy                  1/2 1/- Any  -  0    Physical attack
Compress                 1/2 1/- Any  -  0    Instant KO
Dispose *                8/* 1/- Any  N  0    Physical attack
Pulverize                1/0 1/- Any  -  0    Physical attack

All Tasks abilities consume some of Construct 8's HP when used.

--Reaction Abilities--
                   TRIGGER        BRV JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Counter      Automatically eqppd. Yes 0    Counter-attack with physical attack

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
Defense Boost Automatically eqpd.     0    Lowers damage received from physical
                                             attacks

--Movement Abilities--
none

JP to master: 0

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Since Construct 8 is a special "monster," it can't change jobs, use equipment,
or learn new abilities.  That means it's not a very customizable character and
has pretty much a fixed set of strengths and weaknesses.

One of Construct 8's great strengths is its Dispose ability, which has a range
of 8 panels and never misses.  It's only moderately strong, but the range and
hit rate make it good for taking out enemy mages and gunners/archers. 
Construct 8 is also great on defense, since it's immune to magick and most
status conditions (Confusion being one of the notable exceptions).  This makes
it especially useful in particular battles where the enemy relies heavily on
magick or status attacks.  Plus, it has an inherent Defense Boost and Counter.

You can also use Construct 8 as a stepping-stool to help other characters
climb up to higher ledges.  (Other large monsters have this ability as well.)
This is necessary to find the hidden items at Nelveska Temple, and can often
be handy in Midlight's Deep as well.

The downside to Construct 8 is that it's pretty slow and has a short move
range, so it's pretty rare that you'll actually have a chance to use its close
range attacks.  It's of course also immune to any POSITIVE magick you might 
want to cast on it, like buffs or Cure spells.  Using the Tasks abilities also
consumes some of its HP, but it's not all that much, so this isn't much to
worry about.

The biggest concern is that since Construct 8 can't use equipment or change 
abilities, it's hard to upgrade.  (The best you can do is gain levels and raise
its Bravery.)  This means that it's hard to remedy some of its weaknesses like
its short movement range, and that it eventually can't keep pace with the rest
of your team.  In sum, Construct 8 proves to be quite useful when you first get
it and remains very helpful in particular story battles (against enemies using
magick or status attacks), but its usefulness may start to fade as other
characters gain more and more abilities that Construct 8 can never have.

---SKY PIRATE------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Balthier                                        Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Knives, swords, knight's swords,     Jump height    : 4
                    bows, crossbows, guns, polearms      Physical evade : 25%
Equippable armor: Shields, hats, helms, clothes, armor,
                  robes
Innate ability: Safeguard
Stats:
  HP: ***     MP: ***     Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: *****

--Action Abilities: Piracy--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Leg Shot                 Weapon  Any  Y  200  Causes Immobilize status
Arm Shot *               Weapon  Any  Y  300  Causes Disable status
Seal Evil *              Weapon  Any  Y  200  Turns undead to Stone
Barrage                  Weapon  Any  Y  1200 Use weapon 4 times in a row at 
                                                1/2 damage per attack
Plunder Gil              1/1 1/- Foe  -  10   Steal small amount of gil
Plunder Heart *          3/1 1/- Foe  N  150  Inflicts Charm; only effective on
                                                monsters and opposite sex
Plunder Helm *           1/1 1/- Foe  -  350  Steal target's helmet
Plunder Armor *          1/1 1/- Foe  -  450  Steal target's armor
Plunder Shield *         1/1 1/- Foe  -  350  Steal target's shield
Plunder Weapon *         1/1 1/- Foe  -  600  Steal target's weapon
Plunder Accessory        1/1 1/- Foe  -  500  Steal target's accessory
Plunder EXP              1/1 1/- Foe  -  250  Steal target's current EXP

The range of Leg Arm, Arm Shot, Seal Evil, and Barrage are equal to the range
of his current weapon.

Note that the Plunder abilities have a higher hit rate than the Thief's
Steal equivalents.

JP to master: 6350

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Balthier is an all-around great character, and quite versatile.  As you can see
from his available equipment, he can function both as a ranged fighter or a
close-range one.  Essentially, he's a combination of Mustadio (he has all of
Mustadio's Aimed Shot abilities) and a Thief ... except that he's also 
physically stronger, is more successful at stealing than a Thief, and has the
super speed of a Ninja.  How can you go wrong with that?  Once Balthier joins,
there's not all that much use for Mustadio since Balthier has all of Mustadio's
ability and then some!

Balthier's one completely unique ability, Barrage, is also quite useful.  It's
similar to Dual Wield in the sense that is essentially doubles your attack
power, except that Barrage lets Balthier still equip a shield in his other
hand.  Barrage also divides the damage across four attacks, so that if one or 
two is missed or blocked, you can still connect with the others.  (On the other
hand, if you land a critical hit and knock the enemy backwards, all the other
attacks will miss!)  Since Barrage counts as a regular attack, it can also be
combined with Poach or Tame.  In the right circumstances, Barrage can also be 
used to attack multiple enemies in one turn -- see "Shoot Enemies Next to You" 
under Various Tricks.  Sadly, Dual Wield and Barrage CANNOT be combined; you 
still only get 4 attacks even if Balthier has a weapon in both hands.  No Genji 
Glove + Offering this time around :(

---SWORD SAINT-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Orlandeau                                       Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords, katanas,    Jump height    : 3
                    ninja blades                         Physical evade : 12%
Equippable armor: Shields, hats, helms, clothes, armor,
                  robes
Stats:
  HP: *****   MP: *****   Phys. Atk.: *****  Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ****

--Action Abilities: Swordplay--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Judgment Blade *         2/* 2/0 Any  N  0    Physical attack, causes Stop
Cleansing Strike         3/2 1/- Any  N  400  Physical attack, causes Doom
Northswain's Strike      3/1 1/- Any  N  500  Physical attack, instant KO
Hallowed Bolt *          3/* 2/1 Any  N  700  Physical attack, causes Silence
Divine Ruination *      4Dir 5/2 Any  N  800  Physical attack, causes Confusion
Crush Armor              3/* 1/- Any  N  200  Physical attack, destroys
                                                target's armor
Crush Helm               3/* 1/- Any  N  400  Physical attack, destroys 
                                                target's headgear
Crush Weapon *           3/* 1/- Any  N  500  Physical attack, destroys 
                                                target's weapon
Crush Accessory          3/* 1/- Any  N  800  Physical attack, destroys 
                                                target's accessory
Shadowblade *            3/* 1/- Any  N  0    Absorbs HP from target
Duskblade *              3/* 1/- Any  N  500  Absorbs MP from target

Swordplay techniques have a 100% hit rate.  However, they cannot be used 
unless Orlandeau is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.

Note that Crush abilities have a 0% hit rate against targets with Safeguard.
(Unlike in the PSone version, though, they CAN target monsters and unequipped
humans!)

JP to master: 5850

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
There's probably not much I need to say here.  The Thunder God himself is 
overwhelmingly powerful -- he has all of Agrias's, Meliadoul's, and 
Gaffgarion's sword techniques (all useful in their own right), he has 
tremendous HP and attack power, and he comes with the Excalibur sword, which 
gives a permanent Haste.  His attacks do tremendous damage and he can take down 
most enemy units with a sword technique.  Shadowblade even lets him heal 
himself in the process!

In other words, the only reason you *wouldn't* want Orlandeau on your team is 
to challenge yourself by making the game harder.  Otherwise, he's going to be 
your strongest character -- to the point of being more than a little
unbalanced ;)

Particularly useful abilities are Hallowed Bolt and Divine Ruination for group
damage, Shadowblade for restoring Orlandeaus' HP, Crush Weapon for disabling an 
enemy's offense, and Duskblade against enemy magick users.  Duskblade steals so 
much MP that you can often steal an enemy mage's entire magick gauge and render
them completely useless.  This is a great tactic against magick-using enemies!
(You can also use it as a crippling the last enemy if you extend the battle for
any reason.)  And, as with Agrias, giving him the Geomancer's Attack Boost will
make his sword techniques stronger.

---HOLY DRAGON-----------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Reis (before completing Nelveska Temple quest)  Movement range : 5
Equippable weapons: none                                 Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: none                                   Physical evade : 5%
Stats:
  HP: *****   MP: *       Phys. Atk.: *****  Mag. Atk.: *****   Speed: ****

--Action Abilities: Breath--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Ice Breath *             2/2 1/- Any  Y  0    Ice attack
Fire Breath *            2/2 1/- Any  Y  0    Fire attack
Thunder Breath *         2/2 1/- Any  Y  0    Lightning attack

These three Breath attacks can only target characters in a straight line from 
Reis, not on a diagonal.

--Reaction Abilities--
none

--Support Abilities--
none

--Movement Abilities--
none

JP to master: 0

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
In her dragon form, Reis is limited to her three breath attacks.  (And, being 
a monster, she obviously can't change jobs.)  She has a lot of HP, though, and
her movement range is actually much better than her human form's.  Her magick
attack is also phenomenally high, which means that her breath attacks are
likely to do more damage now than as a human!  However, her very limited set of 
abilities and inability to use any kind of equipment or accessories means 
you'll get more use out of her human form in the long run.

Note that if you fail to buy Aerith's flower at Sal Ghidos, you won't be able 
to complete the quest to restore Reis to human form and she'll actually be 
stuck in dragon form for the entirety of the game.

---DRAGONKIN-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Reis (after Nelveska Temple quest)              Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Bags                                 Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Hair adornments                        Physical evade : 7%
Equippable accessories: Rings, armlets, perfume, and lip rouge only
Innate abilities: Beastmaster, Tame, Dual Wield
Stats:
  HP: *****   MP: *****   Phys. Atk.: *****  Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: *****

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Dragon--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Ice Breath *             2/2 1/- Any  Y  0    Ice attack #
Fire Breath *            2/2 1/- Any  Y  0    Fire attack #
Thunder Breath *         2/2 1/- Any  Y  0    Lightning attack #
Dragon's Charm *         2/2 1/- Foe  N  300  Dragon or hydra joins as guest, 
                                                and can be recruited after 
                                                battle (100% hit rate!)
Dragon's Gift            2/2 1/- Any  N  300  Heals dragon or hydra and removes
                                                Blind, Confuse, Silence, Oil,
                                                Berserk, Toad, Poison, Stop, 
                                                Sleep, Immobilize, and Disable.
                                               Consumes Reis's HP when used.
Dragon's Might           2/2 1/- Any  N  400  Boosts dragon or hydra's Bravery,
                                                speed, physical attack, and 
                                                magick attack
Dragon's Speed           2/2 1/- Any  N  400  Fills dragon or hydra's CT gauge 
                                                to 100 (instant turn!)
Holy Breath              4/* 3/3 Any  N  900  Holy attack, strikes random tiles
                                                within radius

# The initial three Breath attacks can only target characters in a straight
line from Reis, not on a diagonal.

JP to master: 2350

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Although Reis's abilities don't seem too exciting at first glance, check out
her stats!  Dragonkin is the fastest job in the game and Reis also has great
HP, MP, and physical attack power.  She can also attack twice (as if she were
a Ninja) and her attack can Tame monsters.  Note that bags can't be Dual-
Wielded (as is the true for any character), but Reis's Dual Wield does work 
with her fists or other weapons you give her using Equip ____ abilities.

Unfortunately, the job is weakened by her lack of equipment.  Moreover,
although Reis's primary weapons is her fists, she does *not* have the Brawler
ability.  So, to make her stronger, give her Brawler or an Equip ___ ability.

For a melee fighter, Reis's movement range of 3 is also rather poor, and she 
also can't equip the accessories that would increase it.  Move +1 or Move +2 
will help, though.  (Or, alternately, give her the Septie`me perfume or Tynar 
Rouge; a permanent Haste will give her more turns, so it doesn't matter so much 
if she can't move very far on each turn.)

As for her abilities, her three initial Breath attacks are nice, since they
supplement her fists with elemental attacks with a 2-tile range (and they're
automatically learned, so you don't have to spend any JP!).  You can make them
stronger by raising Reis's Magick Attack (e.g. with accessories).  Holy Breath 
can be used as a range attack and does sizable damage, but since it strikes 
random tiles, it's not very reliable unless you're fighting a large enemy 
group.

The four "Dragon's _____" are only useful if you have dragons or hydras on your 
squad.  This gives them a somewhat use -- but the hydra family contains the 
strongest monsters in the game, so they may be worth recruiting and adding to 
your team!  One trick is to use Dragon's Charm to recruit dragons/hydras just 
to help you in one battle and also save you from fighting them; you don't have 
to permanently add them to your party at the end of the battle if you don't 
want to.

---SOLDIER---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Cloud                                           Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: Swords                               Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Hats, hair adornments, clothes         Physical evade : 20%
Stats:
  HP: ****    MP: *****   Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: ***     Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Limit--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Brave Slash          34  2/* 1/- Any  N  150  Non-elemental magick attack
Cross Slash *        25  2/* 2/2 Any  N  200  Non-elemental magick attack
Blade Beam *         20  2/* 1/- Any  N  250  Damage = (Cloud's max HP minus
                                                current HP)
Climhazzard          15  2/* 1/- Any  N  500  Damage = (TARGET'S max HP minus
                                                current HP)
Meteorain            10  3/* 3/0 Any  N  600  Non-elemental magick attack
Finishing Touch *    20  3/* 2/0 Any  N  700  Causes KO, Stone, Stop
Omnislash            7   3/* 3/0 Any  N  1200 Non-elemental magick attack
Cherry Blossom       5   3/* 3/0 Any  N  2500 Non-elemental magick attack

Limit techniques cannot be used unless Cloud is equipped with the Materia Blade
sword.  Note that the damage from Limit attacks is determined by Cloud's MAGICK
Attack stat, NOT his Physical Attack (unlike Agrias, Meliadoul, and 
Orlandeau's sword techniques).

JP to master: 7150

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
For being a hidden character, Cloud could be better.  His Limit abilities take 
a very long time to charge, and they can only target panels (not units), so the 
enemy will just move away while he's charging.  Give him the Time Mage's 
Swiftness ability to make up for this.  Even with that, Cloud is a little pokey 
-- he only has a movement range of 3, so you may also want to give him Germinas 
Boots or Move +1/Move +2 to boost his movement.  Finishing Touch is very 
powerful, though; it petrifies or KOs enemies, and can hit a whole group.

Cloud starts at level 1, which means that you'll have to spend a lot of time 
bringing him up to snuff.  However, as he gains levels, you'll find that his
stats turn out to be pretty good.  He has good HP and a lot of MP, so you
could try making him into a magick-user.  Equipping Cloud with gear to raise
his Magick Attack also makes his Limits stronger.  Unfortunately, his physical 
attack is only moderately strong at best, since he's stuck with the Materia 
Blade if you want to use Limits.  Personally, I still don't think he's worth 
the trouble, but other people seem to like him.

---DIVINE KNIGHT---------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Meliadoul                                       Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords, crossbows,  Jump height    : 3
                    polearms                             Physical evade : 10%
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, clothes, armor, robes
Stats:
  HP: ****    MP: ***     Phys. Atk.: ****   Mag. Atk.: **      Speed: ***

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Unyielding Blade--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Crush Armor *            3/* 1/- Any  N  200  Physical attack, destroys
                                                target's armor
Crush Helm               3/* 1/- Any  N  400  Physical attack, destroys 
                                                target's headgear
Crush Weapon *           3/* 1/- Any  N  500  Physical attack, destroys 
                                                target's weapon
Crush Accessory          3/* 1/- Any  N  800  Physical attack, destroys 
                                                target's accessory

Unyielding Blade techniques have a 100% hit rate.  However, they cannot be used 
unless Meliadoul is equipped with a sword, knight's sword, or fell sword.

Note that these abilities have a 0% hit rate against targets with Safeguard.
Unlike in the PSone version, though, they CAN target monsters and unequipped
humans!

JP to master: 2950

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Meliadoul's sword skills are quite useful, since they do good damage, never 
miss, and can shatter enemy equipment.  In the PSP version, they can even be 
used against targets who don't have the relevant item equipped (e.g. Crush 
Armor can still damage a target without armor), which means they also work on 
monsters!  They're all limited to hitting a single target, though.  Of her
abilities, Crush Armor and Crush Weapon are probably the best -- Crush Armor
does the most HP damage, and Crush Weapon can cripple an enemy's offense.

Unfortunately for Meliadoul, she doesn't join the team until *after* Orlandeau,
who has all her sword techniques and then some, as well as better stats!  So, 
what would otherwise be a good character may not find all that use on your 
squad.  Both Orlandeau and Agrias tend to have more useful swordskills.  Still, 
Meliadoul can make for a pretty good second-string fighter.  You could also try
making her into a magick-using job since she starts with high Faith.  She can 
also equip polearms and crossbows, but giving her one of these weapons won't 
allow her to use her sword techniques.

---ARK KNIGHT------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Zalbaag                                         Movement range : 4
Equippable weapons: Swords, knight's swords              Jump height    : 3
Equippable armor: Shields, helms, armor, robes           Physical evade : 10%

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Blade of Ruin--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Magicksap       20   34  4/* 2/0 Any  ?  0    Lowers target's MP
Speedsap        20   34  4/* 2/0 Any  ?  0    Lowers target's speed
Powersap        20   34  4/* 2/0 Any  ?  0    Lowers target's physical attack 
                                                strength
Mindsap         20   34  4/* 2/0 Any  ?  0    Lowers target's magick attack 
                                                strength

--Reaction Abilities--
                   TRIGGER        BRV JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Counter            Phys. Attack   Yes 300  Counter-attack with physical attack
Counter Tackle     Phys. attack   Yes 180  Counterattack using Rush

--Support Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Concentration                         400  Prevents enemies from evading your
                                             physical attacks
Safeguard                             250  Equipment can't be broken or stolen

Swiftness                             1000 Speeds spell/ability charge time

--Movement Abilities--
                                      JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Move +1                               200  Movement range + 1

JP to master: 2130 

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
Zalbaag doesn't really do much.  He's only in one half of one battle that you
may win in one or two rounds.  He has a nice set of abilities, but you'll never 
see them in action.

---BYBLOS----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: the Byblos (name varies)                        Movement range : 3
Equippable weapons: none                                 Jump height    : 6
Equippable armor: none                                   Physical evade : 33%
Innate abilities: Counter (100%), Poach, Ignore Elevation, can't enter water

                                --ABILITIES--
--Action Abilities: Byblos--
                         RNG RAD
                MP   SPD H/V H/V TAR  LF JP   EFFECT
                ---------------------------------------------------------------
Energize                 4/* 1/- Any  N  0    Restores HP, the Byblos loses HP 
                                                equal to 1/2 of amount healed
Parasite                 4/* 1/- Any  N  0    Causes Stone, Blind, Confuse,
                                                Silence, Oil, Toad, Poison, 
                                                and/or Sleep
Vengeance                5/3 1/- Any  N  0    Damage = (Byblos's max HP minus
                                                current HP)
Manaburn                 5/3 1/- Any  N  0    Deals damage equal to target's 
                                                current MP

--Reaction Abilities--
                   TRIGGER        BRV JP   EFFECT
                   ------------------------------------------------------------
Counter      Automatically eqppd. Yes 0    Counter-attack with physical attack

--Support Abilities--
none

--Movement Abilities--
none

JP to master: 0

                               --MY THOUGHTS--
The Byblos doesn't join you until you've reached the last battle of the bonus
dungeon, which limits its usefulness.  By the time it's joined your team, 
you've already completed pretty much the whole single-player game!

What can it do, though?  Like Construct 8, it's a special "monster" and can't
change jobs or use equipment.  So, the Byblos is limited to its four abilities.
While none of these are *bad*, they still give only the Byblos a very limited
set of abilities ... and the Byblos doesn't share Construct 8's immunity to 
magick.  The Byblos does have an innate Poach, although the addition of Luso 
(who also has an innate Poach) to the PSP version makes this somewhat less 
exciting.

%%%MONSTERS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00mon

In addition to human characters, Final Fantasy Tactics also features a variety
of monsters.  Monsters mostly appear in random battles, but also appear in a
few story battles.  

---About Monsters--------------------------------------------------------------

---MONSTER TYPES---
Monsters are divided by Family and Rank.  Each monster Family has three Ranks:
for instance, the chocobo family contains Chocobo (Rank I), Black Chocobo
(Rank II), and Red Chocobo (Rank III).

Within a Family, the monsters look the same but simply have different color
schemes.  Each's monsters color scheme is listed in the table below.  The color
scheme will help you quickly identify a monster.  It can also be used to help
identify the monster inside an egg (see Previewing Monster Eggs under Various 
Tricks)

---MONSTER ABILITIES---
Monsters cannot change jobs, but instead have a fixed set of 1-3 Action 
Abilities.  These are their only actions; they have no regular attack command.
Each monster also has one EXTRA ability.  This abilitiy can only be used if an
ally with the Beastmaster support ability (Squire) is standing directly next to
the monster.  (Reis's Dragonkin job also has an inherent Beastmaster).

All Action Abilities used by standard (non-boss) monsters have no charge time 
and consume no MP.

*ALL* monsters have Counter as an innate Reaction Ability.  Since this is true 
of EVERY monster, I haven't listed it for each monster in the table, but be 
aware of it!

Most monsters one or more innate Movement abilities (such as Ignore Elevation 
or Levitate).  These are listed in the tables.

Finally, many monsters also have various elemental affinities, such as
Absorbs: Fire (fire attacks actually heal the monster), Immune: Ice, etc.  

---RECRUITING MONSTERS---
Monsters can be recruited into your party in five ways:

1. Use the Orator's Entice skill to recruit an enemy monster onto your team.
After the battle, you'll be able to permanently sign the monster up for your
team.  Note that in order to use Entice (or any other Speechcraft skill) on
monsters, you must have the Beast Tongue support ability (also from Orator).  
Beast Tongue is an innate ability for Orators and doesn't need to be learned or
equipped as long as you're an Orator, but if you switch to another job, you'll 
have to equip Beast Tongue to Entice monsters.  Reis's Dragon's Charm ability 
also has the same effect and does not require Beast Tongue, but only works on
the dragon and hydra families.

2. With the Orator's Tame support ability equipped, attack a monster.  If the
monster is in critical (low) HP after the attack, you can recruit the monster.
Reis's Dragonkin job has Tame as an innate ability.

3. Once you have recruited a monster onto your team, the monster will lay eggs
and produce other monsters in the same family.  Eggs are laid and hatch as you 
move around the world map.  The Rank of the monster laying the egg determines
which kind of Ranks it can produce:
                        
             Produces...   Rank I      Rank II      Rank III
                           -----------------------------------
  Rank I                   Frequently  Rarely       Never
  Rank II                  Frequently  Rarely       Rarely
  Rank III                 Frequently  Frequently   Rarely

   Note that Rank I monsters can never produce Rank III monsters directly.
However, you can use it to breed a Rank II monster, which can then go on to 
produce a Rank III monster.

  The level of a newborn monster is randomly determined and can be as high as
your highest-level character.  So if you recruit a monster type you like but
the monster is at a low experience level, one strategy is to let it breed and 
you may get a higher-level version of the same monster.

4. Rarely, you'll get into a random battle where a monster appears to fight as
a Guest on your team.  Complete the battle and you'll be able to recruit the
Guest monster as a regular party member.

5. Finally, a Chocobo will be automatically offered to the party after winning
a Chapter II story battle.


And now, on with the monster list!

---Chocobo Family--------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Single feather

The Chocobo family of monsters is unique in that human characters to ride them.
To ride one, move a character onto the same tile as a friendly chocobo (of any
color).  The character will mount the chocobo and they'll move and act as a
single unit.  Essentially, this allows you to combine the movement range and
skills of a Chocobo with the action abilities of a human.

CHOCOBO
  Family: Chocobo     Rank : I      Color scheme   : Bright yellow
  Move  : 6           Jump : 5      Physical evade : 15%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Swim
  ELEMENTAL ABILITIES: none
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Choco Beak        1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Choco Cure       Self 2/2 Any  -  Restores HP
   (Choco Esuna)    Self 2/2 Any  -  Cures Stone, Blind, Silence, Poison, Stop,
                                       Immobilize, Disable

BLACK CHOCOBO
  Family: Chocobo     Rank : II     Color scheme   : Black/dark purple
  Move  : 6           Jump : 5      Physical evade : 25%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Fly, Swim
  ELEMENTAL ABILITIES: none
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Choco Beak        1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Choco Pellets     4/* 1/- Any  N  Physical attack
   Choco Esuna      Self 2/2 Any  -  Cures Stone, Blind, Silence, Poison, Stop,
                                       Immobilize, Disable
   (Choco Meteor)    5/* 1/- Any  N  Non-elemental magick attack

RED CHOCOBO
  Family: Chocobo     Rank : I      Color scheme   : Bright red
  Move  : 6           Jump : 5      Physical evade : 10%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Ignore Elevation, Swim
  ELEMENTAL ABILITIES: none
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Choco Beak        1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Choco Pellets     4/* 1/- Any  N  Physical attack
   Choco Meteor      5/* 1/- Any  N  Non-elemental magick attack
   (Choco Cure)     Self 2/2 Any  -  Restores HP

---Goblin Family---------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Goblin lying face-down on ground

GOBLIN
  Family: Goblin      Rank : I      Color scheme   : Red and gray
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 18%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES: none
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tackle            1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Eye Gouge         1/2 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Blind status
   (Goblin Punch)    1/1 1/- Any  -  Physical attack

BLACK GOBLIN
  Family: Goblin      Rank : II     Color scheme   : Black and gray
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 19%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES: none
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tackle            1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Spin Punch       Self 2/1 Any  -  Physical attack
   (Goblin Punch)    1/1 1/- Any  -  Physical attack

GOBBLEDYGOOK
  Family: Goblin      Rank : III    Color scheme   : Brown skin, green clothes
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 20%      with purple trim
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES: none
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tackle            1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Eye Gouge         1/2 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Blind status
   Goblin Punch      1/1 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   (Bloodfeast)      1/0 1/- Any  -  Drains HP from target to user

---Panther Family--------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Skull

RED PANTHER
  Family: Panther     Rank : I      Color scheme   : Tan
  Move  : 4           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 23%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Ignore Elevation, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Earth
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Claw              1/3 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Venom Fang        1/2 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Poison status
   (Cat Scratch)     1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack

COEURL
  Family: Panther     Rank : II     Color scheme   : Blue-gray
  Move  : 4           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 26%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Ignore Elevation, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Earth
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Claw              1/3 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Cat Scratch       1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Venom Fang        1/2 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Poison status
   (Blaster)         3/* 1/- Any  Y  Inflicts Stone or Stop status

VAMPIRE CAT
  Family: Panther     Rank : III    Color scheme   : Purple
  Move  : 4           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 24%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES: Ignore Elevation, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Earth
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Claw              1/3 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Cat Scratch       1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Blaster           3/* 1/- Any  Y  Inflicts Stone or Stop status
   (Vampire)         1/0 1/- Any  -  Drains HP from target to user;
                                       inflicts Vampire status on target

---Bomb Family-----------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Floating flame

BOMB
  Family: Bomb        Rank : I      Color scheme   : Red
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 10%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Float, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Fire, Halves Ice, Weak to Water
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Bite              1/2 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack
   Self-Destruct    Self 3/3 Any  N  KOs user & damages nearby units, inflicts
                                       Oil status
   (Bomblet)         1/0 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack

GRENADE
  Family: Bomb        Rank : II     Color scheme   : Light blue
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 11%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Float, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Fire, Halves Ice, Weak to Water
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Bite              1/2 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack
   Bomblet           1/0 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack
   Self-Destruct    Self 3/3 Any  N  KOs user & damages nearby units, inflicts
                                       Oil status
   (Flame Attack)    3/* 1/- Any  N  Fire attack

EXPLODER
  Family: Bomb        Rank : III    Color scheme   : Gray
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 12%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Float, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Fire, Halves Ice, Weak to Water
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Bite              1/2 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack
   Self-Destruct    Self 3/3 Any  N  KOs user & damages nearby units, inflicts
                                       Oil status
   Spark            Self 3/1 Any  N  Fire attack (will also heal user since
                                       bombs absorb fire)
   (Bomblet)         1/0 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack

---Skeleton Family-------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Cape and pile of bones

SKELETON
  Family: Skeleton    Rank : I      Color scheme   : Gray with blue cloak
  Move  : 3           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 11%
  Is Undead.
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : none
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Chop              1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Thunder Anima     3/* 1/- Any  Y  Lightning attack
   (Water Anima)     3/1 1/- Any  Y  Water attack

BONESNATCH
  Family: Skeleton    Rank : II     Color scheme   : Gray with green cloak
  Move  : 3           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 12%
  Is Undead.
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : none
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Chop              1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Water Anima       3/* 1/- Any  Y  Water attack
   (Ice Anima)       3/* 1/- Any  Y  Ice attack

SKELETAL FIEND
  Family: Skeleton    Rank : III    Color scheme   : Gray with red cloak
  Move  : 3           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 13%
  Is Undead.
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : none
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Chop              1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Ice Anima         3/* 1/- Any  Y  Ice attack
   (Wind Anima)      3/* 1/- Any  Y  Wind attack

---Minotaur Family-------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Horned skull

WISENKIN
  Family: Minotaur    Rank : I      Color scheme   : Dark green with gray head
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 11%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Water
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Pickaxe           1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   (Feral Spin)     Self 2/1 Any  -  Physical attack

MINOTAUR
  Family: Minotaur    Rank : II     Color scheme   : Red with gray head
  Move  : 4           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 15%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Water
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Pickaxe           1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Feral Spin       Self 2/1 Any  -  Physical attack
   (Breathe Fire)    2/* 1/- Any  Y  Fire attack, targets in 4 directions only

SEKHRET
  Family: Minotaur    Rank : III    Color scheme   : Purple
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 12%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Water
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Pickaxe           1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Earthsplitter    Self 3/1 Ally N  Earth attack
   Beef Up          Self 1/- Any  -  Raises user's Physical Attack by 2
   (Breathe Fire)    2/* 1/- Any  Y  Fire attack, targets in 4 directions only

---Ghost Family----------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Floating cloak

GHOUL
  Family: Ghost       Rank : I      Color scheme   : Purple body, yellow shirt
  Move  : 4           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 26%
  Is Undead.
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Teleport, Levitate, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Ectoplasm         3/* 1/- Any  Y  Non-elemental attack
   Sleep Touch       1/2 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Sleep status
   (Oily Touch)      1/2 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Oil status

GHAST
  Family: Ghost       Rank : II     Color scheme   : Gray body, red shirt
  Move  : 4           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 27%
  Is Undead.
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Teleport, Levitate, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Ectoplasm         3/* 1/- Any  Y  Non-elemental attack
   Oily Touch        1/2 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Oil status
   (Drain Touch)     1/2 1/- Any  -  Drains target's HP

REVENANT
  Family: Ghost       Rank : III    Color scheme   : Tan body, green shirt
  Move  : 5           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 28%
  Is Undead.
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Teleport, Levitate, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Darkness, Weak to Fire and Holy
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Ectoplasm         3/* 1/- Any  Y  Non-elemental attack
   Drain Touch       1/2 1/- Any  -  Drains target's HP
   (Zombie Touch)    1/2 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Undead status

---Mindflayer Family-----------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Mindflayer lying face-down on ground

PISCODAEMON
  Family: Mindflayer  Rank : I      Color scheme   : Tan with brown cloak
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 8%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Waterbreathing
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Water, Weak to Lightning
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tentacles         1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   (Ink)             2/* 1/- Any  Y  Inflicts Blind; targets in 4 cardinal
                                       directions only

SQUIDRAKEN
  Family: Mindflayer  Rank : II     Color scheme   : Purple with green cloak
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 9%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Waterbreathing
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Water, Weak to Lightning
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tentacles         1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Ink               2/* 1/- Any  Y  Inflicts Blind; targets in 4 cardinal
                                       directions only
   Dischord         Self 3/1 Any  N  Removes Float, Reraise, Invisible, Regen,
                                       Protect, Shell, Haste, Faith, and
                                       Reflect
   (Mind Blast)      3/* 2/1 Any  N  Inflicts Confusion or Berserk

MINDFLAYER
  Family: Mindflayer  Rank : III    Color scheme   : Pale green with red cloak
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 10%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Waterbreathing
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Water, Weak to Lightning
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tentacles         1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Ink               2/* 1/- Any  Y  Inflicts Blind; targets in 4 cardinal
                                       directions only
   Mind Blast        3/* 2/1 Any  N  Inflicts Confusion or Berserk
   (Level Drain)     4/* 1/- Any  N  Lowers target's experience level by 1

---Ahriman Family--------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Wing

FLOATING EYE
  Family: Ahriman     Rank : I      Color scheme   : Green with orange wings
  Move  : 5           Jump : 5      Physical evade : 12%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Fly, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Ice
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Wing Buffet       1/2 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack
   (Dread Gaze)      3/* 1/- Any  Y  Lowers target's Bravery by 10

AHRIMAN
  Family: Ahriman     Rank : II     Color scheme   : Yellow with purple wings
  Move  : 5           Jump : 5      Physical evade : 13%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Fly, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Ice
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Wing Buffet       1/2 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack
   Bewitching Gaze   3/* 1/- Any  Y  Inflicts Stone, Blind, Silence,
                                       Immobilize, or Disable status
   Dread Gaze        3/* 1/- Any  Y  Lowers target's Bravery by 10
   (Doom)            3/* 1/- Any  N  Inflicts Doom status

PLAGUE HORROR
  Family: Ahriman     Rank : III    Color scheme   : Red with black wings
  Move  : 5           Jump : 5      Physical evade : 11%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Fly, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Ice
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Wing Buffet       1/2 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack
   Bewitching Gaze   3/* 1/- Any  Y  Inflicts Stone, Blind, Silence,
                                       Immobilize, or Disable status
   Doom              3/* 1/- Any  N  Inflicts Doom status
   (Beam)            4/* 1/- Any  N  Lowers target's Magick Attack by 2

---Aevis Family----------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Two feathers

JURA AEVIS
  Family: Aevis       Rank : I      Color scheme   : Blue with white plumage
  Move  : 6           Jump : 6      Physical evade : 30%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Fly, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Earth
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Talon Dive        1/2 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack
   (Featherbomb)     3/* 1/- Any  N  Non-elemental attack

STEELHAWK
  Family: Aevis       Rank : II     Color scheme   : Gray with yellow plumage
  Move  : 6           Jump : 6      Physical evade : 28%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Fly, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Earth
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Talon Dive        1/2 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack
   Glitterlust       1/1 1/- Any  -  Steals gil
   (Beak)            1/0 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Stone status

COCKATRICE
  Family: Aevis       Rank : III    Color scheme   : Black with red plumage
  Move  : 6           Jump : 6      Physical evade : 33%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Fly, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Halves Wind, Weak to Earth
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Talon Dive        1/2 1/- Any  -  Non-elemental attack
   Beak              1/0 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Stone status
   Featherbomb       3/* 1/- Any  N  Non-elemental attack
   (Peck)            1/1 1/- Any  -  Lowers target's Physical Attack strength
                                       by 2

---Treant Family---------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Tree branch

DRYAD
  Family: Treant      Rank : I      Color scheme   : Light brown w/ green hair
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 0%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Earth, Weak to Fire
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF  EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Leaf Rain        Self 2/0 Any  -   Non-elemental attack
   (Guardian Nymph) Self 2/0 Any  -   Gives Protect status, 100% hit rate

TREANT
  Family: Treant      Rank : II     Color scheme   : Gray with red hair
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 0%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Earth, Weak to Fire
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF  EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Leaf Rain        Self 2/0 Any  -   Non-elemental attack
   Life Nymph       Self 2/0 Any  -   Restores HP
   (Shell Nymph)    Self 2/0 Any  -   Gives Shell status, 100% hit rate

ELDER TREANT
  Family: Treant      Rank : III    Color scheme   : Silver with gold hair
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 0%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Earth, Weak to Fire
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF  EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Leaf Rain        Self 2/0 Any  -   Non-elemental attack
   Guardian Nymph   Self 2/0 Any  -   Gives Protect status, 100% hit rate
   Shell Nymph      Self 2/0 Any  -   Gives Shell status, 100% hit rate
   (Magick Nymph)   Self 2/0 Any  -   Restores MP

---Malboro Family--------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Two tentacles in puddle of water

OCHU
  Family: Malboro     Rank : I      Color scheme   : Gray-green / tan
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 0%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Waterwalking
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tentacles         1/1 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Goo               1/1 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Immobilize status
   (Lick)            1/0 1/- Any  -  Gives Reflect status

MALBORO
  Family: Malboro     Rank : II     Color scheme   : Bright light green
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 0%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Waterwalking
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tentacles         1/1 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Lick              1/0 1/- Any  -  Gives Reflect status
   (Bad Breath)     Self 3/0 Any  -  Inflicts Stone, Blind, Confuse, Silence,
                                       Oil, Toad, Poison, and/or Sleep

GREATER MALBORO
  Family: Malboro     Rank : III    Color scheme   : Dark gray
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 0%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Waterwalking
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tentacles         1/1 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Bad Breath       Self 3/0 Any  -  Inflicts Stone, Blind, Confuse, Silence,
                                       Oil, Toad, Poison, and/or Sleep
   (Malboro Spores)  1/0 1/- Any  -  Turns target into Malboro (permanently!)

---Behemoth Family-------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Spiny tail

BEHEMOTH
  Family: Behemoth    Rank : I      Color scheme   : Purple with yellow hair
  Move  : 4           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 13%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Gore              1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Heave             1/0 1/- Any  -  Physical attack, instant KO
   (Gigaflare)       4/* 3/0 Any  N  Non-elemental attack

BEHEMOTH KING
  Family: Behemoth    Rank : II     Color scheme   : Gold with green hair
  Move  : 4           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 13%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Gore              1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Heave             1/0 1/- Any  -  Physical attack, instant KO
   (Twister)         4/* 3/2 Any  N  Wind attack

DARK BEHEMOTH
  Family: Behemoth    Rank : III    Color scheme   : Black with orange hair
  Move  : 4           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 18%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Gore              1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Heave             1/0 1/- Any  -  Physical attack, instant KO
   (Almagest)        4/* 3/1 Any  N  Does damage equal to (Dark Behemoth's
                                       max HP - current HP)

---Dragon Family---------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Large wing

DRAGON
  Family: Dragon      Rank : I      Color scheme   : Light green
  Move  : 5           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 5%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Charge            1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   (Tail Sweep)      1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack

RED DRAGON
  Family: Dragon      Rank : II    Color scheme   : Brick red
  Move  : 5           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 8%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Fire, Weak to Ice
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Charge            1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Thunder Breath    2/2 1/- Any  Y  Lightning attack
   (Fire Breath)     2/2 1/- Any  Y  Fire attack

BLUE DRAGON
  Family: Dragon      Rank : III    Color scheme   : Light blue
  Move  : 5           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 9%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Absorbs Ice, Weak to Fire
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Charge            1/2 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Ice Breath        2/2 1/- Any  Y  Ice attack
   (Thunder Breath)  2/2 1/- Any  Y  Lightning attack

---Hydra Family----------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Three-headed skull

HYDRA
  Family: Hydra       Rank : III    Color scheme   : Gold
  Move  : 4           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 0%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Fly, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice and Wind
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tri-Attack        1/? 1/- Any  -  Physical attack, attacks on front and to
                                       both sides simultaneously
   (Tri-Breath)      2/* 2/* Any  N  Non-elemental attack, attacks on front and
                                       to both sides simultaneously

GREATER HYDRA
  Family: Hydra       Rank : III    Color scheme   : Dark purple / black
  Move  : 4           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 0%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Fly, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice and Wind
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tri-Attack        1/? 1/- Any  -  Physical attack, attacks on front and to
                                       both sides simultaneously
   Tri-Flame         4/* 2/0 Any  N  Fire attack; strikes 3 times on random
                                       tile(s) within effect radius
   (Tri-Thunder)     4/* 2/0 Any  N  Lightning attack; strikes 3 times on
                                       random tile(s) within effect radius

TIAMAT
  Family: Hydra       Rank : III    Color scheme   : Off-white
  Move  : 4           Jump : 4      Physical evade : 0%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Fly, can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: Weak to Ice and Wind
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Tri-Breath        2/* 2/* Any  N  Non-elemental attack, attacks on front and
                                       to both sides simultaneously
   Tri-Thunder       4/* 2/0 Any  N  Lightning attack; strikes 3 times on
                                       random tile(s) within effect radius
   Tri-Flame         4/* 2/0 Any  N  Fire attack; strikes 3 times on random
                                       tile(s) within effect radius
   (Dark Whisper)    4/* 2/0 Any  N  Dark attack; strikes 3 times within effect
                                       radius; can inflict KO or Sleep

---Pig Family------------------------------------------------------------------
When KOed, looks like: Pig lying face-down on ground

PIG
  Family: Pig         Rank : I      Color scheme   : Light yellow, red ears
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 42%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Reckless Charge   1/0 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   (Squeak)          1/1 1/- Any  -  Revives KOed character with full HP

SWINE
  Family: Pig         Rank : II     Color scheme   : Light pink, magenta ears
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 36%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Reckless Charge   1/0 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Toot              1/1 1/- Any  -  Inflicts Confusion or Sleep
   (Snort)           1/1 1/- Foe  -  Inflicts Charm status; only effective on
                                       human targets

WILD BOAR
  Family: Pig         Rank : III    Color scheme   : Silver with magenta ears
  Move  : 3           Jump : 3      Physical evade : 39%
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES  : Can't enter water
  ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: none
  ACTION ABILITIES:  H/V H/V TAR  LF EFFECT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   Reckless Charge   1/0 1/- Any  -  Physical attack
   Snort             1/1 1/- Foe  -  Inflicts Charm status; only effective on
                                       human targets
   (Bequeath Bacon)  1/1 1/- Any  -  Target's level up 1, user becomes crystal

*******************************************************************************
VII. ABILITY STRATEGIES
*******************************************************************************

%%%ABILITY COMBOS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00abil

Arts of War (Knight) + Equip Guns (Orator) or Archer's bows
------------------------------------------------------
The Rending techniques are a lot more useful when used at a distance!  Against
mages, use Rend MP or Rend Magick to cripple their magick right away.  And
against close-range fighters, you can use Rend Weapon to destroy their weapon
before they even reach you!

Arts of War (Knight) + Dual Wield (Ninja)
------------------------------------------------------
When you have two weapons equipped, you get also two strikes of any Arts of War
ability, making them doubly effective!  You get two chances to break an enemy's
gear, or can decrease their stats twice as fast.

Attack Boost (Geomancer) + Holy Sword (Holy Knight) or Swordplay (Sword Saint)
  or Unyielding Blade (Divine Knight)
------------------------------------------------------
Sword techniques are considered physical attacks, so pairing them with Attack
Boost will make them even stronger!

Mana Shield (Time Mage) + Manafont (Mystic)
------------------------------------------------------
Whenever Mana Shield is triggered, it saves you from taking any actual damage 
to your HP as long as you have at least 1 MP left.  Of course, a strong attack 
may cause you to lose all your MP ... but with Manafont, you can gain back a 
little MP just by moving, which is enough to activate your Mana Shield again!

Darkness (Dark Knight) + Mana Shield (Time Mage)
-----------------------------------------------------
The strongest Darkness abilities normally consume some of the user's HP ...
but Mana Shield convers the HP loss into an MP one instead!  This essentially 
turns them into regular magicks (albeit ones with a hefty MP cost) -- plus, you 
can then use Infernal Strike to swipe MP from the enemies and recharge!

Fire Rod + Fire/Fira/Firaga/Firaja (Black Mage)
Ice Rod + Blizzard/Blizzara/Blizzaga/Blizzaja (Black Mage)
Thunder Rod + Thunder/Thundara/Thundaga/Thundaja (Black Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
The Fire, Ice, and Thunder Rods increase the power of the corresponding
elemental magick.  So, pick a particular element of magick to focus on and
pair it up with the corresponding rod.  Early in the game, this is a great way
to increase the damage your Black Magick can do.

Equip Guns (Orator) + Poach (Thief) or Tame (Orator)
------------------------------------------------------
Monsters with low HP tend to run away into a corner, making it hard to catch
up and use the physical attacks you need to Poach or Tame them.  So equip a
gun and you've got a nice long range :)

Dance (Dancer) or Sing (Bard) + Vanish (Ninja)
------------------------------------------------------
The Vanish ability gives you Invisible status whenever you get hit, which means
that enemies can't target you again until you perform an action.  But if you've 
already entered into a Song or Dance state before Vanish activated, continuing 
to perform it does NOT count as a new action, and you can stay invisible while 
continuing to hurt the enemies or help your teammates!  Switching to a new
song/dance will cause you to lose your Vanish, but you can always regain it if
an enemy attacks you again.  And make sure you don't get caught in the effect 
radius of a wide-area attack, which will also remove your Vanish.

Immobilize (Time Mage) or Leg Shot (Machinist) +
    Aim (Archer) or Limit (Soldier) or Jump (Dragoon)
------------------------------------------------------
Abilities that take a long time to charge can often be difficult to use.  But
not if the enemies can't move out of the way...

Corruption (Mystic) + White Magick (White Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
The Corruption ability makes enemies undead, which means they suffer damage
from healing spells.  Suddenly, your White Mage's Cure spells become both a
great defensive tool *and* an offensive weapon ... and Arise works as an
instant KO attack!  You can even use Arithmeticks to cause your White Magicks
to hit many targets at once!

Darkness (Dark Knight) + Lifefont (Monk)
------------------------------------------------------
Sure, a number of Darkness abilities consume some of your HP ... but if you 
equip Lifefont, you can gain a lot of it back as you move around!

Summon (Summoner) +
   Absorb MP (Mystic) or Manafont (Mystic) or Hi-Ether (Chemist)
------------------------------------------------------
Normally, summons eat up a lot of your MP -- but you can remedy this by 
equipping an ability that gets you your MP back quickly.

Steel (Ramza's Squire job) + Shirahadori (Samurai) on any character
------------------------------------------------------
With a high Bravery, Shirahadori can protect you from virtually all physical
attacks.  How to get a high Bravery?  Well, Ramza's Steel ability is a Bravery 
booster with a 100% success rate...

Vehemence (Dark Knight) + Shirahadori (Samurai) + Aegis Shield or
    Escutcheon II
------------------------------------------------------
Vehemence increases your attack power at the cost of increasing the damage you
receive ... but Shirahadori will keep a lot of physical attacks from even
hitting you!  Then, to protect against magick, equip an Aegis Shield or
Escutcheon II.

Parry (Knight) + Cloths
------------------------------------------------------
Cloths have a 50% evade rate, so equipping Parry on a Dancer means you can 
avoid half of all physical attacks.

Geomancy + Move +1 (Squire) or Move +2 (Thief) or Move +3 (Dark Knight/Bard) or
   Teleport (Time Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
Since the Geomancy command inflicts different status changes and different 
elemental damage depending on where you're standing, it's most flexible and
useful if you can get around the battlefield easily.  Move +1/2/3 or Teleport 
will help in that regard.

Barrage (Sky Pirate) + Guns
------------------------------------------------------
Using Barrage with a gun lets you attack two enemies in one turn, as long as
they're in the same line of fire -- see "Shoot Enemies Next to You" under
Various Tricks for the skinny.

Magick Counter (Black Mage) + Arcane Strength (Black Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
If you're going to counter it, why not make it stronger?

Barrage (Sky Pirate) + Poach (Thief) or Tame (Orator)
------------------------------------------------------
Balthier's Barrage attack counts as a regular attack, so you can use it as an
easy way of Poaching monsters for items or Taming them onto your side.

Reflexes (Ninja) + Featherweave Cloak
------------------------------------------------------
The Reflexes reaction ability doubles your existing evasion rate.  Pair it with
a Featherweave Cloak for a 80% physical evade rate and a 40% magick evade rate
-- pretty good!  You could also use a shield, but they don't work against
attacks from behind, and cloaks do.

Vengeance (Templar/Byblos) or Blade Beam (Soldier)
  + Dragonheart (Dragoon) or Reraise (White Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
Vengeance and Blade Beam both get stronger as the user's HP decreases, which
means they're most powerful when the user is near-KO.  Of course, this is
normally kind of risky, but you can get some insurance with Dragonheart or the 
Reraise magick, which will bring you back after you're KOed.  (Of course, the 
Byblos can't equip Dragonheart, but you *can* cast Reraise on it.)

Soulbind + Lifefont (Monk) or Reraise (White Mage)
------------------------------------------------------
Soulbind splits the damage you receive with the enemy who inflicted it.  This
makes it advantageous for the character with Soulbind to take a lot of damage
... but you'll still need some way to heal the damage you DO take.  Lifefont
will take care of that, or a cast of Reraise will revive the character if he
or she is KOed.

Graviga (Time Mage) + Climhazzard (Soldier)
------------------------------------------------------
Climhazzard does damage equal to the amount of HP your target has already lost.
Hitting a unit with Graviga will take away half its HP, and Climhazzard will
take off the other half.  Of course, you could just cast Graviga twice, but
Climhazzard charges faster and uses no MP.  As a one-two punch, you can have
Cloud start charging Climhazzard while the Time Mage is the midst of charging 
Graviga.

Regenerator (White Mage) + Lifefont (Monk)
------------------------------------------------------
You want HP?  You've got HP... but if it's still not enough, throw in Chakra.

Parry (Knight) + Nagnarok sword + Treasure Hunter
------------------------------------------------------
If you're using a character for Treasure Hunting, you want the character to 
have low Bravery ... but this also makes most Reaction Abilities useless, since 
they depend on Bravery to activate.  Parry, however, only depends on your 
weapon's block rate, so pair it with the Nagnarok sword and its 50% block rate 
(add Equip Swords if needed) and you've got a decent Reaction Ability for even 
a low-Bravery character.

Haste (Time Mage) + Doom Fist (Monk) or Condemn (Orator)
------------------------------------------------------
Doom KOs a unit after it's received three turns -- so casting Haste on it will
actually speed up its imminent demise!  Of course, you'd better make sure the
enemy can't hurt you too much in the mean time!  It's best used against enemy
White Mages or Chemists (or other defensive units), but this is more a fun
combo than a practicle one ;)

Steal Weapon (Thief) + Throw (Ninja)
------------------------------------------------------
This isn't that great a combo, but there's a certain joy in stealing somebody's 
weapon and then turning around and killing them with it.

Gil Snapper (Thief) + Throw (Ninja) or Iaido (Samurai) or Items (Chemist)
------------------------------------------------------
Throw, Iaido, and Items all consume items from your inventory, which cost
money to replace.  Over the course of a battle, Gil Snapper will give you some 
extra spending money to help replace what you used.  (But, the money earned
from Gil Snapper is usually nothing compared to your post-battle Bonus Coin, so
this is not a very effectice combo.)

%%%CHARACTER STRATEGIES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00char

---Generic Character Strategies------------------------------------------------

MONK (esp. RAMZA)
Reaction Ability : Counter or First Strike
Support Ability  : Dual Wield
Movement Ability : Lifefont
Equipment        : no weapon equipped
Bravery          : High (as close to 97 as possible)
------------------------------------------------------
The Dual Wield ability gives you two punches.  Coupled with a high Bravery,
this makes for an extremely powerful attack -- and you've also got all the
Monk's helpful restorative abilities.  Strong punches are particularly useful 
early in the game when you don't have access to high-level weapons to equip.
You can land even more attacks if you equip the Monk's own Counter or First 
Strike.  (First Strike is only good against humans.)  Since you'll have a high 
Bravery, these abilities will activate quickly and let you counterattack a lot!
Since this set-up leaves your Monk without any extra armor, Lifefont is pretty
useful for recovering HP.  

This set-up can be particularly useful for Ramza because his Shout ability lets 
him raise his own Bravery quickly.

BLACK MAGE
Action Ability   : Arithmeticks
Reaction Ability : Magick Counter
Support Ability  : Arcane Srength
Movement Ability : Manafont
Equipment        : Rod of Faith, Lordly Robe, Japa Mala
------------------------------------------------------
The ultimate magic-user.  Be sure to have all the Arithmeticks, and get as 
many spells (Black, White, Time, and Mystic Arts) as you can.  For a more
defensive character of this character, swap out Magick Counter for Mana
Shield, which uses your MP to protect you from physical attacks.  As long as
you're using Arithmeticks, you don't need MP anyway, and if you keep walking
around, Manafont will regenerate your MP and keep up your Mana Shield!

NINJA or BALTHIER
Action Ability   : Steal
Support Ability  : Brawler
Equipment        : Mirage Vest or Ninja Gear, Green Beret or Lambent Hat or
                     Thief's Cap, Hermes Shoes
------------------------------------------------------
If you're looking to steal items, this will do the trick!  Ninjas have the 
highest speed of any regular job, and the equipment raises it even further,
increasing your hit rate for stealing.  Brawler raises it even more!  Once you
get Balthier, he's even better for stealing items, as his Plunder abilities 
have a higher rate of success than a regular Steal and his Sky Pirate job has a 
high Speed to boot.

SUMMONER
Reaction Ability : Absorb MP
Support Ability  : Swiftness
Movement Ability : Manafont
Equipment        : Wizard's Rod, Wizard's Robe, Magepower Glove
Faith            : High
------------------------------------------------------
Summons are powerful, but take a while to charge and use lots of MP.  You can
remedy the former with Swiftness and the latter with Manafont and/or MP Absorb.
To increase the strength of your summons, raise your Faith and equip a Wizard's 
Rod, Wizard's Robe, and/or Magepower Glove.  (Pure gains in magick attack may 
be more helpful for a Summoner than elemental boosts since many summons are
non-elemental).

ARCHER
Action Ability   : Arts of War
Reaction Ability : Archer's Bane
Support Ability  : Concentration
Equipment        : Bow
------------------------------------------------------
When you're attacking from a distance with bows, you often don't have a choice
of what angle to strike from, so Concentration will ensure you hit even when
attacking from the front.  Adding Arts of War as an action ability lets you
rend enemy stats or equipment from a distance, and Concentration helps this as
well.  To keep the enemy from shooting bows back at you, you can use the 
Archer's own Archer's Bane ability.

NINJA
Reaction Ability : Reflexes
Support Ability  : Equip Shields
Equipment        : Crystal Shield (or better), Featherweave Cloak
------------------------------------------------------
It's almost impossible (if not actually impossible) to get hit.  Imagine a 
party of five of these...

SAMURAI or DARK KNIGHT ... or SQUIRE [RAMZA] or SWORD SAINT [ORLANDEAU]
Reaction Ability : Mana Shield
Bravery          : High (as close to 97 as possible)
------------------------------------------------------
The downside of Mana Shield is that it's only good with high MP ... and most
high-MP jobs are magick-using jobs, where you need to *keep* your MP!  But
Samurai and Dark Knight are two jobs that don't need MP to use their abilities, 
but still have a high MP total.  Ramza's "special" Squire job and Orlandeau's
Sword Saint job have even more, and are also melee-oriented jobs.  With these
jobs, Mana Shield turns their extra MP into a nice buffer of extra health.
Raise your Bravery as high as possible so Mana Shield will activate more
frequently.

RAPHA - OR OTHER LOW-BRAVERY FEMALE CHARACTER
Job              : Thief or Ninja
Reaction Ability : Parry
Support Ability  : Equip Swords
Movement Ability : Treasure Hunter
Equipment        : Nagnarok, Septie`me
Bravery          : Low (just above 10)
------------------------------------------------------
Hunting for items in Midlight's Deep?  With this set-up, you can turn Rapha (or 
any other character with a low Bravery) into the ultimate Treasure Hunter.  
Thief and Ninja are mobile jobs; both have a move and jump of 4, allowing Rapha
to navigate to more remote locations.  The Septie`me perfume gives Rapha a
permanent Haste, allowing her to get more turns and scoot around the map even 
more quickly, as well as making her Invisible.  As long as she never takes
action and just moves around looking for items, the enemies will never attack
her.  Finally, if she DOES lose her Invisibility (e.g. because she was hit in a
wide-radius attack spell), the Nagnarok coupled with Parry gives her a 50%
evade rate despite her low Bravery.  Actually, this is pretty much overkill;
you could go Treasure Hunting with half these abilities... :)

---Special Character Strategies------------------------------------------------

RAMZA
Reaction Ability : Counter or First Strike
Support Ability  : Dual Wield
Movement Ability : Lifefont
Equipment        : No weapon equipped
Bravery          : High (as close to 97 as possible)
------------------------------------------------------
This set-up, described above in Generic Character Strategies, works great for
Ramza because his Shout ability lets him raise his own Bravery quickly.

MUSTADIO
Job              : Machinist
Action Ability   : Items
Reaction Ability : Auto-Potion
Support Ability  : Throw Items
Equipment        : Magick gun, Japa Mala
Faith            : High
------------------------------------------------------
After you've mastered Machinist, Chemist is a great supplementary for Mustadio
because it allows him to keep his gun (and consequently his long-range Aimed
Shot abilities).  Once you've mastered Chemist, switch him back to a Machinist
for its improved Speed, then give him Items and Throw Items to make him into a
great healer/support character.  If you're using the magick guns, you can 
increase their damage output by raising his Faith and giving him a Japa Mala 
for the elemental boost.

Since Mustadio's guns give him a ranged attack, you could also consider giving
him Arts of War, which will let him break enemy gear or reduce their stats from
a distance.  However, you might find this somewhat redundant with Arm Shot and
Leg Shot, which while not identical are also pretty effective at shutting down
enemy forces.

LUSO
Job              : Game Hunter
Reaction Ability : Auto-Potion (optional)
Support Ability  : Dual Wield or Doublehand
Movement Ability : Lifefont (optional)
Equipment        : Knight's sword, Power Garb, Headband, Bracer
Bravery          : High (as close to 97 as possible)
------------------------------------------------------
Luso's distinguishing characteristic is his inherent Poach.  If you want to
exploit this, you'll need to make it easy for Luso to kill enemies with
physical attacks.  Give him a couple strong knight's swords with Dual Wield; 
or, if you have only a limited supply, one knight's sword plus Doublehand.
Raising his Bravery with Shout will make his knight's sword even stronger.  For
further attack boosts, equip a Bracer and perhaps a Power Garb and/or a
Headband.  The Power Garb and Headband aren't the best armors in terms of HP
ratings, so if you give him these, you may want to give him Auto-Potion or
Lifefont to keep his HP up.

RAPHA
Job              : Thief or Ninja
Reaction Ability : Parry
Support Ability  : Equip Swords
Movement Ability : Treasure Hunter
Equipment        : Nagnarok, Septie`me
Bravery          : Low (just above 10)
------------------------------------------------------
As described above, this is a great set-up for the Treasure Hunter ability if
you want to exploit Rapha's low Bravery.

ORLANDEAU
Job              : Sword Saint
Action Ability   : Iaido or other
Reaction Ability : Shirahadori
Support Ability  : Dual Wield
Movement Ability : Move +3
Equipment        : Chaos Blade, Excalibur, Maximillian, Grand Helm, Angel Ring
Bravery          : High (97)
Faith            : Low (03)
------------------------------------------------------
Orlandeau's tough in any form, but with the right set of ability, he comes to
close to the ultimate character and could win almost any single-player battle
by himself.  As long as he's not using magick (and with his sword techniques,
there's not much reason to), you can lower his faith to render him nearly
impervious to enemy magick.  He can't equip Chantage, of course, but an Angel
Ring makes a good back-up as it gives him one Reraise per battle in case he
does get KOed.  If you want to poach monsters, ditch Dual Wield and the Chaos 
Blade and give him Poach and the Escutcheon II instead.

Iaido might be a good secondary action ability since it gives him both group 
attack capability and (through Murasame and Kiyomori) some healing and support
abilities.

For a more defensive version of this character, you can swap out Shirahadori
and Teleport for Mana Shield and Manafont.  You'll be a little less mobile, but
Mana Shield and Manafont will provide Orlandeau with an almost constant buffer
of HP that is effective against any kind of attack.

AGRIAS
Job              : Holy Knight
Action Ability   : Iaido or other
Reaction Ability : Shirahadori
Support Ability  : Dual Wield
Movement Ability : Move +3
Equipment        : Chaos Blade, Excalibur, Maximillian, Ribbon,
                     Chantage or Tynar Rouge
Bravery          : High (97)
Faith            : Low (03)
------------------------------------------------------
Same as Orlandeau, but with the Ribbon's immunity to status changes, she's even
more invulnerable.  For an accessory, you can choose between a Chantage (for
a permanent Reraise), or the instant Haste, attack boost, and protection of the
Tynar Rouge.  The Rouge is probably the overall better choice, with the extra
attack power and permanent Shell/Protect, you may not even need a Reraise that
often!

Since Agrias is female and can't use the Bard job, getting Move +3 requires 
unlocking Dark Knight; in the mean time, you can give her the Thief's Move +2.

BEOWULF
Job              : Templar
Action Ability   : Summon or Darkness
Equipment        : Excalibur
------------------------------------------------------
Beowulf's Templar job is fairly useful as it can inflict a lot of status 
conditions with no charge time.  It also has the highest MP total of any job in
the game.  This means that Beowulf can also make a good Summoner, since the
high MP cost of Summons isn't such an issue for him.  If you take this route
with him, you may also want to give him Swiftness so the Summons charge faster.

Since Beowulf's Spellblade abilities don't depend on the strength of his
weapon, maximizing out his weapon power isn't so important.  Instead, give him
an Excalibur for its permanent Haste effect.

Or, if you've unlocked Dark Knight, the Darkness abilities pair up well with 
Beowulf's Vengeance ability.  You can first use Darkness attacks, which sap
Beowulf's HP ... thus making his Vengeance attack stronger!  And, if his HP
gets *too* low, you can restore it with Sanguine Sword.

REIS
Job              : Dragonkin
Action Ability   : Martial Arts or Steal or Jump
Support Ability  : Brawler
Movement Ability : Move +3
Equipment        : no weapon, Septie`me or Tynar Rouge
Bravery          : High (97)
------------------------------------------------------
Although Reis has high HP, her punches are pretty weak without Brawler and a
high Bravery.  Finally, since her move range is somewhat short, Move +3 (or a
lesser movement ability) will help her get across the battlefield.  She can't
use much equipment, but you CAN give her perfume or lip rouge.  Both the
Septie`me or Tynar Rouge will increase her magick attack (making her breath
attacks stronger) and give her Haste, allowing her to take more turs.

What about action abilities?  If you've equipped Brawler, it makes sense to 
also give her Martial Arts or Steal as an action ability since both these 
abilities benefit from Brawler.  Or, you could give her Jump, since she has
very high speed and this will make your Jump attacks execute quickly.

Paired with a Tiamat or Greater Hydra, Reis makes for one heck of a fighting 
team, and she's also good at recruiting enemy monsters with her inherent Tame.

CONSTRUCT 8
Bravery          : High (97)
------------------------------------------------------
Since Construct 8 can't change abilities or equipment and always has the
minimal level of Faith, the only way you can improve it is to max out its 
Bravery and level it up.

BALTHIER
Job              : Sky Pirate
Support Ability  : Brawler
Equipment        : Mirage Vest or Ninja Gear, Green Beret or Lambent Hat or
                     Thief's Cap, Hermes Shoes
------------------------------------------------------
Again, if you want to steal, this is the way to go.  Balthier's Plunder
abilities and high Speed make him the best item-stealer in the game, if you're 
so inclined.

CLOUD
Support Ability   : Swiftness
Equipment         : Materia Blade, Lambent Hat, Magepower Glove
------------------------------------------------------
Swiftness makes Cloud's Limits charge faster.  And giving him a Lambent Hat for
headgear and Magepower Glove as accessoriy raises his magick attack strength, 
which makes his Limits stronger.

BYBLOS
Bravery          : High (97)
Faith            : Low (03)
------------------------------------------------------
As with Construct 8, tweaking the Byblos is pretty much limited to increasing 
its Bravery.  None of the Byblos's abilities depend on Faith, so you can also
safely lower its Faith to 3 to defend it against enemy magick.

%%%PARTY STRATEGIES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00par

HOLY JUSTICE
4 Knights with Chameleon Robes
Black Mage with Arithmeticks, Holy (White Mage) learned, Chameleon Robes
------------------------------------------------------
Have the Black Mage calculate Holy on as many targets as possible; it will do 
lots of damage to the enemies but heal all your characters since Chameleon 
Robes absorb holy damage!

PHANTOMS OF THE OPERA
4 Dancers with Mincing Minuet (Dancer) and Vanish (Ninja)
Ramza as a Mime
------------------------------------------------------
At the start of the battle, have all the Dancers dance Mincing Minuet, which 
will damage all the enemies.  Have them Wait out all their turns and they will 
keep on Mincing.  When the Dancers get hit, Vanish will turn them invisible.  
Now, if you act while invisible, you'll become visible again... but if you just 
wait, you keep using Mincing Minuet, and it doesn't count as an action!  In 
other words, you can stay invisible (and consequently inVINCible) and keep 
damaging the enemies.  You can't lose!  Well, except for Ramza... just have run 
and hide; he'll Mimic all the Minuets.  (In non-story battles, you can dump
Ramza in favor of another Dancer.)

KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE
1 female character with Chantage
Another character with Ninja Gear, the Invisiblity Cloak, or Septie`me perfume
------------------------------------------------------
Chantage makes a character virtually invulnerable by giving her a permanent
Reraise ... but, of course, the one catch is that at least one other character
has to be still alive for the Reraise to work.  What to do?  Make another
teammate invisible (using the Ninja Gear, Invisibility Cloak, or Septie`me)
and have him/her hide in the corner where s/he won't get hit.  As long as the
invisible character doesn't act and stays invisible, s/he won't get targeted by 
enemies and can't die.  This means the character with Chantage can Reraise 
indefinitely!  You  can't lose!  The only possible snag is if the invisible 
character gets caught in the effect radius of a wide-range spell, which will
cause you to lose invisibility, but hiding in the corner is usually a good way
to keep this from happening.

*******************************************************************************
VIII. STATISTICS AND LEVELING
*******************************************************************************

%%%BRAVERY AND FAITH%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00brave

Bravery and Faith are two "special" statistics that are not affected by gaining
levels.  Bravery affects a couple different combat skills, while Faith governs
the effectiveness of magic.

Bravery and Faith each range on a scale from 0 to 100 for each character, both 
human and monster.  They are not affected by equipment, experience level, or 
job.  Instead, only a few abilities and story events (listed below) will change
Bravery or Faith temporarily for a battle.  At the end of the battle, a quarter
of this change (rounded down) also becomes permanent.  For instance, raising 
your Bravery by 4 during a battle results in a 1-point permanent increase at 
the end of the battle.  Or, a 9-point decrease in Bravery during a battle will 
result in a 2-point permanent decrease.

This calculation means it's not possible for Bravery or Faith to be permanently 
raised above 97 or below 3 -- you can only get a 3-point change, which is not 
enough for a permanent change!

---Bravery---------------------------------------------------------------------

Bravery relates to a couple different elements in combat.  Generally speaking,
a high Bravery is better (and, in fact, will help you out quite a lot!)

---WHAT DOES BRAVERY AFFECT?---
- The chance of using most Reaction Abilities in response to an enemy attack is 
  equal to your Bravery.  So, a high Bravery means you'll use Reaction 
  Abilities more.  This is quite helpful, and the best reason for raising your
  Bravery.

- A higher Bravery increases the damage you deal when attacking with fists, 
  knight's swords, and/or katanas.

- A higher level of Bravery increases your level of success at some Errands.

- If a unit's Bravery drops below 10 during battle, she/he/it will turn into a
  Chicken.  As a Chicken, the character cannot be controlled and will simply
  flee into a corner and do nothing.  A Chicken regains 1 Bravery each turn and
  will turn back into its regular self once his/her Bravery gets back to 10.

- If a unit's permanent Bravery gets too low, he or she will abandon the team 
  out of cowardice and permanently disappear from the roster.

- When discovering items using the Treasure Hunter movement ability, you 
  receive one of two different possible items based on Bravery ... in this 
  case, having a LOW Bravery makes receiving the "good" item more likely.  For 
  this reason, Rapha makes a great Treasure Hunter as she starts with a very
  low Bravery.

---WHAT CHANGES BRAVERY?---
Bravery can be increased during battle by:

- Your choices in two story battles.  Choosing to rush the enemy and not help
  Argath on the Mandalia Plain in Chapter I will raise the current team's
  Bravery by 10 for the battle (at least 2 of which is thus permanent).  In 
  Chapter II, choosing to help Mustadio at Zaland will raise Bravery by 20;
  choosing not to help him will raise Bravery by 10.

- The Orator's Praise skill raises Bravery by 4.

- The Dancer's Bravery Boost reaction ability raises Bravery by 3 in response 
  to a physical attack.  Note that one use of this by itself is not enough for 
  a permanent change.

- Ramza and Luso's ability Steel (only available in Chapter II or later) raises
  Bravery by 5 and has a 100% hit rate.

- Ramza and Luso have an ability called Shout (not available for Ramza until
  Chapter IV) that raises their own Bravery by 10, but can only target 
  themselves, not other allies.

- Reis's Dragon's Might ability raises a dragon or hydra's Bravery.  It does 
  not work on other characters/monsters.

Bravery can be decreased by:

- Choosing not to help Boco in the story battle at Araguay Woods in Chapter II.
  This gives a 10 point penalty to the party's Bravery

- The Mystic's Trepidation magick and the Orator's Intimidate ability each 
  lowers Bravery by 20.

- Beowulf's Chicken ability lowers Bravery by 50!

- The Dread Gaze ability possessed by the Floating Eye and Ahriman monsters
  lowers a character's Bravery by 10.

Remember that only 1/4 (25%) of these changes remain after a battle.

---WHAT LEVEL OF BRAVERY IS GOOD?---
There's little reason not to shoot for as high a Bravery as you can get.  It
makes your Reaction Abilities more effective, and increases the power of 
certain weapon types.  The ONLY downside to having a higher Bravery is that it
keeps you from finding rare items with Treasure Hunter.  But, you can just keep 
one specialized character with a low Bravery for that, and raise your main
fighting team to have as high a Bravery as possible.  Plus, once you've 
collected all the rare Treasure Hunter items, you don't need a low-Bravery
character any more and can raise his/her Bravery back up. 

---HOW CAN I RAISE BRAVERY?---
The best way to gain Bravery is to use Ramza and Luso's Steel ability.  Steel 
gives you the largest Bravery boost (5) and has a 100% hit rate.  (To increase 
Ramza and Luso's own Bravery, Shout is even better.)  If you want to grind 
Bravery, deploy both Ramza and Luso, increase their speed, and use Steel/Shout 
until everyone's Bravery is maxed out at 100.  Then finish off the enemies.  
Since only 1/4 of your Bravery gains are permanent, you'll have to repeat this 
process quite a few times to actually reach the highest permanent Bravery 
possible (97).

Also, when you encounter the three battles in the story where you're given a
choice of mission objectives, be sure to pick the options that net you a higher
Bravery (don't help Argath; help Boco and Mustadio).  This is a nice early 
Bravery boost before you have other abilities to tweak it.

---HOW CAN I LOWER BRAVERY?---
The only reason you'll want to lower Bravery is for Treasure Hunter, but the
quickest way to do this is with Beowulf's Chicken.  (The good Treasure Hunter
items don't show up until after Beowulf is available.)  Each use of Chicken can
net up to a 12-point drop in permanent Bravery.  Use it over the course of
several battles to drop your Bravery quite a bit.  For final tuning of your
Bravery, use Intimidate to make smaller 4-point changes.  (Remember that if you 
go TOO low, you run the risk of the character deserting!)

---Faith-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Faith is mostly related to magick, and can be both good and bad.

---WHAT DOES FAITH AFFECT?---
- Magick is most effective when cast by characters with high Faith.  Attack
  spells do more damage, healing spells restore more HP, and status-changing
  magick is more likely to succeed.  (The exception is Sky Mantra abilities,
  which are independent of Faith.)

- But, enemy magick is also more effective against you when you have high 
  Faith.

- "Magick" guns (Glacial Gun, Blaze Gun, Blaster) are more likely to do high
  damage when the user has high Faith.

- A LOW Faith increases the attack strength of fell swords wielded by the
  character.

- A LOW level of Faith also increases the damage a character receives 
  from Marach's Nether Mantra ability.

- A higher level of Faith increases your level of success at some Errands.

- If your character's permanent Faith level gets too high, the character will
  experience a religious conversion and permanently quit the team.

---WHAT CHANGES FAITH?---
Faith can be increased by:

- The Orator's Preach skill raises Faith by 4.

- The Bard's Faith Boost reaction ability raises Faith by 3 in response to a 
  magick attack.  Note that one use of this by itself is not enough for a 
  permanent change.

- The Mystic's Belief spell and the Templar's Belief swordskill cause Faith
  status, which acts as a temporary increase in a character's Faith to 100.  
  Because this status has no effect on a character's actual Faith number, it 
  does not result in any permanent change to Faith.

- The Rod of Faith weapon gives the character equipped with it a permanent 
  Faith status as long as it is equipped.  (But, again, this never affects your 
  actual Faith number.)

- Striking characters with the Rod of Faith can bestow the Faith status on
  them.

Faith can be decreased by:

- The Orator's Enlighten skill lowers Faith by 20.

- The Mystic's Disbelief spell and Templar's Doubt swordksill cause Atheist
  status, which is the reverse of Faith status: it acts as a temporary
  reduction to 0 in Faith, but also has no permanent impact on Faith.

---WHAT LEVEL OF FAITH IS GOOD?---
Unlike with Bravery, there's no "best" Faith value since Faith is a double-
edged sword -- it makes your own magicks stronger, but it also increases the 
damage you take from enemy magicks.

For magick-users, you'll probably want a high Faith in order to increase your
magick strength.  If you have a support character using a magick gun, you might
want to boost his Faith as well to make the gun more effective.  Remember, 
though, that you can't get your Faith TOO high (95+) or the character will quit 
your team.

If a character isn't going to be using magick, you may want to lower his Faith 
as low as possible.  Of course, this destroys his/her ability to use magicks, 
but it also renders them virtually invulnerable to enemy magicks.  For 
characters who use primarily physical attacks (e.g. Ninjas, Dark Knights,
special characters with swordskills) and not magicks, low Faith is actually a 
great defensive asset!

---HOW CAN I RAISE/LOWER FAITH?---
You're pretty much dependent on the Orator's skills to change Faith.  Just make
as many characters into Orators as possible, defeat most of the enemies and
cripple the remaining ones (see tips below), then have them use Enlighten or
Preach on each other.

%%%EXP, JP, AND GIL%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00exp

---EXP and Experience Levels---------------------------------------------------

Characters gain experience after every successful action except Defend and
Re-equip, unless they're KOed by an enemy counterattack.  Gaining 100 
experience points advances a character's experience level by 1 and resets the 
experience count to 0.  You cannot "carry over" any excess experience; gaining 
23 EXP when you have 99 EXP still leaves you with 0 EXP at your new level.

Stats that increase with level gains include maximum HP, maximum MP, attack
power, magick power, and speed.  Attack and magick power and speed increase 
fairly slowly, though; you won't see these increase with every level gain.

Bravery and Faith do NOT increase with level up; they have their own mechanic 
(see Bravery and Faith, above).  Other stats that do NOT increase with level 
ups are Move and Jump ranges and evade rates.  

Of the five stats that do change, the amount each stat increases at level-up is
determined by the character's current job.  For example, being a Knight will
cause you to gain more HP at level up than a Black Mage, but vice versa for MP.
(You can exploit this by leveling down and then back up; see Level-Downs & Stat 
Grinding, below)

A character's experience level and current EXP count can also be used as the
basis of targeting Arithmeticks (see the Arithmetician job description above).

---HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE?---
The number of experience points you earn is largely determined by the gap
beween YOUR level and the TARGET's level.  You'll earn 10 EXP for performing
an action on a target as the same level as you.  Performing actions (either
healing or attacking) on characters of higher level than you will get you MORE
experience, and the gain is bigger the bigger the difference in level.  Of 
course, healing or attacking characters of lower level will you earn you LESS 
experience, and the penalty is bigger the bigger the gap (though you'll always 
earn at least 1 EXP).

A good way to build up low-level characters is to have them heal teammates who
are at a higher level.  This is safe and won't get them counterattacked, and
if there's a big gap in level, they'll gain experience quickly.  This technique
is particularly useful for building up Cloud, who starts at experience level 1
at a time when most of your characters are probably at least level 40.

Guns are also useful for low-level characters since their damage is not based 
on any stats that are dependent on level.  (Regular gun damage is based only on 
the attack strength of the gun, and magickal guns reflect only attack strength 
and Faith, which doesn't change with levels.)

---OTHER WAYS TO GAIN EXP---
- The Arithmetician support ability EXP Boost doubles the experience you earn
  from regular actions.

- The Thief action ability Steal EXP steals all of an enemy's current 
  experience counter (i.e., anywhere from 0 to 99) and adds it to the stealer's 
  own experience counter.  This can be useful for small-scale experience 
  boosts, but it's limited by the amount of EXP that your enemy has.

- The Arithmetician movement ability Accrue EXP gives you additional experience
  every time you move around the battlefield.

- The Wild Boar monster -- available only by breeding from a Swine or other
  Wild Boar -- has an ability called Bequeath Bacon that becomes available
  when it is standing next to an ally with the Squire's Beastmaster support
  ability.  This ability causes its target to gain 1 experience level, but
  turns the Wild Boar into a crystal, killing it permanently.

---ONION KNIGHTS---
The Onion Knight job cannot gain EXP!  So, the easy way to level up to Onion
Knights is switch them to another job to level up.  The hard way is to use
Bequeath Bacon, which is time-consuming but rewards you with the best stat
gains -- see the Level-Downs and Stat Grinding section below.

---Gaining JP------------------------------------------------------------------

JP is gained after every action, just like experience.  Characters earn JP for
each job separately -- whatever your current job is, that's the job you'll earn
JP for.  JP is used to "purchase" new abilities.  It is also used to advance
your job level -- see Unlocking Jobs uo in the Jobs section.

---SPILLOVER JP---
Whenever a character gains JP, all other allies ALSO gain some JP for the same
job, equal to 25% of the JP earned by the original character.  For example, if 
a character on your team who's a Ninja performs an action and gains 40 JP, your
other units will also gain 10 JP for the Ninja job, regardless of what their 
current job is.

This bonus applies ONLY to characters participating in the current battle.  It
does not apply to the other characters in your roster whom you did not deploy.

Note that "spillover" JP accumulates even for a jobs a given character hasn't
unlocked yet.  You'll see it once the job DOES becomes available.  For 
instance, if Ramza earns JP as a Dragoon, Agrias will get spillover JP for the 
Dragoon job, even if she hasn't unlocked it.

JP continues to be earned and distributed this way even if the character
already has 9999 JP for the job and his/her own JP count has stopped.

---OTHER WAYS TO GAIN JP---
- Characters at higher experience levels gain more JP!  So, you'll find it
  much quicker to unlock jobs and abilities at the end of the game than at the
  start.

- The Squire support ability JP Boost increases the JP you earn for each 
  action by 50%.

- The Arithmetician movement ability Accrue JP gives you additional experience
  every time you move around the battlefield.

- JP is received from completing any Errand available in the Taverns in every 
  town.  For the best reward, match up your jobs with the demands of the Errand 
  -- see the Errands list for more information.

---Gil-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gil is Ivalice's currency and is used to purchase items and services in towns.

Unlike EXP and JP, gil is not earned after every action.  Instead, it's 
primarily earned at the end of a battle as Bonus Coin.  The amount of Bonus 
Coin you receive at the end of the battle is equal to the combined level of all 
the enemies times 100.

The other major way to earn gil is to sell items and equipment in your 
inventory to the Outfitter or Poachers' Den.  You'll receive half the list 
price for each item (e.g., an item that costs 400 gil to buy at the Outfitter 
will net you 200 gil when sold).  A lot of equipment simply becomes obsolete
after newer equipment becomes available, so sell away!  For example, there's no
reason to keep Leather Helms (+10 HP) when Bronze Helms (+20 HP) are available.
However, you may want to hang on to equipment with particular special effects
(e.g. immunity to certain status conditions), as these often come in handy for
particular battles.

---OTHER WAYS TO EARN GIL---
- Gil is received from completing any Errand available in the Taverns in every 
  town.  It costs some gil to sign up for each Errand to begin with, though, so
  your profit is often somewhat limited--in some cases, you can even LOSE money
  on an Errand!  For the best reward, match up your jobs with the demands of 
  the Errand -- see the Errands list for more information.

- The Thief action ability Steal Gil gives you a small amount of gil if it
  succesfully hits an enemy unit.  (Note that when enemy Thieves hit YOU with
  Steal Gil, you'll actually lose money out of your War Funds!)
 
- The Thief reaction ability Gil Snapper, when triggered, gives you an amount
  of gil equal to the amount of damage the character just received.  This
  actually isn't all that useful an ability, since the amount of gil you get
  from it is small compared to Bonus Coin.  (Even an attack that does 998 HP 
  damage would only get you 998 gil, compared to the tens of thousands you can 
  earn in Bonus Gil.)

- Many story battles also give you a fixed amount of gil as a Battle Trophy 
  after the battle in addition to the regular Bonus Coin.  These include story 
  battles #1, #4, #5, #6, #7, #10, #13, #14, #16, #19, #22, #26, #29, #35, #39,
  and #42.  This gil tends to be helpful early in the game, but in the
  later battles is quite small relative to the Bonus Coin.

- If you pick up an item from a chest during the battle and already have the
  maximum 99 copies of that item, you'll instead be given gil equal to 1/4 of
  the list price of the item.

%%%QUICKLY EARNING EXP AND JP%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00quick

The follow sections describes how EXP, JP, and gil are earned, and strategies
for earning them quickly and maxing out your stats.

It's RARELY (if ever!) necessary to spend time grinding experience to complete
the game.  In most cases, a change of strategy is all you need to get you
through the next battle.  But, if you're absolutely stuck or if you just want
to max out your characters, read on :)

---BASIC STRATEGY---
The basic strategy for quickly raising JP is to take out all but 1 or 2 
enemies, and then afflict the remaining ones with status conditions that 
prevent them from doing much of anything.  Now, your characters can simply 
perform actions over and over to net JP.

A more detailed breakdown of these steps:

---PARALYZING THE ENEMIES---
Status conditions that prevent the enemy from doing much of anything include
Stop, Disable, Toad, and Chicken.  Chicken and (especially) Toad are the best
as Chicken lasts for as many as 10 enemy turns, and Toad lasts until actively
removed.  Turning the last enemies to Stone will end the battle, so don't 
do this.  

To further increase the number of actions you can take relative to the enemy,
you can raise your Speed and/or lower the enemy's (e.g., with Tailwind, Rend
Speed, etc.)  This will reduce the amount of time you have to waste watching 
the enemy move.

Finally, remember that it's important to keep the last enemy alive.  If the 
last enemy is KOed, the battle ends.  For this reason, it's a good idea to 
remove Reaction Abilities that would allow you to counterattack and 
accidentally KO the enemy.

---RAISING JP---
The Focus ability (Squire) is probably the best for gaining JP, as it can be
acquired early in the game, requires no charge time, always succeeds, and does 
not consume MP.  Plus, it even has a fairly short animation!  Once you've
turned the enemies into poultry or amphibians, you can simply use Focus over 
and over to build JP.

Most of the special story characters, however, can't learn Focus, and neither
can monsters.  For these characters, you'll need to use other action patterns:

- Inflict a minor status condition, then cure that condition.  For instance,
  make a character blind with the Mystic's Umbra spell or Beowulf's Blind sword
  technique, then use Eye Drops to remove it.

- Attack other allied units.  This works best if you turn the character into a
  Toad first to minimize the damage s/he can do.  (You could also use repeated
  Rend Powers instead of Toad.)  Or, equip the target with Chantage and she 
  will regenerate no matter times you attack and KO her.

  If you're going to be attacking your allies, make sure they aren't equipped 
  with shields, cloaks, or reaction abilities that can stop attacks (like 
  Shirahadori or First Strike).  You won't earn any JP for a dodged or blocked 
  attack.

- After you do some damage attacking your allies, you can also then use Chakra 
  or other healing abilities to heal the damage you inflicted, for another
  source of JP.

Equipping the Squire's JP Boost is a HUGE help in raising JP.  This ability 
gives you a 50% boost to your JP and can be learned very early.  (Even
characters without a Squire job have JP Boost available.)

Remember that the "spillover JP" effect means that whenever you gain for a 
given job, the other active characters gain a lesser amount of JP for the same 
job.  You can adjust your strategy accordingly: If you really want to learn 
abilities from ONE job, you can turn multiple characters into that job to 
maximize your JP gains for that job.  Or, you can use different jobs to spread 
your JP gains between multiple jobs.  This can be useful if Character A only 
needs a few more JP for a particular job (say, Knight) -- you can make 
Character B a Knight and Character A can just pick up the remaining Knight JP 
from spillover while s/he works on a different job.

---RAISING EXP---
You can raise experience points in pretty much the same way as JP, since you'll
also earn experience for all of the actions listed above.

Since you can earn more experience by attacking/healing high-level characters, 
a good strategy is to bring a mix of high-level and low-level characters, and 
let the low-level characters beat up the high-level characters.  Adding high-
level characters to your team will also increase the level of the enemies, and 
so the low-level characters can earn more EXP from them as well.

If you're trying to max out your characters, note that you'll hit the maximum
experience level LONG before you master every job.  So, it makes more sense to
focus your leveling efforts on gaining JP and to equip JP Boost instead of EXP
Boost.

Once you hit level 99 and 99 experience, you can easily cast healing or
defensive magicks to your whole party using Arithmeticks and Level Multiple of
3 or Exp Multiple of 3.  (Of course, you might hit a few enemies too.)

Note that, for monsters, it may be faster to get a "new" high-level monster
rather than level up an existing one.  The level of a new monster born from an
egg can be as high as the highest-level character on your roster.  So, if you
have a monster type you like but the monster is at a low experience level, you 
can let the monster breed and you can probably get a higher-level version of 
the same monster that way.

---RAISING BRAVERY/FAITH---
If you want to grind your Bravery and Faith up or down, you can paralyze the
enemies in the same way, and then repeatedly use abilities that change your
Bravery and Faith.  The best abilities for this job are:

- Raising Bravery: Steel (Ramza/Luso)
- Lowering Bravery: Chicken (Beowulf) for large changes,
                    Intimidate (Orator) for smaller changes
- Raising Faith: Preach (Orator)
- Lowering Faith: Enlighten (Orator)

---PARALYZING EXCESS PARTY MEMBERS---
If you have extra party members that you don't want to level, use the Orator's
Induration spell to turn them to stone.  This prevents them from getting any
turns at all, so you don't have to bother with them.  (And, unlike being KOed,
it will never kill you permanently.)

This can be a useful strategy if you're trying to level up weaker characters,
who might not be able to handle the enemy party on their own.  You can bring a 
few strong characters to wipe out the batch of enemies, but then turn those
strong characters into Stone so you won't have to bother with them while your
weak characters train.

%%%AUTOMATED LEVELING%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00auto

It's possible to combine the above leveling tactics to make the game AI
automatically raise JP and experience for you!  You can let the characters 
fight and earn JP without even having to watch the game.

The procedure is pretty straightforward -- you really only need the Toad and
Induration spells to do it, although having Rend Power and/or Rend Speed and
Berserk will help.

Here's the method:

STEP ONE: Make sure at least one character on your team has learned the Toad
 spell (Black Mage), and also either Induration (Mystic) or Arithmeticks.

STEP TWO: In the Options list, set Battle Prompts, Display Ability Names, and
  Display Effect Messages, and Display Earned EXP/JP (items 6 through 9) to 
  OFF, so that these messages won't interrupt the game.

STEP THREE: Designate one character as the Toad-caster.  Change the remaining
  characters to whatever Jobs you want to gain JP.

STEP FOUR (OPTIONAL): Equip JP Boost on the characters who will be gaining JP.
  This isn't strictly *necessary*, but certainly helps you gain JP faster!

STEP FIVE: Get into a battle.  Random battles at the Mandalia Plain work great
  because they have weak enemies and helpful terrain, but anywhere works.

STEP SIX: Defeat all but 1 or 2 of the enemies.  Clear out the enemy bodies
  and any chests or crystals.  (Crystals will interrupt the battle with a 
  message you have to respond to, so you want to get rid of them.)

STEP SEVEN (OPTIONAL): Use Rend Speed (Knight) repeatedly to reduce the
  remaining enemies' speed.  This isn't required, but will speed up your 
  leveling by reducing the number of enemy turns interrupting the process.

STEP EIGHT (OPTIONAL): Use Rend Power (Knight) to reduce your own characters'
  and the enemies' attack strength.  This allows you to earn more JP per 
  battle, as your characters will have to take more turns to finish off the 
  enemies.

  If you're going to be using Rend Power on yourself, remove any accessories or 
  reaction abilities that evade physical attacks (e.g. shields or Shirahadori),
  so that you won't be dodging the Rend Powers.

STEP NINE: Use the Toad spell to turn the remaining enemies, as well as your
  allies, into toads.  Having a high Faith will increase the likelihood that
  the spell succeed in turning characters into toads.

 Once you have Arithmeticks, you can use it to more efficiently cast Toad on
  everyone.  As noted in sahkuh's YouTube video below, Mandalia Plain provides 
  a great opportunity to do this.  Just put all the characters you want to turn 
  to Toads on height 2 ground (and lure the enemy up there) and position your 
  Toad-caster stands on the height 4 rock, then cast Height Prime Toad.  If the
  spell misses any characters, move the remaining ones onto the height 3 rocks 
  and cast Height Multiple of 3 Toad.

 If you're not using Arithmeticks, it may be helpful to bring Chakra or some
  Ethers to make sure you have enough MP for repeated casts of Toad.

STEP TEN (OPTIONAL): If there any characters you don't need to level up, take 
  them out of the action so that they don't steal any of the EXP/JP!  You can 
  do this in two ways:
 
 10A) Set them to AI control and pick the Coward option.  As long as they're
  Toads, they'll simply run and hide in the corner.

 10B) Use the Mystic's Induration spell to turn them to Stone.

STEP ELEVEN: Set your Toad allies to fight automatically.  There are two ways 
  to do this:

 11A) Use the Mystic's Fervor spell to give them Berserk status.  (You can use
  Arithmeticks to cast this on many characters at once.)  If you have Fervor 
  available, this is the preferred method.  Just make sure you don't Berserk 
  your human character by accident, as s/he will finish off the enemy toads too 
  quickly.

 11B) Set the characters to AI control.  Choose the "Berserker" AI pattern and
  set them to attack the remaining enemies.  As long as ALL your allies have
  Toad or Stone status, they'll attack away.  (If there is at least one non-
  Toad character on your side, AI-controlled Toads will flee instead of 
  attacking.)

  Note that method 11B will NOT work if any of the characters have the Black 
  Magicks command and the Toad spell, as the AI will then have the characters 
  cast Toad on themselves to turn back into human form.  You can either drain 
  away their all MP beforehand, or just use method 11A.

  The AI-controlled toads will sometimes also get "stuck" in a weird AI pattern
  and stop attacking the enemy.  If you're using this method and the AI stops 
  attacking, press Triangle to pause and change the AI to Coward for one turn 
  to make your characters run away.  Then switch them back to Berserker and 
  they should start attacking again.  Since this requires additional 
  babysitting of the game and isn't completely automatic, using the Fervor 
  magick is better.  Characters with Berserk status will ALWAYS attack.

At this point, the Toad-ified characters will automatically fight the enemy 
toad(s), doing minimal damage (especially if you used Rend Power beforehand) 
but earning JP each time.  This allows them to automatically earn a tremendous 
amount of JP as they keep fighting in toad form.  The only issue is what to do
with your remaining human character, who was casting Toad on everyone:

STEP TWELVE: Remove your Toad-caster from active control, so that your team
  will be fully automatic.  Again, you can do this in two ways:

 12A) Cast the Mystic's Induration spell on yourself to turn to Stone.  The
  character won't get any turns at all for the rest of battle, so you won't
  have to enter commands for him/her.  However, s/he won't be able to 
  participate in the auto-leveling either.

 12B) Cast Toad on yourself, then set the character to AI control and choose 
  the "Berserker" AI pattern to start attacking the enemy.  This has the 
  advantage of allowing all 5 characters to gain JP, but it ONLY works if you 
  are using Arithmeticks to cast Toad--because if you have the Black Magicks
  command available, the AI will simply cast Toad on itself and turn the 
  character back to a human.  So, if you don't have Arithmeticks yet, use 
  method 12A.

Once you've turned your last human character into Stone or an AI-controlled
toad, your party will be fully automatic.  Your toads will battle the enemy 
toad and rack up a ton of JP in the process.  At this point, you can simply 
leave the game running and do something else.  Just make sure your PSP has 
plenty of power -- you may want to plug it in before you leave.

Eventually, your party will finish off the last enemy toad.  Then, it's time to 
repeat the process with a new battle.  Using Rend Power will allow each battle 
to run longer since the characters will need more turns to finish off the enemy 
toad.

You can level every character in the game this way except for Construct 8, who
is immune to Toad status.  To build up Construct 8, you can use Rend Power to
reduce its attack strength as much as possible and then set it to AI control.

CAUTION!: Of course, it's still possible for the enemy toad(s) to KO/kill your
characters.  This is bad.  However, as long as you outnumber the enemy and/or 
used Rend Speed on the enemy toads, you'll win easily.  If you want to be
extra cautious, give your characters Reraise before you've turned everyone to
toads.

YouTube user sahkuh has uploaded an excellent video demonstration of this
general method.  At the time of this writing, this video is available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3dSSDwNSFE

%%%LEVEL DOWNS AND STAT GRINDING%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00down

As noted in the EXP section, the stat gains you gain at level up are partially 
based on your current job -- for example, being a Knight will cause you to gain 
more HP at level up than a Black Mage, but vice versa for MP.

If you want to max out your stats, find a Degenerator trap on a map, or 
recruit a Mindflayer and use Beastmaster to access its Level Blast ability.  
(Both of these will lower a character's experience level.)  Turn into your
character into a Mystic and activate the trap/Level Blast.  Since Mystics have 
small stat gains per level, the level drop will only decrease your stats a 
little.  Now, change the character into a better job and level back up.  Your 
stat gains at level up will be based on the current job, so by the time you get 
back to the same level, you'll have gained more than you lost.  This results in
a net INCREASE in your stats, even though at you're at the SAME level!  If you
really have nothing better to do with your time ;), you can keep repeating this 
cycle over and over to keep raising your stats.

Two convenient Degenerator traps that you may want to use:
 - Zeklaus Desert, in the ravine in the center of the map.  It's in one corner
   of the ravine, on a tile of height 0 next to a cliff with height 3.  If you
   enter the desert from Gollund, you'll start fairly close to this tile.
 - Midlight's Deep floor 2, The Stair.  It's on the tile with one of the 
   Elixirs (see the Midlight's Deep sections above for the specific location of
   the tile).  Of the two Elixirs, it's actually the one that's right next to 
   where your team starts, which makes it really handy!

If you REALLY want to maximize your stat gains, the job with the best stats at 
level-up is the Onion Knight.  But since Onion Knights don't gain regular 
experience and can't equip the Steal EXP or Accrue EXP skills, there's only way 
to level them up: the Wild Boar's Bequeath Bacon skill.  First, you'll need a 
Swine on your team; use it to breed some Wild Boars.  (Wild Boars don't appear 
anywhere on their own.)  During battle, position the Wild Boar next to a 
character with the Squire's Beastmaster skill (or Reis, whose Dragonkin job has 
an innate Beastmaster) to make Bequeath Bacon available.  Use Bequeath Bacon on 
your Onion Knight.  This causes the Onion Knight to gain 1 level, but turns the 
Wild Boar into a crystal, killing it permanently.  Then, get another Wild Boar 
and repeat the process to gain another level, and so on.  This obviously takes 
a lot of time, but you can great stats out of it, so if you're into leveling, 
go hog wild :) (pun intended ;) )

If you don't want to go to all this effort, a quicker alternative is to level
up as a Mime.  Mimes don't have quite as big stat gains as Onion Knights, but
they're still big and it's a lot easier to gain levels as a Mime since they can
earn experience the usual ways.

The other reason you may want to use level downs is if you're expecting to face
enemy Arithmeticians (which is pretty infrequent).  Changing level 99 
characters to level 98 prevents them from being hit by Level Multiple of 3 
spells.

*******************************************************************************
IX. EQUIPMENT AND ITEMS                                                 00equip
*******************************************************************************

A few words of introduction here as well: Many (but not all) items can be 
bought at the Outfitters, but most are not available at the start of the game.  
As you progress through the game, the shop inventories go through a series of 
revisions.  In the tables below, the SHOP column denotes which revision makes
the item available:
#1: Beginning of Game
#2: Chapter I - After reaching Eagrose Castle
#3: Chapter I - After Sand Rat's Sieve
#4: Chapter I - After defeating Milleuda at Lenalian Plateau
#5: Chapter II - Beginning of chapter
#6: Chapter II - After Ovelia and Agrias join as guests
#7: Chapter II - After reaching Lionel Castle
#8: Chapter II - After reaching Goug
#9: Chapter II - After battle at Balias Tor
#10: Chapter III - Beginning of chapter
#11: Chapter III - After Alma joins as guest
#12: Chapter III - After battles at Orbonne Monastery
#13: Chapter III - After Rapha joins as guest
#14: Chapter IV - Beginning of chapter
#15: Chapter IV - After Fort Besselat
#16: Chapter IV - After battles at Limberry Castle

A "--" in the SHOP column indicates the item is NEVER available at stores -- 
see the Rare Item Locations list in Section X for information on where to get 
these.

All items, including ones that can't be bought at the Outfitters, can be sold 
for 1/2 the listed price.  Items acquired through the Poacher's Den are 
bought for 1/2 the listed price.

# denotes an item that can ONLY be obtained in the game's multiplayer mode.

%%%WEAPONS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00weap

In the tables below, PARRY is the evasion rate granted by the weapon when used 
with the Knight's Parry reaction ability.  Without Parry equipped, this 
statistic has no effect.

DAMAGE BASES: Different classes of weapons use different stats in calculating 
their damage output.  For example, the damage from Swords is based on the 
user's Physical Attack stat (as well as on the strength of the sword, etc.), 
while Ninja Blades take into consideration both Physical Attack and Speed.  
(These are listed in the charts below for each weapon type.)  Based on a 
character's stats, you can try to choose a good matching weapon type.  Here's a 
quick overview of what stats relate to what weapon types:

Physical Attack            : Swords, Axes, Rods, Flails, Crossbows, Polearms
Phys. Attack & Speed       : Knives, Ninja Blades, Bows
Phys. Attack & Bravery     : Fists, Knight's Swords, Katanas
Phys. Attack & LOW Faith   : Fell Swords
Phys. Attack & Mag. Attack : Instruments, Books, Cloths
Magick Attack              : Staves, Poles
Faith                      : Magick guns
none                       : Non-magick guns, Bags

(Note that since guns don't take any of the user's statistics into 
consideration, they can be good for low-level characters with poor stats.)

DUAL WIELD: This indicates whether the weapon can be used with the Ninja's Dual 
Wield ability, which allows you to equip two weapons at once.

DOUBLEHAND: Indicates whether the weapon can be used with the Samurai's 
Doublehand ability, which allows you to wield one weapon with both hands to 
increase your attack power.  "Doublehand: Only" means that the weapon type 
ALWAYS requires both hands.  You don't Doublehand to use these weapons, but you 
also can't use Doublehand to increase their attack power.

RANGE: Each weapon type has a range.  The horizontal range is how many tiles 
the weapon reaches.  The vertical range is the maximum allowable difference in 
height between you and your target.  A * here indicates an unlimited vertical 
range.  Note that many weapons have different vertical range when used to 
attack upwards (i.e., an enemy above you) vs. when used to attack downards.  

Unlike magick, all weapons have an effect radius of 1 tile only -- they only
strike a single target.

Almost weapon types require a direct line of fire between the user and target.
The exception is regular bows (regular bows ONLY - NOT crossbows!), which can
also be fired in a vertical arc between the user and target.

SPECIAL: Finally, many weapons have various special effects.  Most commonly, 
these are one or more of the following:
 - "Inflicts:" - The weapon inflicts a status effect on its target.
 - "Always:" - The weapon gives the user a permanent status effect.
 - "Boosts:" - The weapon increases the power of spells of the named element 
    when cast by the user (e.g. "Boosts: Ice" increases the power of ice
    spells cast by the person with the weapon).
 - "Casts:" - The weapon will sometimes cast a particular magick on its
     target after dealing its regular damage.
 - "____ elemental" - The weapon does elemental damage

---Fists-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Bravery          Dual Wield   : Yes
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : No
  All human jobs, when no other weapon equipped           Horiz. range : 1
                                                          Vert. range  : 2 up,
                                                                         3 down
Equipping the Brawler support ability (Monk) increases the power of barehanded
attacks.

---Knives----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Speed            Dual Wield   : Yes
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : No  
  Regular Jobs: Squire, Chemist, Thief, Orator, Ninja,    Horiz. range : 1 
                Dancer, Onion Knight                      Vert. range  : 2 up,
  Special Jobs: Squire [Ramza], Machinist, Game Hunter,                  3 down
                Templar, Sky Pirate
  With Ability: none

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Dagger              100     3    5%    #1
Mythril Knife       500     4    5%    #2
Blind Knife         800     4    5%    #3   Inflicts: Blind
Mage Masher         1500    4    5%    #4   Inflicts: Silence
Platinum Dagger     1800    5    10%   #6
Main Gauche         3000    6    40%   #11
Orichalcum Dirk     4000    7    5%    #12
Assassin's Dagger   5000    7    5%    #13  Inflicts: Doom
Air Knife           8000    10   5%    #15  Wind elemental
Zwill Straightblade 12000   12   10%   --   Inflicts: Sleep

---Ninja Blades----------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Speed            Dual Wield   : Yes
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Yes
  Regular Jobs: Ninja, Onion Knight                       Horiz. range : 1  
  Special Jobs: Sword Saint                               Vert. range  : 2 up,
  With Ability: none                                                     3 down

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Ninja Blade         3000    8    5%    #10
Kunai               5000    9    5%    #11
Kodachi             7000    10   5%    #12
Ninja Longblade     10000   12   5%    #13
Spellbinder         16000   13   5%    #14  Inflicts: Disable
Sasuke's Blade      10      14   15%   --
Iga Blade           10      15   10%   --
Koga Blade          10      15   5%    --
Orochi #            10      20   5%    --   Drains HP from target to wielder
Moonsilk Blade #    10      26   5%    --

---Swords----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack                   Dual Wield   : Yes
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Yes
  Regular Jobs: Squire, Knight, Geomancer, Dark Knight,   Horiz. range : 1
                Onion Knight                              Vert. range  : 2 up,
  Special Jobs: Squire [Ramza], Squire [Delita],                         3 down
                Squire [Argath], Fell Knight, Holy Knight,
                Game Hunter, Templar, Sky Pirate, Sword Saint,
                Sword Saint, Soldier, Divine Knight, Ark Knight
  With Ability: Equip Swords [Knight]

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Nagnarok            10      1    50%   --   Inflicts: Toad
Broadsword          200     4    5%    #1
Longsword           500     5    10%   #2
Iron Sword          900     6    5%    #3
Mythril Sword       1600    7    8%    #4
Coral Sword         3300    8    5%    #6   Lightning elemental
Blood Sword         2500    8    5%    --   Drains HP from target to wielder
Ancient Sword       5000    9    5%    #10  Inflicts: Immobilize
Sleep Blade         5000    9    5%    #11  Inflicts: Sleep
Diamond Sword       8000    10   10%   #12
Materia Blade       10      10   10%   --   Enables Cloud's Limit command
Platinum Sword      11000   12   10%   #13
Icebrand            14000   13   10%   #14  Ice elemental; Casts: Blizzaga
Runeblade           20000   14   15%   #15  Magick Atk+2
Moonblade #         10      20   15%   --   Always: Haste
Onion Sword #       10      50   15%   --   Only equippable by Onion Knights!

---Knight's Swords-------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Bravery          Dual Wield   : Yes
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Yes
  Regular Jobs: Knight, Dark Knight, Onion Knight         Horiz. range : 1  
  Special Jobs: Squire [Ramza] (ch.4), Fell Knight,       Vert. range  : 2 up,
                Holy Knight, Game Hunter, Templar,                       3 down
                Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Divine Knight, Ark Knight
  With Ability: none

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Defender            40000   16   60%   --
Save the Queen      10      18   30%   --   Always: Protect
Excalibur           10      21   30%   --   Always: Haste; Absorbs: Holy; 
                                              Boosts: Holy
Ragnarok            10      24   20%   --   Always: Shell
Durandal #          10      26   40%   --   Holy elemental;
                                              Always: Shell, Protect
Chaos Blade         10      40   20%   --   Always: Regen; Inflicts: Stone

---Katanas---------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Bravery          Dual Wield   : Yes
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Yes
  Regular Jobs: Samurai, Onion Knight                     Horiz. range : 1
  Special Jobs: Sword Saint                               Vert. range  : 2 up,
  With Ability: Equip Katana [Samurai]                                   3 down

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Ashura              1600    7    15%   #7
Kotestu             3000    8    15%   #7
Osafune             5000    9    15%   #9
Murasame            7000    10   15%   #10
Ama-no-Murakumo     8000    11   15%   #11
Kiyomori            10000   12   15%   #13
Muramasa            15000   14   15%   #14
Kiku-ichimonji      22000   15   15%   #15
Masamune            10      18   15%   --
Chirijiraden        10      25   15%   --

---Fell Swords-----------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, LOW Faith        Dual Wield   : Yes
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Yes
  Regular Jobs: Dark Knight, Onion Knight                 Horiz. range : 1
  Special Jobs: none                                      Vert. range  : 2 up
  With Ability: none                                                     3 down

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Chaosbringer #      10      16   0%    --   Dark elemental, Inflicts: Blind
Deathbringer #      10      20   0%    --   Dark elemental, Inflicts: Doom
Arondight #         10      24   0%    --   Dark elemental, Inflicts: Slow
Balmung #           10      32   0%    --   Dark elemental, Inflicts: Stop
Valhalla #          10      40   0%    --   Dark elemental;
                                              Inflicts: instant KO

---Axes------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack                   Dual Wield   : No
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Only
  Regular Jobs: Squire, Geomancer, Dark Knight,           Horiz. range : 1
                Onion Knight                              Vert. range  : 2 up,
  Special Jobs: Squire [Argath]                                          3 down
  With Ability: Equip Axes [Squire]

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Battle Axe          1500    9    0%    #4
Giant's Axe         4000    12   0%    #7
Slasher             12000   16   0%    #11  Inflicts: Slow
Francisca #         10      24   0%    --
Golden Axe #        10      30   0%    --

Note: All axes do variable damage.  The actual damage inflicted may be more or
less than the estimate you see.  (The estimate is the *average* damage you'll
inflict.)

---Rods------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack                   Dual Wield   : Yes
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Yes
  Regular Jobs: Black Mage, Summoner, Mystic,             Horiz. range : 1
                Onion Knight                              Vert. range  : 2 up,
  Special Jobs: Netherseer                                               3 down
  With Ability: none

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Rod                 200     3    20%   #1
Thunder Rod         400     3    20%   #3   Lightning elemental; 
                                              Boosts: Lightning,
                                              Casts: Thunder
Flame Rod           400     3    20%   #3   Fire elemental; Boosts: Fire;
                                              Casts: Fire
Ice Rod             400     3    20%   #3   Ice elemental; Boosts: Ice;
                                              Casts: Blizzard
Poison Rod          500     3    20%   #6   Inflicts: Poison
Wizard's Rod        8000    4    20%   #12  Magick Atk+2
Dragon Rod          12000   5    20%   --
Rod of Faith        10      5    20%   --   Always: Faith; Inflicts: Faith
Stardust Rod #      10      5    20%   --   Magick Atk+3; Casts: Gravity
Crown Sceptre #     10      5    20%   --   Magick Atk+4

---Staves----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Magick Attack                     Dual Wield   : Yes
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Yes
  Regular Jobs: White Mage, Time Mage, Summoner, Mystic,  Horiz. range : 1
                Onion Knight                              Vert. range  : 2 up,
  Special Jobs: Princess, Cleric, Skyseer                                3 down
  With Ability: none

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Oak Staff           120     3    15%   #1
White Staff         800     3    15%   #3   Removes (from target): Doom
Serpent Staff       2200    5    15%   #6
Mage's Staff        4000    4    15%   #9   Magick Atk+1
Healing Staff       4000    4    15%   --   Restores HP instead of inflicting
                                              damage
Nirvana #           10      5    15%   --   Holy elemental, Magick Atk+3
Dreamwaker #        10      5    15%   --   Magick Atk+4
Golden Staff        7000    6    15%   #12  
Zeus Mace           10      6    15%   --   Physical Atk+2, Magick Atk+1
Staff of the Magi   10      7    15%   --

---Flails----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack                   Dual Wield   : Yes
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Yes
  Regular Jobs: Squire, Ninja, Dark Knight, Onion Knight  Horiz. range : 1
  Special Jobs: Squire [Ramza], Squire [Delita],          Vert. range  : 2 up,
                Squire [Argath], Game Hunter                           : 3 down
  With Ability: none                                                           

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Iron Flail          1200    9    0%    #9
Flame Mace          4000    11   0%    #11  Fire elemental; Casts: Fira
Morning Star        9000    16   0%    #13
Scorpion Tail       40000   23   0%    --
Vesper #            10      36   0%    --

Note: All axes do variable damage.  The actual damage inflicted may be more or
less than the estimate you see.  (The estimate is the *average* damage you'll
inflict.)

---Guns------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: nothing (regular guns)            Dual Wield   : No
                        Faith   (magick guns)             Doublehand   : No
Used By :                                                 Horiz. range : 3-8
  Regular Jobs: Chemist, Orator, Onion Knight             Vert. range  : * up,
  Special Jobs: Machinist, Sky Pirate                                    * down
  With Ability: Equip Guns [Orator]

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Romandan Pistol     5000    6    5%    #8
Mythril Gun         15000   8    5%    #11
Ras Algethi         28000   12   5%    --
Stoneshooter        10      16   5%    --   Inflicts: Stone; user begins each
                                              battle with Stone status
Fomalhaut #         10      18   5%    --
Glacial Gun         10      20   5%    --   Ice elemental; variable damage*
Blaze Gun           10      21   5%    --   Fire elemental; variable damage*
Blaster             10      22   5%    --   Lightning elemental;
                                              variable damage*

Note: All guns have a 100% hit rate, although Shirahadori can still be used to 
block them.

* Note 2: These three guns do variable damage.  The actual damage inflicted may
be MORE than the estimate you see.  (Unlike with axes or flails, the damage 
done by elemental guns is never LESS than the estimate.)

---Crossbows-------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack                   Dual Wield   : No
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : No
  Regular Jobs: Archer, Onion Knight                      Horiz. range : 3-4
  Special Jobs: Sky Pirate, Divine Knight                 Vert. range  : * up,
  With Ability: Equip Crossbows [Archer]                                 * down

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Bowgun              400     3    5%    #2
Knightslayer        1500    3    5%    #4   Inflicts: Blind
Crossbow            2000    4    5%    #7
Poison Bow          4000    4    5%    #10  Inflicts: Poison
Hunting Bow         8000    6    5%    #12
Gastrophetes        20000   10   5%    #15

---Bows------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Speed            Dual Wield   : No
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Only
  Regular Jobs: Archer, Onion Knight                      Horiz. range : 3-5*
  Special Jobs: Sky Pirate                                Vert. range  : * up,
  With Ability: none                                                     * down

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Long Bow            800     4    0%    #3
Silver Bow          1500    5    0%    #4
Ice Bow             2000    5    0%    #5   Ice elemental
Lightning Bow       3000    6    0%    #7   Lightning elemental;
                                              Casts: Thundaga
Mythril Bow         5000    7    0%    #10
Windslash Bow       8000    8    0%    #12  Wind elemental
Artemis Bow         22000   10   0%    --
Yoichi Bow          10      12   0%    --
Perseus Bow         10      16   0%    --
Sagittarius Bow #   10      24   0%    --

* Note: Bows have a horizontal range of 3-5 on level ground.  Attacking
downwards INCREASES the maximum range, while firing upwards decreases your
range.  From a high vantage point, you can shoot extremely far!

Note 2: Unlike all other weapons, bows do not require a direct line of fire,
since they can also be fired in an arc over obstacles and other enemies.  This
is really helpful in maps crowded with enemies or obstacles.

---Instruments-----------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Magick Attack    Dual Wield   : No
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : No
  Regular Jobs: Bard, Onion Knight                        Horiz. range : 3
  Special Jobs: none                                      Vert. range  : * up,
  With Ability: none                                                     * down

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Lamia's Harp        5000    10   10%   #7   Inflicts: Confusion
Bloodstring Harp    10000   13   10%   #12  Drains HP from target to wielder
Faerie Harp         30000   15   10%   --   Inflicts: Charm

Note that unlike other Charm attacks, the Faerie Harp can be used on all
targets: on same- and opposite-gender humans and on monsters.

---Books-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Magick Attack    Dual Wield   : No
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : No
  Regular Jobs: Mystic, Arithmetician, Onion Knight       Horiz. range : 3
  Special Jobs: Astrologer                                Vert. range  : * up,
  With Ability: none                                                     * down

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Battle Folio        3000    7    15%   #7
Bestiary            6000    8    15%   #11
Papyrus Codex       10000   9    15%   #12
Omnilex             30000   11   15%   --

---Polearms--------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack                   Dual Wield   : No
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Yes
  Regular Jobs: Dragoon, Onion Knight                     Horiz. range : 1-2
  Special Jobs: Sky Pirate, Divine Knight                 Vert. range  : 3 up,
  With Ability: Equip Polearms [Dragoon]                                 3 down

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Javelin             1000    8    10%   #5
Spear               2000    9    10%   #7
Mythril Spear       4500    10   10%   #10
Partisan            7000    11   10%   #12
Obelisk             10000   12   10%   #15
Holy Lance          18000   14   10%   --   Holy elemental; Casts: Holy
Dragon Whisker      44000   17   10%   --
Gae Bolg #          10      24   15%   --
Gungnir #           10      29   15%   --   Lightning elemental
Javelin (II)        1000    30   10%   --

---Poles-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Magick Attack                     Dual Wield   : No
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : Yes
  Regular Jobs: Mystic, Arithmetician, Onion Knight       Horiz. range : 1-2
  Special Jobs: Skyseer, Netherseer                       Vert. range  : 3 up,
  With Ability: none                                                     3 down

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Cypress Pole        1000    6    20%   #6
Battle Bamboo       1400    7    20%   #7
Musk Pole           2400    8    20%   #10
Iron Fan            4000    9    20%   #11
Gokuu Pole          7500    10   20%   #12  Inflicts: Atheist
Ivory Pole          10000   11   20%   --
Eight-fluted Pole   20000   12   20%   #15  Removes (from target): Blind, 
                                              Silence, Oil, Toad, Poison, Slow, 
                                              Stop, Immobilize, Disable
Whale Whisker       37000   16   20%   --

---Bags------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: nothing                           Dual Wield   : No
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : No
  Regular Jobs: Women (any job), Onion Knights (m or f!)  Horiz. range : 1
  Special Jobs: Women (any job)                           Vert. range  : 2 up,
  With Ability: none                                                     3 down

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Pantherskin Bag     52000   12   0%    #12  Always: Regen
Croakadile Bag      53000   10   0%    #10  Magick Atk+1
Hydrascale Bag      58000   14   0%    #15  Speed+1
Fallingstar Bag     60000   20   0%    --

Note: All bags do variable damage.  The actual damage inflicted may be more or
less than the estimate you see.  (The estimate is the *average* damage you'll
inflict.)

---Cloths----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage based on user's: Physical Attack, Magick Attack    Dual Wield   : No
Used By :                                                 Doublehand   : No
  Regular Jobs: Dancer, Onion Knight                      Horiz. range : 1-2
  Special Jobs: none                                      Vert. range  : 3 up,
  With Ability: none                                                   : 3 down

                    PRICE   ATK  PARRY SHOP SPECIAL
Damask Cloth        7000    8    50%   #11
Cashmere            15000   10   50%   #13
Wyrmweave Silk      40000   15   50%   --

%%%SHIELDS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00sh

Shields are used to increase your evade rate.  The PHYS and MAG columns show 
the evasion rate of the shield for physical and magickal attacks, respectively.
Note that shields are ineffective against attacks from the rear.

Used By:
  Regular Jobs : Knight, Archer, Geomancer, Dragoon, Dark Knight, Onion Knight
  Special Jobs : Squire [Ramza] (ch. 2+), Fell Knight, Holy Knight,
                 Game Hunter, Templar, Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Divine Knight, 
                 Ark Knight
  With Ability : Equip Shields [Knight]

                    PRICE   PHYS  MAG  SHOP SPECIAL
Escutcheon          400     10%   3%   #2
Buckler             700     13%   3%   #3
Bronze Shield       1200    16%   0%   #4
Round Shield        1600    19%   0%   #5
Mythril Shield      2500    22%   5%   #6
Golden Shield       3500    25%   0%   #7
Ice Shield          6000    28%   0%   #10  Absorbs: Ice; Halves: Fire;
                                              Weakness: Lightning
Flame Shield        6500    31%   0%   #10  Absorbs: Fire; Halves: Ice; 
                                              Weakness: Water
Aegis Shield        10000   10%   50%  #1   Magick Atk+1
Diamond Shield      12000   34%   15%  #12
Platinum Shield     16000   37%   10%  #14
Crystal Shield      21000   40%   15%  #15
Genji Shield #      10      43%   0%   --
Kaiser Shield       10      46%   20%  --   Boosts: Fire, Lightning, Ice
Venetian Shield     10      50%   25%  --   Halves: Fire, Lightning, Ice
Reverie Shield #    10      50%   25%  --   Halves: All elemental damage
Escutcheon (II)     400     75%   50%  --

%%%HEADGEAR%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00head

Headgear (and armor) increases maximum HP and MP.  The HP and MP columns show 
how much each piece of gear increases your HP/MP.

---Helms-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
  Regular Jobs : Knight, Dragoon, Samurai, Dark Knight, Onion Knight
  Special Jobs : Squire [Ramza] (ch. 2+), Fell Knight, Holy Knight,
                 Game Hunter, Templar, Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Divine Knight, 
                 Ark Knight
  With Ability : Equip Heavy Armor [Knight]


                    PRICE   HP   MP   SHOP SPECIAL
Leather Helm        200     10   0    #2
Bronze Helm         500     20   0    #2
Iron Helm           1000    30   0    #3
Barbut              1500    40   0    #5
Mythril Helm        2100    50   0    #6
Golden Helm         2800    60   0    #7
Close Helmet        4000    70   0    #10
Diamond Helm        6000    80   0    #11
Platinum Helm       8000    90   0    #13
Circlet             10000   100  0    #13
Crystal Helm        14000   120  0    #15
Genji Helm #        10      130  0    --
Grand Helm          10      150  0    --   Immune: Blind, Sleep
Vanguard Helm #     10      150  20   --
Onion Helm #        10      200  0    --   Only equippable by Onion Knights

--Hats-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
  Regular Jobs : Squire, Chemist, Archer, White Mage, Black Mage, Time Mage,
                 Summoner, Thief, Orator, Mystic, Geomancer, Ninja,
                 Arithmetician, Bard, Dancer, Onion Knight
  Special Jobs : Squire [Ramza], Squire [Delita], Squire [Argath], Princess,
                 Machinist, Astrologer, Cleric, Game Hunter, Skyseer,
                 Netherseer, Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Soldier
  With Ability : none

Used By: Squire, Chemist, Archer, White Mage, Black Mage, Time Mage, Summoner, 
         Thief, Orator, Mystic, Geomancer, Ninja, Arithmetician, Bard, Dancer

                    PRICE   HP   MP   SHOP SPECIAL
Leather Cap         150     8    0    #1
Plumed Hat          350     16   5    #2
Red Hood            800     24   8    #3
Headgear            1200    32   0    #5   Physical Atk+1
Wizard's Hat        1800    40   12   #6   Magick Atk+1
Green Beret         3000    48   0    #7   Speed+1
Headband            5000    56   0    #10  Physical Atk+2
Brass Coronet #     10      60   100  --   Magick Atk+3; Immune: Silence
Celebrant's Miter   6000    64   20   #11  Magick Atk+1
Black Cowl          7000    72   0    #12
Gold Hairpin        12000   80   50   #13  Immune: Silence
Lambent Hat         16000   88   15   #15  Magick Atk+1, Speed+1
Thief's Cap         35000   100  0    #16  Speed+2; Immune: Immobilize, Disable
Acacia Hat #        10      120  20   --   Speed+2; Immune: Berserk, Charm,
                                             Confuse

---Hair Adornments-------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
  Regular Jobs : Women (any job), Onion Knights (of either gender)
  Special Jobs : Soldier
  With Ability : none

                    PRICE   HP   MP   SHOP SPECIAL
Cachusha            20000   20   0    --   Immune: Undead, Blind, Silence,
                                             Toad, Poison, Slow, Immobilize,
                                             Disable, Doom
Barette             20000   20   0    --   Immune: KO, Stone, Traitor, Confuse,
                                             Vampire, Berserk, Stop, Charm,
                                             Sleep
Ribbon              60000   10   0    --   Immune: All negative status except
                                             Chicken, Oil, Atheist, and Faith

%%%ARMOR%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00armor

Armor (and headgear) increases maximum HP and MP.  The HP and MP columns show 
how much each piece of gear increases your HP/MP.

---Armor-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
  Regular Jobs : Knight, Dragoon, Samurai, Dark Knight, Onion Knight
  Special Jobs : Squire [Ramza] (ch. 2+), Fell Knight, Holy Knight,
                 Game Hunter, Templar, Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Divine Knight, 
                 Ark Knight
  With Ability : Equip Heavy Armor [Knight]

                    PRICE   HP   MP   SHOP SPECIAL
Leather Armor       200     10   0    #2
Linen Cuirass       600     20   0    #2
Bronze Armor        800     30   0    #3
Chainmail           1300    40   0    #4
Mythril Armor       2000    50   0    #5
Plate Mail          3000    60   0    #6
Golden Armor        3600    70   0    #7
Diamond Armor       6000    80   0    #11
Platinum Armor      9000    90   0    #13
Carabineer Mail     13000   100  0    #14
Mirror Mail         18000   130  0    #15  Always: Reflect
Crystal Mail        19000   110  0    #15
Genji Armor         10      150  0    --
Grand Armor #       10      170  0    --   Always: Regen, Reraise
Maximillian         10      200  0    --
Onion Armor #       10      250  0    --   Only equippable by Onion Knights;
                                             Always: Regen, Reraise, Shell,
                                             Protect

---Clothes---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
  Regular Jobs : All except Knight, Dragoon, Samurai, Mime, Dark Knight
  Special Jobs : All except Holy Dragon, Automaton, Dragonkin, Byblos
  With Ability : none

                    PRICE   HP   MP   SHOP SPECIAL
Clothing            150     5    0    #1
Leather Clothing    300     10   0    #2
Leather Plate       500     18   0    #3
Ringmail            900     24   0    #4
Mythril Vest        1500    30   0    #5
Adamant Vest        1600    36   0    #6
Wizard Clothing     1900    42   15   #7
Brigandine          2500    50   0    #9
Jujitsu Gi          4000    60   0    #11  Physical Atk+1; Immune: KO
Power Garb          7000    70   0    #12  Physical Atk+2
Gaia Gear           10000   85   10   #14  Absorbs: Earth; Boosts: Earth
Black Garb          12000   100  0    #15  Immune: Stop
Ninja Gear          10      20   0    --   Speed+2; Always: Invisible
Mirage Vest         10      120  0    --   Speed+1;
                                             Immune: Stone, Poison, Sleep
Minerva Bustier #   10      120  0    --   Only equippable by women;
                                             Immune: Fire, Lightning, Wind,
                                             Darkness; Halves: Ice, Water,
                                             Earth, Holy
Rubber Suit         48000   150  50   --   Immune: Lightning
Brave Suit #        10      160  40   --   Always: Reraise, Regen

---Robes-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By:
  Regular Jobs : Knight, White Mage, Black Mage, Time Mage, Summoner, Orator,
                 Mystic, Geomancer, Dragoon, Samurai, Arithmetician,
                 Dark Knight, Onion Knight
  Special Jobs : Squire [Ramza], Squire [Delita], Fell Knight, Holy Knight,
                 Princess, Cleric, Game Hunter, Skyseer, Netherseer, Templar,
                 Sky Pirate, Sword Saint, Divine Knight, Ark Knight
  With Ability : none

                    PRICE   HP   MP   SHOP SPECIAL
Hempen Robe         1200    10   10   #3
Silken Robe         2400    20   16   #4
Wizard's Robe       4000    30   22   #7   Magick Atk+2
Chameleon Robe      5000    40   28   #11  Immune: KO; Absorbs: Holy
White Robe          9000    50   34   #12  Halves: Fire, Lightning, Ice
Black Robe          13000   60   30   #13  Boosts: Fire, Lightning, Ice
Luminous Robe       30000   75   50   #15
Lordly Robe         10      100  80   --   Physical Atk+2, Magick Atk+1; 
                                             Always: Protect, Shell
Sage's Robe #       10      120  100  --   Halves: All elemental damage

%%%ACCESSORIES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00acc

Accessories provide a number of beneficial effects, such as increased stats,
permanent buffs, or immunity to certain status changes.

---Shoes-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: All except Mime and Dragonkin

                    PRICE   SHOP EFFECT
Battle Boots        1000    #2   Move+1
Spiked Boots        1200    #5   Jump+1
Rubber Boots        1500    #7   Immune: Immobilize, Lightning
Winged Boots        2500    #10  Always: Float
Germinas Boots      5000    #11  Move+1, Jump+1
Hermes Shoes        7000    #13  Speed+1
Red Shoes           10000   #15  Magick Atk+1, Move+1
Gaius Caligae #     10      --   Move+2

---Gauntlets-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: All except Mime and Dragonkin

                    PRICE   SHOP EFFECT
Power Gauntlet      5000    #6   Physical Atk+1
Magepower Glove     20000   #10  Magick Atk+2
Bracer              50000   #13  Physical Atk+3
Genji Glove #       10      --   Physical Atk+2, Magick Atk+2
Brigand's Gloves #  10      --   Speed+1; Always: Haste
Onion Gloves #      10      --   Only equippable by Onion Knights; Immune: All
                                   negative status except Chicken, Oil, 
                                   Atheist, and Faith

---Rings-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: All except Mime

                    PRICE   SHOP EFFECT
Protect Ring        5000    #7   Immune: Sleep, Doom
Magick Ring         10000   #12  Immune: Silence, Berserk
Reflect Ring        10000   #10  Always: Reflect
Angel Ring          20000   #14  Immune: KO, Blind; Always: Reraise
Cursed Ring         10      --   Physical Atk+1, Magick Atk+1, Speed+1;
                                   Always: Undead; Immune: Traitor
Sage's Ring #       10      --   Absorbs: All 8 elements;
                                    Boosts: All 8 elements

Note: The Angel Ring always starts you with a Reraise, but, unlike the 
Chantage, it only gives you one Reraise per battle.  If you're KOed a second
time, you won't Reraise.

---Armlets---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: All except Mime

                    PRICE   SHOP EFFECT
Diamond Bracelet    5000    #9   Physical Atk+1, Magick Atk+1; Immune: Slow
Guardian Bracelet   7000    #7   Immune: Immobilize, Disable
Nu Khai Armband     10000   #10  Immune: Confuse, Charm; Halves: Dark
Jade Armlet         10000   #11  Immune: Stone, Stop
Japa Mala           15000   #12  Immune: Undead, Vampire, Toad, Poison; 
                                   Boosts: All 8 elements
Empyreal Armband #  10      --   Speed+1; Immune: Slow, Stop, Immobilize

---Cloaks----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: All except Mime and Dragonkin

                   PRICE    PHYS  MAG  SHOP SPECIAL
Shoulder Cape      300      10%   10%  #3
Leather Cloak      800      15%   15%  #5
Mage's Cloak       2000     18%   18%  #7   Magick Atk+1
Elven Cloak        8000     25%   25%  #11
Vampire Cape       15000    28%   28%  #13
Featherweave Cloak 20000    40%   30%  #15
Invisibility Cloak 10       35%   0%   --   Always: Invisible

Note that cloaks, unlike shields, ARE effective against attacks from the rear
(and from all other directions too, of course).

---Perfumes--------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Women, Onion Knights (of either gender)

                    PRICE   SHOP EFFECT
Cherche             30000   --   Always: Float, Reflect
Sortile'ge          30000   --   Always: Protect, Shell
Chantage            60000   --   Always: Reraise, Regen
Septie`me           30000   --   Magick Atk+1; Always: Haste, Invisible

(Chantage rocks, the Reraise never disappears so you can just keep coming back 
to life an infinite number of times!)

---Lip Rouge-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Women, Onion Knights (of either gender)

                    PRICE   SHOP EFFECT
Tynar Rouge         10      --   Phys Atk+3; Mag Atk+3; Boosts: Holy;
                                   Always: Protect, Shell, Haste

%%%ITEMS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00item

Certain inventory items are needed for particular Action Abilities.

---Potions---------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Chemist (Items)

                    PRICE   SHOP EFFECT
Potion              50      #1   Restores 30 HP
Antidote            50      #1   Removes: Poison
Eye Drops           50      #1   Removes: Blind
Echo Herbs          50      #2   Removes: Silence
Maiden's Kiss       50      #2   Removes: Toad
Golden Needle       100     #2   Removes: Stone
Hi-Potion           200     #3   Removes: 70 HP
Ether               200     #7   Removes: 20 MP
Phoenix Down        300     #1   Removes: KO, restores minimal HP
Remedy              350     #7   Removes: Stone, Blind, Confuse, Silence, Oil,
                                   Toad, Poison, Sleep
Hi-Ether            600     #12  Restores 50 MP
X-Potion            700     #10  Restores 150 HP
Holy Water          2000    #5   Removes: Undead, Vampire
Elixir              10      --   Restores HP and MP completely

---Bombs-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Ninja (Throw)

                    PRICE   ATK  SHOP SPECIAL
Flameburst Bomb     250     8    #7   Fire elemental
Snowmelt Bomb       250     8    #7   Ice elemental
Spark Bomb          250     8    #7   Lightning elemental

---Stars-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Used By: Ninja (Throw)

                    PRICE   ATK  SHOP SPECIAL
Shuriken            50      4    #5
Fuma Shuriken       300     7    #11
Yagyu Darkrood      1000    10   #14 

*******************************************************************************
X. FINDING ITEMS
*******************************************************************************

%%%POACHED ITEMS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00poach

--List of Poached Items--------------------------------------------------------

Each monster can give you one of two items when you poach it.  There's one you 
get most of the time (the common one), and one (the rare one) you only get 
occasionally -- about 15% of the time or so.

A place where the monster is commonly found has also been listed.  Most 
monsters show up in many locations, but there are certain locations where they 
show up the most frequently.  (Areas marked MD: are floors of Midlight's Deep,
the bonus dungeon.)

Note that poached items only cost half their usual retail price!

In the list below:
* indicates an item that can't be bought in regular stores -- but can also be
  found other ways besides poaching
** indicates an item that can ONLY be found by poaching.

                COMMON             RARE                   COMMONLY FOUND
Ahriman         Fuma Shuriken      Air Knife              Mount Bervenia
Behemoth        Guardian Bracelet  Pantherskin Bag        MD: The Switchback
Behemoth King   ** Cherche         * Artemis Bow          MD: The Switchback
Black Chocobo   Eye Drops          X-Potion               Balias Swale
Black Goblin    Hi-Potion          Shoulder Cape          The Siedge Weald
Blue Dragon     Cashmere           * Dragon Rod           MD: The Switchback
Bomb            Fire Ball          Flame Rod              The Siedge Weald
Bonesnatch      Hi-Potion          Partisan               Tchigolith Fenlands
Chocobo         Phoenix Down       Hi-Potion              Mandalia Plain
Cockatrice      Gold Needle        Featherweave Cloak     MD: The Interstice
Coeurl          Gold Needle        Germinas Boots         Mount Germinas
Dark Behemoth   Wizard's Rod       * Stoneshooter         MD: The Switchback
Dragon          Jade Armlet        Hydrascale Bag         MD: The Switchback
Dryad           Eye Drops          * Healing Staff        MD: The Switchback
Elder Treant    Protect Ring       * Defender             MD: The Oubliette
Exploder        Spark Bomb         Fire Shield            Lake Poescas
Floating Eye    Shuriken           Platinum Dagger        Lenalian Plateau
Ghast           Water Ball         Main Gauche            Araguay Woods
Ghoul           Ether              Kunai                  Araguay Woods
Gobbledygook    Mage Masher        Ancient Sword          MD: The Oubliette
Goblin          Potion             Hi-Potion              Mandalia Plain
Greater Hydra   ** Septie`me       ** Rubber Suit         MD: The Switchback
Greater Malboro Elixir             * Omnilex              MD: The Catacombs
Grenade         Hi-Potion          Snowmelt Bomb          Lake Poescas
Hydra           * Blood Sword      * Scorpion Tail        MD: The Switchback
Jura Aevis      Potion             Rubber Boots           Zeklaus Desert
Malboro         Platinum Dagger    Ice Shield             Dorvauldar Marsh
Mindflayer      Hi-Ether           Vampire Cape           Zeirchele Falls
Minotaur        Coral Sword        Slasher                Balias Tor
Ochu            Nu Khai Armband    Chameleon Robe         MD: The Catacombs
Pig             Maiden's Kiss      * Cachusha             MD: Terminus
Piscodaemon     Echo Grass         Hi-Potion              Zeirchele Falls
Plague Horror   Yagyu Darkrood     * Zwill Straightblade  Mount Bervenia
Red Chocobo     Remedy             * Barette              Finnath Creek
Red Dragon      * Sortile'ge       * Dragon Whisker       Beddha Sandwaste
Red Panther     Antidote           Battle Boots           Mandalia Plain
Revenant        Hi-Ether           Mythril Gun            Lake Poescas
Sekhret         * Holy Lance       * Ivory Pole           Zeklaus Desert
Skeletal Fiend  Mage's Cloak       Elven Cloak            Zeklaus Desert
Skeleton        Holy Water         Ether                  Tchigolith Fenlands
Squidraken      Shoulder Cape      Sleep Blade            Zeirchele Falls
Steelhawk       Phoenix Down       Hunting Bow            Zeklaus Desert
Swine           * Chantage         * Nagnarok             MD: Terminus
Tiamat          ** Wyrmweave Silk  * Whale Whisker        MD: Terminus
Treant          Golden Staff       * Faerie Harp          MD: The Switchback
Vampire Cat     Holy Water         Croakadile Bag         MD: The Palings
Wild Boar       ** Ribbon          ** Fallingstar Bag     Breeding only!
Wisenkin        Battle Axe         Giant's Axe            Balias Tor

---Tips on Poaching------------------------------------------------------------

If you're trying to get a particular poachable item, it's pretty time-consuming
to keep tracking down the monster in the wild and poaching it until you get the
item you want.  Instead, use Entice or Tame to recruit the monster to your
team.  Then, after you've saved, get into a new battle.  Deploy the monster,
have another character poach it, and finish the fight.  Check the Poachers' Den
and if you didn't get the item you were looking for, you can simply reload from
your save and try poaching the same monster again.

If you've got some spare spaces on your roster, you can also breed multiple
copies of the monster.  Just walk between two blue dots on the map and the
monster will keep producing eggs.  Dismiss the monsters you don't want to poach
and poach the ones you do.  (You can also use the "Preview Monster Eggs" trick 
described under Various Tricks to try to get rid of eggs you don't want, 
either.)  Always keep one copy of the monster in your roster without poaching 
it and you'll have no problem breeding further copies.  Items that can be 
particularly useful to "farm" in this way include the hair adornments, 
perfumes, and Rubber Suit.

Breeding monsters is also a helpful way to obtain harder-to-find monsters like
Sekhret and the Greater Malboro, and the *only* way to get the Wild Boar.  You 
can breed Rank III monsters from a Rank II monster of the same family (e.g. a 
Minotaur, Malboro, or Wild Boar) or from another copy of the Rank III monster.
Rank I monsters don't breed Rank III monsters, but you can first breed a Rank
II monster and use that to breed a Rank III.

You have the best odds of breeding the Rank III monsters from another copy of
the Rank III monster and not a Rank II, so once you get the Rank III monster,
hang on to one copy for breeding purposes.

%%%SHOP CHART%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00shop

---Where to Buy Items----------------------------------------------------------

The Outfitters in towns differ in the types of items and equipment they sell.
For example, one town will have Knives but not Crossbows; another will sell 
Crossbows but not Knives.

There are actually only six different "catalogs" of item types available.  The
Magick City of Gariland, Clockwork City of Goug, and Royal Capital of Lesalia 
have unique catalogs.   All the other towns can be divided into three types:

TRADE CITY:
Merchant City of Dorter
Port City of Warjilis
Trade City of Sal Ghidos

CASTLE:
Eagrose Castle
Lionel Castle
Riovanes Castle
Zeltennia Castle
Limberry Castle

TOWN:
Castled City of Zaland
Mining Town of Gollund
Walled City of Yardrow
Free City of Bervenia


The items available at each town type are:

                TRADE CITY  CASTLE     TOWN     GARILAND*  GOUG     LESALIA
Knives                      X          X        X                   X
Ninja Blades    X
Swords*                     X                                       X
Katanas         X
Axes                        X
Rods            X                      X        X                   X
Staves          X                      X        X
Flails          X           X
Guns                                                        X
Crossbows                   X                               X
Bows                        X                                       X
Instruments     X
Books           X  
Polearms                    X                                       X
Poles           X                      X        X
Bags            X                      X        X
Cloths          X
Shields         X           X                                       X

                TRADE CITY  CASTLE     TOWN     GARILAND   GOUG     LESALIA
Helms                       X                                       X
Hats            X                      X        X

                TRADE CITY  CASTLE     TOWN     GARILAND   GOUG     LESALIA
Armor                       X                                       X
Clothes         X                      X        X
Robes           X                      X        X

                TRADE CITY  CASTLE     TOWN     GARILAND   GOUG     LESALIA
Accessories     X           X          X        X          X        X

                TRADE CITY  CASTLE     TOWN     GARILAND   GOUG     LESALIA
Shuriken        X                      X
Bombs           X                      X        X          X
Items           X           X          X        X          X        X

Note: Knight's Swords, Hair Adornments, Perfumes, and Lip Rouge are never 
available in stores.

* Note 2: In addition to the item types listed above, Gariland also sells the  
Broadsword, but no other types of swords.

---When to Buy Items-----------------------------------------------------------

Within a particular category, the specific items that are available is
determined by how far in the story you've progressed.  Reaching certain points
of the game adds new items to the stores.  Once a new item appears in a shop, 
it is always for sale and never goes away.

Note, however, that even after an item is "unlocked," it does not appear in 
every shop.  Instead, shops in different towns sell different types of items.
See the list above to see which shops sell which categories of items.

Some items NEVER become available in shops and can only be obtained by
stealing, poaching, the Treasure Hunter ability, or through the multiplayer
missions.

--#1: CHAPTER I - BEGINNING OF GAME--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
KNIFE:       Dagger             100
SWORD:       Broadsword         200
ROD:         Rod                200
STAFF:       Oak Staff          120
HAT:         Leather Cap        150
CLOTHES:     Clothing           150
ITEM:        Potion             50
ITEM:        Antidote           50
ITEM:        Eye Drops          50
ITEM:        Phoenix Down       300

--#2: CHAPTER I - AFTER REACHING EAGROSE CASTLE--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
KNIFE:       Mythril Knife      500
SWORD:       Longsword          500
CROSSBOW:    Bowgun             400
SHIELD:      Escutcheon         400
HELM:        Leather Helm       200
HELM:        Bronze Helm        500
HAT:         Plumed Hat         350
ARMOR:       Leather Armor      200
ARMOR:       Linen Cuirass      600
CLOTHES:     Leather Clothing   300
ACCESSORY:   Battle Boots       1000
ITEM:        Echo Herbs         50
ITEM:        Maiden's Kiss      50
ITEM:        Gold Needle        100

--#3: CHAPTER I - AFTER SAND RAT'S SIEVE--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
KNIFE:       Blind Knife        800
SWORD:       Iron Sword         900
ROD:         Flame Rod          400
ROD:         Ice Rod            400
ROD:         Thunder Rod        400
STAFF:       White Staff        800
BOW:         Long Bow           800
SHIELD:      Buckler            700
HELM:        Iron Helm          1000
HAT:         Red Hood           800
ARMOR:       Bronze Armor       800
CLOTHES:     Leather Plate      500
ROBE:        Hempen Robe        1200
ACCESSORY:   Shoulder Cape      300
ITEM:        Hi-Potion          200

--#4: CHAPTER I - AFTER DEFEATING MILLEUDA AT LENALIAN PLATEAU--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
KNIFE:       Mage Masher        1500
SWORD:       Mythril Sword      1600
AXE:         Battle Axe         1500
CROSSBOW:    Knightslayer       1500
BOW:         Silver Bow         1500
SHIELD:      Bronze Shield      1200
ARMOR:       Chainmail          1300
CLOTHES:     Ringmail           900
ROBE:        Silken Robe        2400

--#5: CHAPTER II - BEGINNING OF CHAPTER--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
BOW:         Ice Bow            2000
POLEARM:     Javelin            1000
SHIELD:      Round Shield       1600
HELM:        Barbut             1500
HAT:         Headgear           1200
ARMOR:       Mythril Armor      2000
CLOTHES:     Mythril Vest       1500
ACCESSORY:   Spiked Boots       1200
ACCESSORY:   Leather Cloak      800
ITEM:        Holy Water         2000
STAR:        Shuriken           50

--#6: CHAPTER II - AFTER OVELIA AND AGRIAS JOIN AS GUESTS--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
KNIFE:       Platinum Dagger    1800
SWORD:       Coral Sword        3300
ROD:         Poison Rod         500
STAFF:       Serpent Staff      2200
POLE:        Cypress Pole       1000
SHIELD:      Mythril Shield     2500
HELM:        Mythril Helm       2100
HAT:         Wizard's Hat       1800
ARMOR:       Plate Mail         3000
CLOTHES:     Adamant Vest       1600
ACCESSORY:   Power Gauntlet     5000

--#7: CHAPTER II - AFTER REACHING LIONEL CASTLE--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
KATANA:      Kotetsu            1600
KATANA:      Ashura             3000
AXE:         Giant's Axe        4000
CROSSBOW:    Crossbow           2000
BOW:         Lightning Bow      3000
INSTRUMENT:  Lamia's Harp       5000
BOOK:        Battle Folio       3000
POLEARM:     Spear              2000
POLE:        Battle Bamboo      1400
SHIELD:      Golden Shield      3500
HELM:        Golden Helm        2800
HAT:         Green Beret        3000
ARMOR:       Golden Armor       3600
CLOTHES:     Wizard Clothing    1900
ROBE:        Wizard's Robe      4000
ACCESSORY:   Rubber Boots       1500
ACCESSORY:   Protect Ring       5000
ACCESSORY:   Guardian Bracelet  7000
ACCESSORY:   Mage's Cloak       2000
ITEM:        Ether              200
ITEM:        Remedy             350
BOMB:        Flameburst Bomb    250
BOMB:        Snowmelt Bomb      250
BOMB:        Spark Bomb         250

--#8: CHAPTER II - AFTER REACHING GOUG--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
GUN:         Romandan Pistol    5000

--#9: CHAPTER II - AFTER RESCUING AGRIAS AT BALIAS TOR--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
KATANA:      Osafune            5000
STAFF:       Mage's Staff       4000
FLAIL:       Iron Flail         1200
CLOTHES:     Brigandine         2500
ACCESSORY:   Diamond Bracelet   5000

--#10: CHAPTER III - BEGINNING OF CHAPTER--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
NINJA BLADE: Ninja Blade        3000
SWORD:       Ancient Sword      5000
KATANA:      Murasame           7000
CROSSBOW:    Poison Bow         4000
BOW:         Mythril Bow        5000
POLEARM:     Mythril Spear      4500
POLE:        Musk Pole          2400
BAG:         Croakadile Bag     53000
SHIELD:      Ice Shield         6000
SHIELD:      Flame Shield       6500
HELM:        Close Helmet       4000
HAT:         Headband           5000
ACCESSORY:   Winged Boots       2500
ACCESSORY:   Magepower Glove    20000
ACCESSORY:   Reflect Ring       10000
ACCESSORY:   Nu Khai Armband    10000
ITEM:        X-Potion           700

--#11: CHAPTER III - AFTER ALMA JOINS AS GUEST--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
KNIFE:       Main Gauche        3000
NINJA BLADE: Kunai              5000
SWORD:       Sleep Blade        5000
KATANA:      Ama-no-Murakumo    8000
AXE:         Slasher            12000
FLAIL:       Flame Mace         4000
GUN:         Mythril Gun        15000
BOOK:        Bestiary           6000
POLE:        Iron Fan           4000
CLOTH:       Damask Cloth       7000
SHIELD:      Aegis Shield       10000
HELM:        Diamond Helm       6000
HAT:         Celebrant's Miter  6000
ARMOR:       Diamond Armor      6000
CLOTHES:     Jujitsu Gi         4000
ROBE:        Chameleon Robe     5000
ACCESSORY:   Germinas Boots     5000
ACCESSORY:   Jade Armlet        10000
ACCESSORY:   Elven Cloak        8000
STAR:        Fuma Shuriken      300

--#12: CHAPTER III - AFTER BATTLES AT ORBONNE MONASTERY--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
KNIFE:       Orichalcum Dirk    4000
NINJA BLADE: Kodachi            7000
SWORD:       Diamond Sword      8000
ROD:         Wizard's Rod       8000
STAFF:       Golden Staff       7000
CROSSBOW:    Hunting Bow        8000
BOW:         Windslash Bow      8000
INSTRUMENT:  Bloodstring Harp   10000
BOOK:        Papyrus Codex      10000
POLE:        Gokuu Pole         7500
POLEARM:     Partisan           7000
BAG:         Pantherskin Bag    52000
SHIELD:      Diamond Shield     12000
HAT:         Black Cowl         7000
CLOTHES:     Power Garb         7000
ROBE:        White Robe         9000
ACCESSORY:   Magick Ring        10000
ACCESSORY:   Japa Mala          15000
ITEM:        Hi-Ether           600

--#13: CHAPTER III - AFTER RAPHA JOINS AS GUEST--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
KNIFE:       Assassin's Dagger  5000
NINJA BLADE: Ninja Longblade    10000
SWORD:       Platinum Sword     11000
KATANA:      Kiyomori           10000
FLAIL:       Morning Star       9000
CLOTH:       Cashmere           15000
HELM:        Platinum Helm      8000
HELM:        Circlet            10000
HAT:         Gold Hairpin       12000
ARMOR:       Platinum Armor     9000
ROBE:        Black Robe         13000
ACCESSORY:   Hermes Shoes       7000
ACCESSORY:   Bracer             50000
ACCESSORY:   Vampire Cape       15000

--#14: CHAPTER IV - BEGINNING OF CHAPTER--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
NINJA BLADE: Spellbinder        16000
SWORD:       Icebrand           14000
KATANA:      Muramasa           15000
SHIELD:      Platinum Shield    16000
ARMOR:       Carabineer Mail    13000
CLOTHES:     Gaia Gear          10000
ACCESSORY:   Angel Ring         20000
STAR:        Yagyu Darkrood     1000

--#15: CHAPTER IV - AFTER FORT BESSELAT--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
KNIFE:       Air Knife          8000
SWORD:       Runeblade          20000
KATANA:      Kiku-ichimonji     22000
CROSSBOW:    Gastrophetes       20000
POLEARM:     Obelisk            10000
POLE:        Eight-fluted Pole  20000
BAG:         Hydrascale Bag     58000
SHIELD:      Crystal Shield     21000
HELM:        Crystal Helm       14000
HAT:         Lambent Hat        16000
ARMOR:       Crystal Mail       19000
ARMOR:       Mirror Mail        18000
CLOTHES:     Black Garb         12000
ROBE:        Luminous Robe      30000
ACCESSORY:   Red Shoes          10000
ACCESSORY:   Featherweave Cloak 20000

--#16: CHAPTER IV - AFTER BATTLES AT LIMBERRY CASTLE--
ITEM TYPE    ITEM               PRICE
HAT:         Thief's Cap        35000

%%%RARE ITEM LOCATIONS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00rare

This is a list of where you can find all the items that are Not Sold In Stores
but are otherwise available in the SINGLE-PLAYER game.  Additional rare items 
are available in the multiplayer mode -- I hope to add these to a future
version of the FAQ.  (There may be other places to find some of these items -- 
please let me know if you know of any!)

I've also indicated whether or not there is a limited supply of each item.
For some rare items, there is only a limited number of them available in the 
game, so if you miss the items, or if they get broken or stolen during battle,
you may not be able to find any more!

CAUTION: ALL rare items found with Treasure Hunter are better found with a low
Bravery.  The higher your Bravery, the higher you'll get a crummy generic item 
instead of the rare item.  (The chance of getting the "bad" item is simply 
equal to your Bravery.)  If you pick up the bad item from a tile, note that you 
can no longer get the good item there!  The exception is the Materia Blade, 
which you always get regardless of your Bravery.

MANY rare weapons can be caught from enemy Ninjas throwing them at you.  To do
this, equip the reaction ability Sticky Fingers (Thief); when a Ninja throws
the item at you, you'll catch it and it will be added to your inventory.  Rare
items are only thrown if the enemy Ninja has a very high level (90+); you can
find high-level Ninjas on the Midlight's Deep floor 9, The Interstice.

Items not listed here can be bought in shops.  See the Shops List above for
when they become available.  There is an unlimited supply of all shop items.

Since many rare items can be poached from monsters, stolen in random battles, 
or caught with Sticky Fingers, there are actually not that many truly missable 
items in the game.  The items listed below are the only ones that (to my
knowledge) are actually missable:

WEAPONS: Rod of Faith, Zeus Mace, Staff of the Magi, Ras Algethi, Perseus Bow
SHIELDS: Kaiser Shield, Venetian Shield, Escutcheon (II)
HEADGEAR: Grand Helm
ARMOR: Genji Armor, Maximillian, Ninja Gear, Mirage Vest, Lordly Robe
ACCESSORIES: Invisibility Cloak, Cursed Ring, Tynar Rouge
ABILITIES: Ultima, Zodiark

---Weapons---------------------------------------------------------------------

Zwill Crossblade [knife]:
- Rare poach from Plague Horror.  Plague Horrors are frequently found at
  Mount Bervenia.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.

Sasuke's Blade [ninja blade]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter at Nelveska Temple.  Sasuke's Blade is located
  BEHIND the temple, in the grassy/dirt area.  From the back left corner of
  the map, it's one tile to the right and one tile towards the temple -- it's
  a tile with height 4.  (See the Nelveksa Temple battle strategy under 
  Subquest Battle Strategies for more specific details.) This can only be done 
  during the battle with Construct 7 here in the Nelveska Temple subquest, as 
  there are no later battles at the Temple.
- Steal from the enemy Ninja during the battle in the Disorder in the Order
  subquest.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Iga Blade [ninja blade]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 5, The Oubliette.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Koga Blade [ninja blade]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 7, The Crossing.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see above).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Nagnarok [sword]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter at Nelveska Temple.  It's inside the temple, in
  the little nook where Construct 7 starts, at the far back of the nook.  (See
  the Nelveksa Temple battle strategy under Subquest Battle Strategies for
  more specific details.)  This can only be done during the battle with 
  Construct 7 here in the Nelveska Temple subquest, as there are no later 
  battles at the Temple.
- Rare poach from Swine.  Swines appear in random battles on Midlight's Deep
  floor 10, Terminus.  Alternately, recruit a Pig earlier in the game during
  Gollund Collier Battle 2 or the story battle at Finnath Creek and wait for it
  to breed a Swine.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.

Blood Sword [sword]:
- Steal from Gaffgarion at Story Battle 18: Golgollada Gallows.
- Found using Treasure Hunter during Story Battle 49: Eagrose Castle Keep.
  (See battle strategy for exact location.)
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 2, The Stair.
- Common poach from Hydra.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.

Materia Blade [sword]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on the highest tile at Mount Bervenia.  Unlike    
  other Treasure Hunter items, you ALWAYS get this one regardless of Bravery.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy ninjas (see above).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Defender [knight's sword]:
- Steal from enemy boss in Story Battle 36: Bervenia.
- Steal from enemy boss during the first phase of Story Battle 49: Eagrose 
  Castle Keep.  (NOT available during the second phase of the battle.)
- Rare poach from Elder Treant.  These sometimes appear on Midlight's Deep
  floors 5 (The Oubliette) or 8 (The Switchback).
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy ninjas (see above).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable and can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Save the Queen [knight's sword]:
- Meliadoul's initial equipment.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 2, The Stair.
- Steal from enemy boss in story battle 54: Monastery Vaults - Fifth Level, but
  this is past the point of no return to the world map.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Excalibur [knight's sword]:
- Orlandeau's initial equipment.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 5, The Oubliette.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Ragnarok [knight's sword]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 8, The Switchback.
- Received as a Battle Trophy for completing Story Battle 57: Graveyard of
  Airships, but this is past the point of no return to the world map.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Chaos Blade [knight's sword]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 10, Terminus.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Masamune [katana]:
- Stolen from one of the enemy Samurai during the second battle of the 
  Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest (Lionel Castle Oratory).  It is only 
  available during the first phase of this battle, before you KO the boss.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Chirijiraden [katana]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 10, Terminus.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Dragon Rod [rod]:
- Steal from enemy boss during Story Battle 48: Dorter.
- Stolen from (or dropped in a chest by) enemy Summoner during Story Battle 50: 
  Mullonde Cathedral.
- Rare poach from Blue Dragon.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.

Rod of Faith [rod]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 4, The Catacombs.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Healing Staff [staff]:
- Alma's initial equipment in Chapter III; de-equip it from her before entering 
  Orbonne Monastery to keep it.
- Rare poach from Dryad.
- Equipped by the guest in the last battle, but you can't de-equip it and 
  this is past the point of no return to the world map anyway.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.

Zeus Mace [staff]:
- Received as a Battle Trophy for completing the second battle of the Lionel's 
  New Liege Lord quest (Lionel Castle Oratory).  Note that you CANNOT start 
  this quest if Mustadio, Beowulf, or Reis is killed or departs the team and/or 
  if you choose not to buy the flower from Aerith when you first arrive in Sal
  Ghidos.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 3, The Hollow.
- Steal from enemy boss at story battle 55: Necrohol of Mullonde, but this is
  past the point of no return to the world map.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Staff of the Magi [staff]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Floor floor 7, The Crossing.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Scorpion Tail [flail]:
- Rare poach from Hydra.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable and can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Ras Algethi [gun]:
- Balthier's initial equipment.  Complete the Recruiting Balthier subquest
  after visiting the Free City of Bervenia in Chapter IV to get him.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Glacial Gun [gun]:
- Stolen from enemy boss in Story Battle 39: Beddha Sandwaste.
- Steal (or dropped in a chest by) the enemy Chemist in Gollund Colliery
  subquest battle 2: Gollund Colliery Slope.
- Stolen from one of the enemy Squires during the battle in the Disorder in
  the Order subquest.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 1, The Crevasse.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Chemists in random battles at 
  Mount Germinas.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can always be stolen/dropped in random battles.

Blaze Gun [gun]:
- Stolen from one of the enemy Squires during the battle in the Disorder in
  the Order subquest.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 1, The Crevasse.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Chemists in random battles at 
  Mount Germinas.
- Stolen from enemy Chemist in Story Battle 56: Lost Halidom, but this is past
  the point of no return to the world map.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can always be stolen/dropped in random battles.

Blaster [gun]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 6, The Palings.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Chemists in random battles at 
  Mount Germinas.
- Stolen from enemy boss in Story Battle 56: Lost Halidom, but this is past
  the point of no return to the world map.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can always be stolen/dropped in random battles.

Stoneshooter [gun]:
- Steal from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Chemists during random battles at 
  Mount Germinas.  You can tell if the Chemist is carrying the gun because
  he/she will begin the battle turned to stone.  Use a Gold Needle, Remedy, or 
  other ability to cure the petrification, then steal the gun.  (See "The 
  Stoneshooter" under Various Tricks for more info.)
- Rare poach from Dark Behemoth.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached, and stolen/dropped in random battles.

Artemis Bow [bow]:
- Stolen from (or dropped in chest by) one of the enemy Archers in Story Battle 
  42: Mount Germinas.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) either enemy Archer in Story Battle 43: 
  Lake Poescas.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Archers in random battles later 
  in Chapter IV and in Midlight's Deep.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) enemy Archers in the first battle of 
  the Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest, Lionel Castle Gate.
- Rare poach from Behemoth King.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached, and stolen/dropped in random battles.

Yoichi Bow [bow]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 3, The Hollow.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chests by) by high-level enemy Archers in random 
  Midlight's Deep encounters.
- Stolen from (or dropped in chest by) the Archer in story battle Battle 53:
  Monaster Vaults - Fourth Level, but this is past the point of no return to
  the world map.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be stolen/dropped in random battles.

Perseus Bow [bow]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 8, The Switchback.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Faerie Harp [instrument]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 4, The Catacombs.
- Rare poach from Treant.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.

Omnilex [book]:
- Rare poach from Greater Malboro.  Greater Malboros are pretty uncommon, but 
  you can find them on Midlight's Deep floor 4, The Catacombs, or by recruiting 
  a weaker malboro and having it breed.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached or caught with Sticky Fingers.

Holy Lance [polearm]:
- Common poach from Sekhret.  Sekhret shows up at Zeklaus Desert and sometimes 
  on Midlight's Deep floor 7, The Crossing, but is pretty rare.  You can also 
  get a Minotaur on your team and wait for it to breed a Sekhret.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached or caught with Sticky Fingers.

Dragon Whisker [polearm]:
- Rare poach from Red Dragon.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached or caught with Sticky Fingers.

Javelin (II) [polearm]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter atop the right pillar during the Nelveksa Temple.
  You need to use Construct 8, Reis, or another large monster as a stepping-
  stone to climb up on top of the pillar.  This can only be done during the
  battle with Construct 7 here in the Nelveska Temple subquest, as there are 
  no later battles at the Temple.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be caught with Sticky Fingers.

Ivory Pole [pole]:
- Rare poach from Sekhret.  Sekhret shows up at Zeklaus Desert and sometimes on
  Midlight's Deep floor 7, The Crossing, but is pretty rare.  You can also 
  get a Minotaur on your team and wait for it to breed a Sekhret.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached or caught with Sticky Fingers.

Whale Whisker [pole]:
- Rare poach from Tiamat.  Tiamats are best found on the last floor of
  Midlight's Deep, Terminus, in random battles after you defeat the boss there.
- Catch with Sticky Fingers from enemy Ninjas (see top of section).
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached or caught with Sticky Fingers.

Fallingstar Bag [bag]:
- Rare poach from Wild Boar.  Wild Boars NEVER appear in the wild.  The only
  way to find one is to breed them from a Swine.  Use Entice or Tame to recruit 
  a Pig or Swine during Gollund Colliery battle 2, the story battle at Finnath 
  Creek, or in random battles on Midlight's Deep floor 10, Terminus.  Then, 
  move around the map and let your Swine produce eggs until one of them hatches 
  into a Wild Boar.  Good luck :P  (A Pig does not directly produce Wild Boars,
  but it can give you a Swine, which can in turn give you the boar.)
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.

Wyrmweave Silk [cloth]:
- Common poach from Tiamat.  Tiamats are best found on the last floor of
  Midlight's Deep, Terminus, in random battles after you defeat the boss there.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.

---Shields---------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaiser Shield:
- Steal from one of the enemy Knights during the battle in the Disorder in the
  Order subquest.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 4, The Catacombs.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Venetian Shield:
- Steal from one of the enemy Knights during the battle in the Disorder in the
  Order subquest.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 9, The Interstice.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Escutcheon (II):
- Found using Treasure Hunter atop the right pillar during the Nelveksa Temple.
  You need to use Construct 8, Reis, or another large monster as a stepping-
  stone to climb up on top of the pillar.  You must get it during the battle 
  with Construct 7 here in the Nelveska Temple subquest, as there are no later 
  battles at the Temple.  This is the ONLY place to find this shield in the
  game!
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

---Headgear--------------------------------------------------------------------

Grand Helm [helm]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 9, The Interstice.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Cachusha [hair adornment]:
- Steal from Celia in Story Battle 34: Riovanes Castle Roof.
- Steal from the enemy Mystic on the boss's right in the second battle of the
  Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest, Lionel Castle Oratory.  (Only available
  during the first phase of this battle, before you KO the boss.)
- Rare poach from Pig.  You can find Pigs in the story battle at Finnath Creek,
  in the second battle of the Gollund Colliery subquest, or in random battles
  on Midlight's Deep floor 10, Terminus.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.

Barette [hair adornment]:
- Alma's initial equipment in Chapter III; de-equip it from her before entering 
  Orbonne Monastery to keep it.
- Steal from Lettie in Story Battle 34: Riovanes Castle Roof.
- Steal from the enemy Mystic on the boss's left in the second battle of the
  Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest, Lionel Castle Oratory.  (Only available
  during the first phase of this battle, before you KO the boss.)
- Rare poach from Red Chocobo.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.

Ribbon [hair adornment]:
- Rare poach from Wild Boar.  Wild Boars NEVER appear in the wild.  The only
  way to find one is to breed them from a Swine.  Use Entice or Tame to recruit 
  a Pig or Swine during Gollund Colliery battle 2, the story battle at Finnath 
  Creek, or in random battles on Midlight's Deep floor 10, Terminus.  Then, 
  move around the map and let your Swine produce eggs until one of them hatches 
  into a Wild Boar.  Good luck :P  (A Pig does not directly produce Wild Boars,
  but it can give you a Swine, which can in turn give you the boar.)
- Equipped by the guest in the last battle, but you can't de-equip it and 
  this is past the point of no return to the world map anyway.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.

---Armor-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Genji Armor [armor]:
- Received as a Battle Trophy from completing the first battle of the New 
  Liege Lord of Lionel Castle subquest, Lionel Castle Gate.  Note that you
  CANNOT start this quest if Mustadio, Beowulf, or Reis is killed or departs 
  the team and/or if you choose not to buy the flower from Aerith when you 
  first arrive in Sal Ghidos ... and, so, you would not be able to get the 
  armor in the single-player mode.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Maximillian [armor]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 9, The Interstice.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Ninja Gear [clothes]:
- Steal from one of the enemy Monks during the battle in the Disorder in the 
  Order subquest.
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 6, The Palings.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Mirage Vest [clothes]:
- Balthier's initial equipment.  Complete the Recruiting Balthier subquest
  after visiting the Free City of Bervenia in Chapter IV to get him.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Rubber Suit [clothes]:
- Rare poach from Greater Hydra.  You can find Greater Hydras on the latter
  floors of Midlight's Deep.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.

Lordly Robe [robe]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 6, The Switchback.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

---Accessories-----------------------------------------------------------------

Invisibility Cloak [cloak]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter atop Mount Germinas, either in the initial story
  battle there or in a subsequent random battle.  See "The Invisibility Cloak"
  under Various Tricks for its exact location.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Cursed Ring [ring]:
- Found using Treasure Hunter on Midlight's Deep floor 6, The Switchback.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

Chantage [perfume]:
- Steal from enemy boss during Story Battle 36: Bervenia.
- Steal from the enemy Mystic on the boss's left in the second battle of the
  Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest, Lionel Castle Oratory.  (Only available
  during the first phase of this battle, before you KO the boss.)
- Common poach from Swine.  Swines appear in random battles on Midlight's Deep
  floor 10, Terminus.  Alternately, recruit a Pig earlier in the game during
  Gollund Collier Battle 2 or the story battle at Finnath Creek and wait for it
  to breed a Swine.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.

Cherche [perfume]:
- Common poach from Behemoth King.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.

Sortile'ge [perfume]:
- Received from Beowulf for completing the Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest.
- Steal from the enemy Mystic on the boss's right in the second battle of the
  Lionel's New Liege Lord subquest, Lionel Castle Oratory.  (Only available
  during the first phase of this battle, before you KO the boss.)
- Common poach from Red Dragon.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.

Septie`me [perfume]:
- Common poach from Greater Hydra.  Greater Hydras can be found on the lower
  levels of Midlight's Deep.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, can be poached.

Tynar Rouge [lip rouge]:
- Complete the Agrias's Birthday quest in Chapter IV.  You must keep Mustadio,
  Agrias, Alicia, and Lavian alive until Chapter IV to do this quest.  See the
  Agrias's Birthday section under Walkthrough - Subquests for complete details
  on how to complete this event.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: Yes.

---Items-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Elixir [item]:
- Received as a Battle Trophy for completing Story Battle 52: Mullonde
  Cathedral Sanctuary.
- Received using Treasure Hunter at Nelveska Temple, as the "bad" item in place 
  of the Nagnarok and Sasuke's Blade (i.e., if your Bravery is high).
- 14 found using Treasure Hunter at many locations in Midlight's Deep.
- Common poach from Greater Malboro.  Greater Malboros are pretty uncommon, but 
  you can find them on Midlight's Deep floor 4, The Catacombs, or by recruiting 
  a weaker malboro and having it breed.
LIMITED SUPPLY?: No, poachable.

---Abilities-------------------------------------------------------------------

Ultima [Game Hunter/Squire (Ramza)]:
- Learned by having Celia or Lettie cast on Luso during Story Battle 34: 
  Riovanes Castle Roof; Luso must be in the Game Hunter job.
- Learned by having Celia or Lettie cast on Ramza or Luso during Story Battles
  44: Limberry Castle Gate and/or 45: Limberry Castle Keep.  The targeted
  character must be in the Game Hunter (Luso) or Squire (Ramza) job.  See the
  "Learning Ultima" section under Various Tricks for more information.
- Once Ramza or Luso has learned it, you can teach it to the other by casting
  it on him when the target is in the Game Hunter (Luso) or Squire (Ramza) job.
MISSABLE?: Yes (in single-player mode), if no one has learned it by the time
  you finish Story Battle 45.

Zodiark [Summoner]:
- Learned by having Elidibus cast it on a Summoner during the initial battle on
  the tenth floor of Midlight's Deep (Terminus), if the Summoner survives.
  Each time this happens, you have a high (but not 100%) chance of learning the 
  spell; you may need to have Elidibus cast it on you more than once if you 
  don't learn it the first time.  Use Mana Shield to survive the spell, or see 
  the battle strategy for this battle for additional tips.
- Can be taught to other characters by first casting on an enemy Summoner, then
  having the enemy Summoner cast it at the character whom you want to learn the
  spell.  Again, the target must be a Summoner when hit by the spell.
MISSABLE?: Yes, if you don't learn it during the battle with Elidibus.

%%%MISSABLE ITEMS AND EVENTS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00miss

This is a quick list of story events and unique items that you can "miss" over 
the course of the game, and what you need to do to make sure you're able to
see every story events and collec every item.  This is just a quick list of key 
points; for a more detailed treatment, see the corresponding walkthrough 
section.

Points marked ESSENTIAL *must* be completed to get an item or see an event.
Points marked GOOD IDEA are not strictly necessary, but will make the process
easier -- for example, stealing a rare item that otherwise can only be obtained
through poaching a hard-to-find enemy.  Finally, I've pointed out some points
that seem like they might be needed but are actually NOT IMPORTANT, so that you
don't have to worry about them!

---CHAPTER I-------------------------------------------------------------------
Nothing in this chapter is missable, or affects your ability to complete 
anything else later.

* GOOD IDEA: At the start of the battle at Mandalia Plains, you'll be given a
choice whether to help Argath or directly attack the enemy.  Choose the first
option to make the battle easier and gain Bravery, since there aren't as many
ways to raise your Bravery early on.  However, your choice here does not affect
anything else in Chapter I or later on.

---CHAPTER II------------------------------------------------------------------

* ESSENTIAL: At the very beginning of this chapter, you will be able to add 
Alicia and Lavian to your roster.  Add them to your roster, and do NOT let them 
leave until you have completed the Agrias's Birthday sidequest in Chapter IV.
This means that you must not dismiss them, must not let them get turned into 
crystals/chests, and must not let them abandon the party due to having a very 
low Bravery or very high Faith.

* NOT IMPORTANT: At this time, you will also be able to add Ladd to your 
roster.  Ladd is basically just a generic male human.  He doesn't have any 
special abilities and isn't needed for any sidequests.  So, you can take him or 
leave him as you want.

* GOOD IDEA: At the start of the story battle at Araguay Woods, you'll be given 
a choice whether to help Boco.  Choose the second option to avoid losing
Bravery.  However, your choice here does not affect anything else.

* NOT IMPORTANT: After the Araguay Woods battle, you will be able to add Boco 
the chocobo to your roster.  Boco is just a regular yellow Chocobo, so you 
don't have to take him along.

* ESSENTIAL: After completing the story battle at the Clockwork City of Goug, 
you will be able to add Mustadio to your roster.  Mustadio is a unique story 
character and is also needed for most of the sidequests in Chapter IV, so add 
him to your roster and don't lose him.

* ESSENTIAL: After the battle at Balias Swale, you will be able to add Agrias 
to your roster.  Agrias is another unique story character and is needed for two
sidequests in Chapter IV, so add her to your team.

* ESSENTIAL: Deploying Agrias during the battle at Golgollada Gallows will 
allow you to see some extra dialogue between her and Ramza.  This dialogue is 
not, however, needed to unlock anything else later.

---CHAPTER III-----------------------------------------------------------------

* GOOD IDEA: When Alma joins the party, it's a good idea de-equip her Healing 
Staff and Barette (as well as her Red Shoes) before you go to the Orbonne 
Monastery.  This is not *required* as both these items can be poached later: 
the Healing Staff is a rare poach from Dryads and the Barette is a rare poach 
from Red Chocobos.

* NOT IMPORTANT: During a story event, you will be asked whether or not you 
have read the Scriptures of Germonique.  Your response here has no bearing on 
anything, so don't worry about it :)

* GOOD IDEA: The story battle at Zeklaus Desert features all three types of
behemoths.  All three types of behemoth yield rare items when poached.  So, you
may want to poach them, or recruit one or more onto your team (with Entice or 
Tame) to breed more behemoths for poaching.  However, it is not necessary to
poach/recruit them here as there are plenty of behemoths in random battles 
later in the game.

* ESSENTIAL: After the battle at Zeklaus Desert, you will be able to add Luso to
your roster.  This is your only opportunity to get this unique character on 
your team, so add him.  (Luso is not needed to unlock any other events, 
though.)

* ESSENTIAL: At the very end of Chapter III, you will be given a chance to add
Rapha and Marach to your roster.  Both are unique story characters and each has
different abilities, so sign them up.  (They are not, however, very useful :P.)

---CHAPTER IV------------------------------------------------------------------

The Gollund Colliery sidequest is available at the beginning of this chapter.
Assuming you still have Mustadio, Agrias, Alicia, and Lavian on your roster, 
the Agrias's Birthday sidequest is also available at this time.  Both of these 
sidequests are available until completed and never disappear.  (See Walkthrough 
- Sidequests for the full walkthroughs for these quests.)

---Agrias's Birthday---
* ESSENTIAL: After completing the Agrias's Birthday sidequest, you will receive
the Tynar Rouge accessory.  This is a one-of-a-kind item and cannot be 
replaced, so don't throw it away, or let it get broken or stolen by an enemy.

After completing the Agrias's Birthday event, Alicia and Lavian are not 
strictly needed for any other events, although they will appear in Disorder in 
the Order if you still have them along.

---Gollund Colliery---
* ESSENTIAL: Near the beginning of this quest (at the Tavern in Lesalia), 
Beowulf will ask you to team up.  Choose the second option to agree to this.
Otherwise, Beowulf will leave and the quest cannot be completed.

* GOOD IDEA: In the third battle in this quest (Gollund Colliery Ridge), you
will encounter an enemy Pig.  Entice or Tame the Pig so you can start breeding 
monsters from the pig family.  Some rare items can only be obtained by poaching
pig-family monsters -- including those from the Wild Boar monster, which can 
ONLY be obtained by breeding!  If you do miss the Pig here, though, you can get 
others much later.

* ESSENTIAL: After completing the last battle of this quest, Beowulf and Holy
Dragon Reis will offer to join your team.  Both are unique story characters and
both are needed for later quests, so sign them up.

* ESSENTIAL: Upon return to the Clockwork City of Goug, Construct 8 will also 
be offered as another character.  Construct 8 is another unique character, so
recruit it.

---Chapter IV Main Quest - Up to Bervenia Free City---
* GOOD IDEA: During the story battle at Bervenia Free City, you may want to
steal the Defender and Chantage from Meliadoul, especially since both are good
items.  However, these can also be poached/stolen/caught later if you miss them.

After completing the story battle at the Free City of Bervenia, the Recruiting 
Balthier sidequest is now available.  It does not depend on any missable 
factors.

---Recruiting Balthier Quest---
* ESSENTIAL: After you complete this quest, Balthier will offer to join.  
Again, he is a unique story character, so sign him up.  He is not needed for 
any other quests.

* ESSENTIAL: Balthier's initial equipment includes the Ras Algethi gun and the 
Mirage Vest body armor.  Both of these are unique items, so, again, don't throw
them away or let them get broken.  (Note that you must sign up Balthier to get
them.)

---Chapter IV Main Quest - Finnath Creek to Sal Ghidos---
* GOOD IDEA: During the story battle at Finnath Creek (NOT during the random
battles), there's a random chance of encountering one more enemy Pigs.  If you 
don't  already have one, Entice or Tame a Pig so you can start breeding 
monsters from the pig family.  Some rare items can only be obtained by poaching 
pig-family monsters -- including those from the Wild Boar monster, which can 
ONLY  be obtained by breeding!  If you don't get any Pigs here, you can get 
others later.

* GOOD IDEA: In the story battle at Beddha Sandwaste, you can steal a Glacial
Gun from Barich.  This is a rare item that can't be bought in stores, but it's
not unique and you can get an infinite supply from random battles later.

* ESSENTIAL: After completing the battles at Fort Besselat, Orlandeau will 
offer to join.  Sign him up as he is another unique story character.

* GOOD IDEA: Orlandeau's initial equipment includes the Excalibur knight's
sword.  The Excalibur isn't unique (an infinite supply can be caught from high-
level enemy Ninjas), but Excaliburs are hard to get, so hang on to it!

* ESSENTIAL: When you first visit the Trade City of Sal Ghidos, you will see a
cutscene in which Aerith offers you a flower.  Choose the SECOND option to buy
the flower.  If you do not buy the flower, you will NOT be able to complete the
Nelveska Temple & Recruiting Cloud subquests, and there is only ONE chance to
get it!!

Once you have the flower, you can complete the Nelveska Temple sidequest if you 
also finished the Gollund Colliery quest and still have Beowulf and Reis on 
your team.

---Nelveska Temple Quest---
* ESSENTIAL: Using the Treasure Hunter ability, move atop the left pillar to
find the Escutcheon (II) shield.  You will need to use a large monster (such as
Reis or Construct 8) as a stepping-stone to get up on top of the pillar.  You 
may instead receive a crummy regular Escutcheon; the chance of getting this BAD 
Escutcheon is equal to your Bravery.  So, a lower Bravery is better!  This is
the ONLY chance to get the Escutcheon II in the game and you CANNOT come back 
to this map afterwards, so you must pick it up here to get every item.

* GOOD IDEA: The Javelin II, Sasuke's Blade, and Nagnarok weapons can also be
found with Treasure Hunter and low Bravery here.  These, however, are not
unique; Sasuke's Blade and the Javelin II can be caught from enemy Ninjas and
the Nagnarok can be poached from Swine.

* ESSENTIAL: After completing the events in this quest, Reis's new version will
offer to rejoin your party.  She is another unique story character and needed
for the Lionel's New Liege Lord quest, so sign her up.

---Chapter IV Main Quest - Mount Germinas to Limberry---
* ESSENTIAL: The Mount Germinas map contains a one-of-a-kind item, the
Invisibility Cloak, found using Treasure Hunter atop the mountain.  (See 
Various Tricks for a map to its location.)  Again, the lower your Bravery, the 
better chance of getting the Invisibility Cloak instead of just an Ether.  You 
only get to pick up ONE of these items, so if you end up with the Ether, the 
Invisibility Cloak is gone for good!  Unlike with the Nelveska Temple items, 
however, there's absolutely no need to get this during the story battle here -- 
you can come back and get it in a random battle at any time.

* GOOD IDEA: You may encounter another Pig in the story battle at Finnath 
Creek.  (It's random whether or not you'll see it.)  If you missed the Pig in 
the Gollund Colliery, try to recruit this one.  If you don't get one here, you 
can still find an infinite supply in the last floor of Midlight's Deep.

* ESSENTIAL: At Limberry, you'll face a series of four battles.  In the first
two battles, you'll need to learn Ultima by having one of the Assassins cast it
on either Ramza in his Squire job, or Luso in his Game Hunter job.  It is 
easiest to learn it in the first battle (at the gate).

* NOT IMPORTANT: You can't steal Elmdore's equipment in this version of the
game, so don't even try.

* ESSENTIAL: After winning all the battles at Limberry, Meliadoul will offer to
join you.  Sign her up; she is a unique character and is needed for another 
couple story events.

* GOOD IDEA: Meliadoul comes with a Save The Queen sword.  Again, the supply of
these is actually unlimited (since they can be caught from enemy Ninjas), but 
keeping this one as a good idea!

The Recruiting Cloud quest is now available.

---Recruiting Cloud Quest---
* ESSENTIAL: When given the chance to sign up Cloud, add him.  He isn't needed
for anything else, but IS a unique story character.

* GOOD IDEA: Cloud's Materia Blade is found atop Mount Bervenia using Treasure
Hunter.  Bravery is NOT important.  Try to hang onto it since Cloud needs it 
for his Limit command, but if you lose it, you CAN get more from enemy Ninjas.

---Chapter IV Main Quest - Eagrose to End---
* ESSENTIAL: After Limberry, you will be directed back to Eagrose.  On your way
back to Eagrose, enter Dorter Trade City for an optional battle.  (This battle
will only trigger if you have Meliadoul on your roster.)  If you visit Eagrose
before activated this battle, it will disappear.

* GOOD IDEA: In the aforementioned Dorter battle, you can steal a Dragon Rod
from Cletienne.  This weapon can also be found as a rare poach from Blue
Dragons, but it's easiest to steal.

* GOOD IDEA: The boss at Eagrose has a Defender sword you can steal, if you
missed the one at Bervenia or want a second one.  Again, there's actually an
unlimited supply of Defenders (from poaching Elder Treants), so you don't 
*have* to get this one.

* GOOD IDEA: Once you get to Mullonde, you'll face a series of three battles.
In the first battle, the enemy Summoner has another Dragon Rod if you missed 
the prior one.

* ESSENTIAL: For the second battle at Mullonde, deploy Meliadoul for some
additional mid-battle dialogue.  (This is not needed to unlock anything else,
however.)

Once you complete the battles at Mullonde, you will be able to complete the 
last set of sidequests, as well as the last set of story battles.  You must 
still have Beowulf, Reis, and Agrias to complete this final set of sidequests.

* ESSENTIAL: After entering Orbonne Monastery for the final sequence of 
battles, SAVE YOUR GAME IN A DIFFERENT SLOT.  You will NOT be able to get out 
to the world map again.  So, if you want to be able to roam the map at all, you 
must keep a separate save from BEFORE you went into the Monastery.

---Lionel's New Liege Lord Quest---
* NOT IMPORANT: Alite has Safeguard, so you can't steal any of his Genji gear.
Sorry.

* ESSENTIAL: After completing the first battle of this quest, you will receive
the Genji Armor as a battle trophy.  This is a unique item, so do not let get 
it stolen or broken.

* GOOD IDEA: You can steal the Masamune from one of the enemy samurai in the
second battle of this quest.  The Masamune can only be otherwise obtained by
catching it from enemy Ninjas, so it's good to get here.  (Be careful using the
Masamune for Iaido; if it breaks, you'll have to catch a replacement!)

* GOOD IDEA: You can also steal a Cachusha and Barette from the enemy Mystics 
in the same battle.  These are also available from poaching.

* ESSENTIAL: You will receive a Zeus Mace as a battle trophy after the second
battle.  Keep it; this is one of only two in the game.

---Disorder in the Order Quest---
* GOOD IDEA: If you still have Alicia and Lavian in your roster, the story 
event at Zeltennia Castle will include them in the background.  However, having 
them here doesn't affect the actual event, nor your ability to do anything else
later.  Note that once you've completed this event, Alicia and Lavian aren't
used for anything else, so you could dismiss them if you want since they're 
otherwise just generic characters.

* ESSENTIAL: If you bring Orlandeau to the battle in this quest, you can see a
little extra dialogue.  But, it's not needed for anything else.

* ESSENTIAL: In the battle in this quest, you can steal Venetian and Kaiser
Shields from the two Knights, and Ninja Gear from the enemy Monk.  There is 
only other one copy of each of these items, so be sure to snag them.

* GOOD IDEA: You can also steal a Sasuke's Blade, Barette, Blaze Gun, and
Glacial Gun in the same battle, although none of these are strictly necessary.

---Midlight's Deep---
All the floors of Midlight's Deep have items you can find with Treasure Hunter.
Again, a lower Bravery increases your chance is needed to get these items;
otherwise, you just get a Phoenix Down.  If you get the Phoenix Down, the 
"good" item disappears, even if you leave the battle and re-enter.

* GOOD IDEA: Good Treasure Hunter pickups on The Crevasse: Glacial Gun and 
Blaze Gun.  (Both also obtainable in random battles, however.)

* GOOD IDEA: Good Treasure Hunter pickups on The Stair: Save The Queen and 
Blood Sword.

* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Hollow: Zeus Mace.  There are only
two of these available in the game; the other comes from the Lionel's New Liege
Lord quest.
* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Hollow: Yoichi Bow.

* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Catacombs: Rod of Faith.  Only
available here.
* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Catacombs: Kaiser Shield.  One of
only two; the other comes from Disorder in the Order.
* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Catacombs: Faerie Harp.

* GOOD IDEA: Good Treasure Hunter pickups on The Oubliette: Excalibur and Iga
Blade.

* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Palings: Cursed Ring (only one in 
the game).
* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Palings: Ninja Gear (1 of 2 in the
game; the other from Disorder in the Order).
* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Palings: Blaster gun.

* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Crossing: Staff of the Magi (only 
one in the game).
* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Crossing: Koga Blade.

* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickups on The Switchback: Perseus Bow and Lordly
Robe (both only available here).
* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickup on The Switchback: Excalibur.

* ESSENTIAL: Treasure Hunter pickups on The Interstice: Maximillian and Grand 
Helm (both unique), and Venetian Shield (1 of 2 in the game; the other is from
Disorder in the Order)

* ESSENTIAL: The first time you enter floor 10 (Terminus), you'll fight a story
battle.  This is your only chance to obtain the Zodiark summon, by having it 
the boss cast it on a character using the Summoner job.  Use Mana Shield to 
survive the spell.

* ESSENTIAL: After defeating Elidibus, you will be able to sign up the Byblos.
This is a unique monster/character, so add it.

* GOOD IDEA: Treasure Hunter pickups on Terminus: Chaos Blade and Chirijiraden.
(Be careful using the Chirijiraden for Iaido; if it breaks, you'll have to 
catch a replacement!)

*******************************************************************************
XI. ERRANDS                                                               00err
*******************************************************************************

New errands appear in the Taverns as you progress through the game.  Each
town has its own set of Errands.  

Occasionally, the characters sent on an errand may fail to complete it.  If
this happens, let the calendar advance a month and the errand should re-appear
in the Tavern.

As listed below, some errands will yield Artefact or Wonder of the World when 
you complete them.  The specific artefact or wonder you receive is random, but 
the errands that give you them are fixed.

[ This section needs some updating and expanding; I'll get to it a future 
  revision of the FAQ! ]

---Chapter II------------------------------------------------------------------

Mount Gulg Mother Lode
  Chapter: 2  Days: 15-16 Location: Eagrose Castle
  Cost: 3100  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Bandits
  Chapter: 2  Days: 11-13 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
  Cost: 600   Reward: Gil, JP

Shoreline Defense
  Chapter: 2  Days: 8-9   Location: Magick City of Gariland
  Cost: 3050  Reward: Gil, JP

Miner's Tale
  Chapter: 2  Days: 8-11  Location: Magick City of Gariland
  Cost: 600   Reward: Gil, JP

The Hindenburg
  Chapter: 2  Days: 8-15  Location: Castled City of Zaland
  Cost: 100   Reward: Gil, JP

Zaland Embassy Antiques
  Chapter: 2  Days: 10-12 Location: Castled City of Zaland
  Cost: 6000  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

My Little Carrot
  Chapter: 2  Days: 15-16 Location: Lionel Castle
  Cost: 100   Reward: Gil, JP

Miner Shortage
  Chapter: 2  Days: 7-9   Location: Clockwork City of Goug
  Cost: 100   Reward: Gil, JP

The Highwind
  Chapter: 2  Days: 5-8   Location: Port City of Warjilis
  Cost: 1050  Reward: Gil, JP

---Chapter III-----------------------------------------------------------------

Frontier Marathon
  Chapter: 3  Days: 14-16 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Second Frontier Marathon
  Chapter: 3  Days: 14-16 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
  Note: Must complete above errand first

Third Frontier Marathon
  Chapter: 3  Days: 14-16 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP
  Note: Must complete above errand first

Stolen Tomes
  Chapter: 3  Days: 12-16 Location: Magick City of Gariland
  Cost: 11000 Reward: Gil, JP

Minstrel in Distress
  Chapter: 3  Days: 13-16 Location: Eagrose Castle
  Cost: 50    Reward: Gil, JP

Mameco the Minstrel
  Chapter: 3  Days: 15-16 Location: Eagrose Castle
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Use Dancers for this errand, must complete above errand first

Lorraide Mine
  Chapter: 3  Days: 10-14 Location: Castled City of Zaland
  Cost: 1100  Reward: Gil, JP

The Dawn Queen
  Chapter: 3  Days: 8-12  Location: Lionel Castle
  Cost: 100   Reward: Gil, JP

Zerro's Challenge
  Chapter: 3  Days: 8-9   Location: Lionel Castle
  Cost: 50    Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Clockwork Faire
  Chapter: *  Days: 11-13 Location: Clockwork City of Goug
  Cost: 100   Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Use Chemists for this errand

Mesa's Legacy
  Chapter: 3  Days: 10-13 Location: Clockwork City of Goug
  Cost: 10000 Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: This errand is a rip-off.

Merchant's Regret
  Chapter: 3  Days: 14-15 Location: Port City of Warjilis
  Cost: 2000  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Old Toppa's Will
  Chapter: 3  Days: 11-13 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
  Cost: 8000  Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Send Chemists on this errand.

Salvage Expedition
  Chapter: 3  Days: 10-14 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
  Cost: 3000  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Abandoned Mine
  Chapter: 3  Days: 10-14 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
  Cost: 1000  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Errands below only appear after completing the battles at Orbonne Monastery.

Guard Duty
  Chapter: 3+ Days: 11-13 Location: Eagrose Castle
  Cost: 2000  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

The Siedge Weald
  Chapter: 3+ Days: 11-13 Location: Castled City of Zaland
  Cost: 1100  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Trick of the Light
  Chapter: 3+ Days: 14-15 Location: Lionel Castle
  Cost: 1050  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Fenland Mystery
  Chapter: 3+ Days: 13-14 Location: Lionel Castle
  Cost: 1100  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Diving Expedition
  Chapter: 3+ Days: 10-14 Location: Walled City of Yardrow
  Cost: 5000  Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Use Archers for this errand

---Chapter IV------------------------------------------------------------------

Gleddia Isle
  Chapter: 4  Days: 9-11  Location: Riovanes Castle
  Cost: 4000  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Foundered Vessel
  Chapter: 4  Days: 8-13  Location: Riovanes Castle
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Must complete above errand first

Fia's Wish
  Chapter: 4  Days: 12-14 Location: Riovanes Castle
  Cost: 3000  Reward: Gil, JP

Secret Society
  Chapter: 4  Days: 2-3   Location: Riovanes Castle
  Cost: 600   Reward: Gil, JP

Lettre d'amour
  Chapter: 4  Days: 10-12 Location: Riovanes Castle
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Arithmeticks Tutor Wanted
  Chapter: 4  Days: 10-13 Location: Magick City of Gariland
  Cost: 50    Reward: Gil, JP

Hellspawned Beast
  Chapter: 4  Days: 14-15 Location: Eagrose Castle
  Cost: 1000  Reward: Gil, JP

Metamorphosed Misery
  Chapter: 4  Days: 15-16 Location: Eagrose Castle
  Cost: 1100  Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Must completed above errand first

Count Minimas
  Chapter: 4  Days: 12-14 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
  Cost: 600   Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Count Minimas
  Chapter: 4  Days: 12-15 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
  Cost: 1000  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Must complete above errand first

Count Minimas
  Chapter: 4  Days: 11-12 Location: Merchant City of Dorter
  Cost: 600   Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Must complete above errand first

Father's Nightmare
  Chapter: 4  Days: 15-16 Location: Lionel Castle
  Cost: 1500  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Use Chemists for this errand

The Durga
  Chapter: 4  Days: 11-14 Location: Clockwork City of Goug
  Cost: 100   Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Devil in the Dark
  Chapter: 4  Days: 8-10  Location: Clockwork City of Goug
  Cost: 3050  Reward: Gil, JP

Rain-Swept Slopes
  Chapter: 4  Days: 13-16 Location: Port City of Warjilis
  Cost: 600   Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

True Romance
  Chapter: 4  Days: 8-12  Location: Port City of Warjilis
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Must complete "Lettre d'amour" errand at Riovanes Castle first

In the Darkness
  Chapter: 4  Days: 12-14 Location: Port City of Warjilis
  Cost: 1500  Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Use White Mages for this errand

Wandering Gambler
  Chapter: 4  Days: 9-12  Location: Port City of Warjilis
  Cost: 15000 Reward: Gil, JP

Coal Miners Wanted
  Chapter: 4  Days: 4-6   Location: Mining Town of Gollund
  Cost: 50    Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Use Archers for this errand

More Coal Miners Wanted
  Chapter: 4  Days: 4-6   Location: Mining Town of Gollund
  Cost: 150   Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Most complete above errand first, use Archers for this errand

Lamzen the Adventurer
  Chapter: 4  Days: 12-16 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
  Cost: 1100  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Frontier Expedition
  Chapter: 4  Days: 10-14 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
  Cost: 5000  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

The Falcon
  Chapter: 4  Days: 7-9   Location: Walled City of Yardrow
  Cost: 3500  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Use Archers for this errand

Endless Caverns
  Chapter: 4  Days: 12-14 Location: Free City of Bervenia
  Cost: 8000  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Past Glory
  Chapter: 4  Days: 7-15  Location: Free City of Bervenia
  Cost: 500   Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Use Geomancers for this errand

Beddha Sandwaste
  Chapter: 4  Days: 11-15 Location: Free City of Bervenia
  Cost: 550   Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Adventurers Wanted
  Chapter: 4  Days: 8-12  Location: Free City of Bervenia
  Cost: 100   Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Shadows from the Past
  Chapter: 4  Days: 12-15 Location: Free City of Bervenia
  Cost: 3050  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Rhana Strait
  Chapter: 4  Days: 9-13  Location: Zeltennia Castle
  Cost: 3100  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Zerro Strikes
  Chapter: 4  Days: 8-9   Location: Zeltennia Castle
  Cost: 100   Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Must complete errand "Zerro's Challenge" in Lionel Castle first,
        use Chemists for this errand

Nightwalker
  Chapter: 4  Days: 8-12  Location: Zeltennia Castle
  Cost: 3050  Reward: Gil, JP

Zerro's Return
  Chapter: 4  Days: 8-9   Location: Royal City of Lesalia
  Cost: 500   Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Must complete errand "Zerro Strikes" at Zeltennia Castle first

Thief Zerro Reborn!
  Chapter: 4  Days: 8-9   Location: Eagrose Castle
  Cost: 5000  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Must complete above errand first

Himca Cliffs
  Chapter: 4  Days: 8-12  Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
  Cost: 1500  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Ore of the Gods
  Chapter: 4  Days: 9-11  Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
  Cost: 13000 Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Lake Poescas Depths
  Chapter: 4  Days: 12-14 Location: Limberry Castle
  Cost: 1500  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Cellar Dungeon
  Chapter: 4  Days: 11-13 Location: Limberry Castle
  Cost: 3000  Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Uninvited Guests
  Chapter: 4  Days: 8-13  Location: Limberry Castle
  Cost: 3050  Reward: Gil, JP

Gysahl Greens
  Chapter: 4  Days: 2-4   Location: Limberry Castle
  Cost: 100   Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Wandering Gambler
  Chapter: 4  Days: 11-13 Location: Limberry Castle
  Cost: 15000 Reward: Gil, JP

Zerro's Final Heist
  Chapter: 4  Days: 8-9   Location: Limberry Castle
  Cost: 10000 Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Must complete errand "Thief Zerro Reborn!" at Eagrose Castle first

Errands below only appear after defeating Zalera.

Ancient Wonder
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 13-14 Location: Eagrose Castle
  Cost: 200   Reward: Gil, wonder, JP

Cattedona
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 14-15 Location: Castled City of Zaland
  Cost: 500   Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Use Orators for this errand

Lionel Emissary
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 14-15 Location: Lionel Castle
  Cost: 4000  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Twilight Gustkov
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 14-15 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
  Cost: 1000  Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Use Thieves for this errand

Terror's Maw
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 13-14 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
  Cost: 1500  Reward: Gil, JP

Miner's Dream
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 12-14 Location: Mining Town of Gollund
  Cost: 150   Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Must complete above errand first

Ducal Disaster
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 15-16 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
  Cost: 6000  Reward: Gil, JP

Young Lord Pappal
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 12-15 Location: Royal City of Lesalia
  Cost: 3000  Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Must complete above errand first

Cries in the Dark
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 8-11  Location: Royal City of Lesalia
  Cost: 3050  Reward: Gil, JP

Salvage Work
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 9-14  Location: Walled City of Yardrow
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, JP

Coal Mining Expedition
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 10-14 Location: Walled City of Yardrow
  Cost: 1000  Reward: Gil, JP

Second Coal Mining Expedition
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 10-14 Location: Walled City of Yardrow
  Cost: 1000  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Must complete above errand first

Historic Revolt
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 8-10  Location: Riovanes Castle
  Cost: 3050  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP

Tutoring
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 8-12  Location: Riovanes Castle
  Cost: 200   Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Use magick-users for this errand

The Behemoth
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 13-15 Location: Free City of Bervenia
  Cost: 500   Reward: Gil, JP

Dredge Work
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 6-10  Location: Zeltennia Castle
  Cost: 1000  Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Use Archers for this errand

Missing Boy
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 15-16 Location: Zeltennia Castle
  Cost: 3500  Reward: Gil, JP

Appraisal
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 8-9   Location: Zeltennia Castle
  Cost: 550   Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Use Chemists for this errand

Death's Gorge
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 9-14  Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
  Cost: 13000 Reward: Gil, JP

The Typhoon
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 10-13 Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
  Cost: 11000 Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Use Chemists for this errand

Beastly Trail
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 11-13 Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
  Cost: 10000 Reward: Gil, JP

Memories
  Chapter: 4+ Days: 10-12 Location: Trade City of Sal Ghidos
  Cost: 100   Reward: Gil, JP

---Contest Errands-------------------------------------------------------------

The following "contest" errands don't seem to be associated with any particular
chapter.  Instead, they only show up at certain times of the year:

Arteficer's Contest
  Chapter: *  Days: 14-16 Location: Clockwork City of Goug
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, JP
  Note: Only during month of Sagittarius, use Chemists for this errand

The Yardrow Melee
  Chapter: *  Days: 14-16 Location: Walled City of Yardrow
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Only during month of Cancer

Gariland Magick Melee
  Chapter: *  Days: 14-16 Location: Magick City of Gariland
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, artefact, JP
  Note: Only during month of Virgo, use magick-users for this errand

The Zaland Melee
  Chapter: *  Days: 14-16 Location: Castled City of Zaland
  Cost: Free  Reward: Gil, JP
  Notes: Only during month of Aries, use Monks for this errand

*******************************************************************************
XII. OTHER GAME INFORMATION
*******************************************************************************

%%%IVALICIAN CALENDAR%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00calendar

Aries        30 days [Mar. 21 to Apr. 19]    Dry month
Taurus       31 days [Apr. 20 to May 20]     Dry month
Gemini       32 days [May 21 to June 21]     Wet month
Cancer       31 days [June 22 to July 22]    Wet month
Leo          31 days [July 23 to Aug. 22]    Dry month
Virgo        31 days [Aug. 23 to Sep. 22]    Dry month
Libra        31 days [Sep. 23 to Oct. 23]    Dry month
Scorpio      30 days [Oct. 24 to Nov. 22]    Dry month
Sagittarius  30 days [Nov. 23 to Dec. 22]    Wet month
Capricorn    28 days [Dec. 23 to Jan. 19]    Wet month
Aquarius     30 days [Jan. 20 to Feb. 18]    Wet month
Pisces       30 days [Feb. 19 to Mar. 20]    Dry month

Thunderstorms are more common during wet months than dry months.

%%%ZODIAC COMPATIBILITY%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00zodiac

            Ar T  G  Cn Le V  Li Sc Sa Cp Aq P
Aries                X  O     ?     O  X
Taurus                  X  O     ?     O  X
Gemini                     X  O     ?     O  X
Cancer      X                 X  O     ?     O
Leo         O  X                 X  O     ?
Virgo          O  X                 X  O     ?
Libra       ?     O  X                 X  O
Scorpio        ?     O  X                 X  O
Sagittarius O     ?     O  X                 X
Capricorn   X  O     ?     O  X
Aquarius       X  O     ?     O  X
Pisces            X  O     ?     O  X

O: Good      X: Bad
?: Worst (same sex), Best (opposite sex)

Monsters are considered to have the same sex as other monsters, but to differ
in sex from both male & female humans.

%%%PARTY & BOSS ZODIAC SIGNS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00boss

While generic units (even those in story battles) have random Zodiac signs, 
most story characters have predefined Zodiac signs.  Those for your party 
members and enemy bosses are listed below.  Temporary party members are 
indicated by (parentheses).

--PARTY MEMBERS--
Aries       : Lavian, Boco
Taurus      : (Ovelia)
Gemini      : Marach, Construct 8
Cancer      : Agrias, Luso, (Orran), (Zalbaag)
Leo         : Balthier, (Alma)
Virgo       : (Argath), (Gaffgarion)
Libra       : Mustadio, Beowulf
Scorpio     : Orlandeau
Sagittarius : (Delita)
Capricorn   : Ladd, Meliadoul
Aquarius    : Cloud
Pisces      : Alicia, Rapha, Reis

random      : The Byblos
user-entered: Ramza

Note that no permanent story characters have Taurus, Virgo, or Sagittarius as
their Zodiac sign.  If you want a complete set of Zodiac signs, you could give
Ramza one of these signs.  (See the Calendar above for which sign corresponds 
to which dates.)  On the other hand, due to the proliferation of Gemini and 
Virgo bosses, you're probably better off making him a Capricorn to give him 
good compatibility with those bosses.


--ENEMY BOSSES - BY BATTLE--

This chart details when you'll encounter enemy bosses with each Zodiac sign.
For each Zodiac sign, the numbers indicate a story battle where a boss has that
sign (e.g. the 25 for Gemini means that battle #25 has a Gemini boss).  See the
chart above for which Zodiac signs will be effective against each boss.

Some battles are listed more than once in this chart because some battles have
more than one boss.  If a numbers doesn't appear anywhere in the chart, that's
because there's no boss in that battle!

Aries       : 8
Taurus      : none
Gemini      : 25, 29, 32, 34, 45, 47, 48, 51, 55, Lionel's New Liege Lord #2
Cancer      : 52
Leo         : 51, 57
Virgo       : 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 18, 19, 26, 33, 34, 44, 45, 46, 58
Libra       : none
Scorpio     : 21, 49, Lionel's New Liege Lord #1
Sagittarius : 23, 34, 38, 39, 44, 45, 56
Capricorn   : 36, 51, 54
Aquarius    : none
Pisces      : none
Serpentarius: Midlight's Deep floor 10

random      : Gollund Colliery #4, Nelveska Temple

Note that Zodiac signs are NOT evenly distributed across bosses -- most bosses 
are Geminis and Virgos, with a few Sagittariuses and Capricorns.  So, you might
want to adjust your party line-up accordingly:
- Against Gemini bosses, Virgos, Capricorns, and especially opposite-gender 
  Scorpios are effective
- Against Virgo bosses, Tauruses, Capricorns, and especially opposite-gender 
  Pisces are effective
Since Capricorn is good against BOTH Gemini and Virgo bosses, it's a 
particularly helpful Zodiac sign to have!


--ENEMY BOSSES - BY CHARACTER--
The chart below details which enemy boss characters have which Zodiac signs.
Don't peek if you don't want to know all the boss names!


                               !!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

Aries       : Boco
Taurus      : none
Gemini      : Isilud, Marach, Elmdore, Zalera, Cletienne, Bremondt
Cancer      : Zalbaag
Leo         : Folmarv, Hashmal
Virgo       : Milleuda, Wiegraf, Argath, Gaffgarion, Belias*, Celia, Ultima
Libra       : none
Scorpio     : Cuchulainn, Dycedarg, Adrammelech, Alite
Sagittarius : Zalmour, Lettie, Barich
Capricorn   : Meliadoul, Loffrey
Aquarius    : none
Pisces      : none
Serpentarius: Elidibus

random      : Syneugh, Construct 7

* Note: While Belias is ostensibly the Lucavi of Aries, its actual in-game
zodiac sign during the battle is Virgo, because it transforms from Wiegraf.



                               !!!SPOILER ALERT!!!







%%%STATUS CHANGES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00status

---Status Related to Game Mechanics---
            APPEARANCE         EFFECT
Charging    Gold "C"           Charging up spell; increases physical damage
                                 received
Performing  Sing / dance       Charging up song or dance
Defending   Crossed arms       Doubles evade rate (both physical & magickal)
Critical    Kneeling           None; just indicates that you're low on HP.
                                (Some reaction abilities trigger only when 
                                Critical.)
KO          Lying down         Character dies after counter gone
Chicken     Becomes a chicken  Character cannot be controlled and will only
                                 flee into corner

---Positive Status Changes---
            APPEARANCE         EFFECT
Float       Floats in air      Move over water as if land; immune to earth
                                 attacks
Reraise     Angel icon         Revived on next turn after being KOed
Invisible   Transparent        Can't be attacked until you Act
Regen       Blue tint          HP increases after each of character's turns
Protect     Triangle icon      Lowers physical damage received
Shell       Square icon        Lowers magick damage received
Haste       Fast animation     CT gauge fills faster

---Negative Status Changes---
            APPEARANCE         EFFECT
Sleep       "Zzz"              Can't do anything; receive more damage from
                                  physical attacks
Poison      Green tint,        HP decreases after each of character's turns
              skull icon
Blind       Sunglasses icon    Doubles enemy's chance to evade your attacks
Oil         Black tint, oil    Receive double damage from fire attacks
              spill icon
Stone       Turns gray         Can't do anything or take damage.  Game Over if
                                 all units KOed or Stone
Silence     "..."              Can't use magick or Speechcraft
Toad        Becomes a toad     Can't use any abilities except Attack and Toad
                                 magick.  Stats down.
Slow        Slow animation     CT gauge fills more slowly
Stop        No animation       CT gauge doesn't fill at all; can't do anything
Immobilize  Gold arrow icon    Can't "Move"
Disable     Hand icon          Can't "Act" or use Reaction Abilities
Doom        Countdown          KOed when countdown expired
Vampire     Bat icon           Character is undead AND confused
Undead      Purple tint        Healing spells damage character; drain attacks
                                 restore HP
Charm       Heart icon         Character temporarily fights on enemy's side
Traitor     none               Character has permanently joined enemy team
Berserk     Red tint, angry    Attack power up; character cannot be controlled
              face icon          and only performs physical attacks
Confuse     Weird animation,   Character performs random actions
              "?" icon

---Neutral Status Changes---
            APPEARANCE         EFFECT
Reflect     none               Magicks bounce off target onto another tile
Atheist     Ankh & down arrow  Faith temporarily changed to 0
Faith       Ankh & up arrow    Faith temporarily changed to 100

%%%ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00elem

Many abilities and a few weapons have one of eight elemental affinities: Fire,
Lightning, Ice, Wind, Earth, Water, Holy, or Dark.  By paying attention to 
these elemental affinities, you can increase the power of your attacks and
decrease the damage from enemy abilities!

Elemental affinities can increase damage in two ways.  First, many monsters are 
weak to a particular element.  An attack of this element will do DOUBLE its
usual damage!  A few pieces of equipment will also make a character weak to an 
element.

Second, some equipment "boosts" one or more elements.  When you have such an
item equipped, any attacks you use of that element are 25% stronger.  This is 
in addition to any weakness effect.  For example, if Luso has the Gaia Gear 
(which Boosts: Earth) equipped, any earth attack he executes does 25% more
damage.  The Boost effect does NOT "stack" -- equipping more than one boost for 
the same element has no additional effect.  For example, equipping both a Flame 
Rod and a Japa Mala (both of which boost Fire) is the same as equipping just 
the Flame Rod.

Elemental effects can be defended against in three main ways.  Some equipment
will HALVE the damage you taken from a given element.  Other equipment grants
you IMMUNITY to a particular element, which means that you take NO damage at
all from that element.  Finally, some equipment ABSORBS an element, which means
that damage from that element is converted into a HP *gain*.  (So, absorbing 
water means that a water attack that normally does 200 HP damage will instead 
restore 200 HP!)  Many monsters also have some innate elemental defenses.

Finally, elemental affinities come into a play in a few other ways.  The Oil 
status doubles damage received from fire attacks.  The Float status makes a
character immune to earth attacks.  And, during a thunderstorm, fire attacks 
are 25% weaker and lightning attacks are 25% stronger.  (A light rain has no
effect on elemental damage.)

For each of the eight elements, the chart below lists which attacks carry that
element, and what is weak or strong against that element.

---Fire------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABILITIES WITH FIRE AFFINITY:
Fire [Black Mage, Flame Rod]          Ashura [Skyseer]
Fira [Black Mage, Flame Mace]         Nether Ashura [Netherseer]
Firaga [Black Mage]                   Fire Breath [Holy Dragon, Dragonkin,
Firaja [Black Mage]                     Red Dragon]
Ifrit [Summoner]                      Flame Attack [Grenade]
Salamander [Summoner]                 Spark [Exploder]
Will-o'-the-Wisp [Geomancer]          Breathe Fire [Minotaur, Sekhret]
Magma Surge [Geomancer]               Tri-Flame [Greater Hydra, Tiamat]

WEAPONS WITH FIRE AFFINITY:
Flame Rod [rod]                       Blaze Gun [gun]
Flame Mace [flail]                    Flameburst Bomb [bomb]

Boosted by  : Flame Rod, Kaiser Shield, Black Robe, Sage's Ring, Japa Mala

Weakness    : Skeleton family, Ghost family, Treant family, Blue Dragon

Halved by   : Ice Shield, Venetian Shield, Reverie Shield, White Robe
Immunity    : Minerva Bustier, Automaton
Absorbed by : Flame Shield, Sage's Ring, Bomb family, Red Dragon

Any unit with the Oil status change receives double damage from fire attacks.
After being struck with a fire attack, the Oil status disappears.

During a thunderstorm, damage from fire attacks is decreased by 25%.

---Lightning-------------------------------------------------------------------

ABILITIES WITH LIGHTNING AFFINITY:
Thunder [Black Mage; Thunder Rod]     Hell's Wrath [Netherseer]
Thundara [Black Mage]                 Thunder Breath [Holy Dragon, Dragonkin,
Thundaga [Black Mage; Lightning Bow]    Red Dragon, Blue Dragon]
Thundaja [Black Mage]                 Thunder Anima [Skeleton]
Ramuh [Summoner]                      Tri-Thunder [Greater Hydra, Tiamat]
Heaven's Wrath [Skyseer]

WEAPONS WITH LIGHTNING AFFINITY:
Coral Sword [sword]                   Lightning Bow [bow]
Thunder Rod [rod]                     Gungnir [polearm]
Blaster [gun]                         Spark Bomb [bomb]

Boosted by  : Thunder Rod, Kaiser Shield, Black Robe, Sage's Ring, Japa Mala

Weakness    : Ice Shield, Mindflayer family, Automaton

Halved by   : Venetian Shield, Reverie Shield, White Robe, Sage's Robe
Immunity    : Minerva Bustier, Rubber Suit, Rubber Boots
Absorbed by : Sage's Ring

During a thunderstorm, damage from lightning attacks is increased by 25%.  This
is in addition to any increase from Boosts and/or enemy Weaknesses.

---Ice-------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABILITIES WITH ICE AFFINITY:
Blizzard [Black Mage; Ice Rod]        Snowstorm [Geomancer]
Blizzara [Black Mage]                 Ice Breath [Holy Dragon, Dragonkin, Blue
Blizzaga [Black Mage; Icebrand]         Dragon]
Blizzaja [Black Mage]                 Ice Anima [Bonesnatch, Skeletal Fiend]  
Shiva [Summoner]

WEAPONS WITH ICE AFFINITY:
Icebrand [sword]                      Glacial Gun [gun]
Ice Rod [rod]                         Ice Bow [bow]

Boosted by  : Ice Rod, Kaiser Shield, Black Robe, Sage's Ring, Japa Mala

Weakness    : Goblin family, Ahriman family, Malboro family, Hydra family,
              Red Dragon

Halved by   : Flame Shield, Venetian Shield, Reverie Shield, Minerva Bustier,
              White Robe, Sage's Robe, Bomb family
Immunity    : Automaton
Absorbed by : Ice Shield, Sage's Ring, Blue Dragon

---Wind------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABILITIES WITH WIND FAMILY:
Wind Slash [Geomancer]                 Nether Blade [Skyseer]
Sandstorm [Geomancer]                  Wind Anima [Skeletal Fiend]
Wind Blast [Geomancer]                 Twister [Behemoth King]
Adamantine Blade [Skyseer]

WEAPONS WITH WIND AFFINITY:
Air Knife [knife]                      Windslash Bow [bow]

Boosted by  : Sage's Ring, Japa Mala

Weakness    : Hydra family

Halved by   : Reverie Shield, Sage's Robe, Ahriman family, Aevis family
Immunity    : Minerva Bustier, Automaton
Absorbed by : Sage's Ring

---Earth-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ABILITIES WITH EARTH AFFINITY:
Shockwave [Monk]                      Impiety [Netherseer]
Titan [Summoner]                      Earthsplitter [Sekhret]
Tremor [Geomancer]                    Quake [Bringer of Order]
Divinity [Skyseer]

WEAPONS WITH EARTH AFFINITY:
none

Boosted by  : Gaia Gear, Sage's Ring, Japa Mala

Weakness    : Panther family, Aevis family

Halved by   : Reverie Shield, Minerva Bustier, Sage's Robe
Immunity    : Float status, Automaton
Absorbed by : Gaia Gear, Sage's Ring, Treant family

---Water-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ABILITIES WITH WATER AFFINITY:
Leviathan [Summoner]                   Maelstrom [Skyseer]
Torrent [Geomancer]                    Nether Maelstrom [Netherseer]
Quicksand [Geomancer]                  Water Anima [Skeleton, Bonesnatch]

WEAPONS WITH WATER AFFINITY:
none

Boosted by  : Sage's Ring, Japa Mala

Weakness    : Flame Shield, Bomb family, Minotaur family

Halved by   : Reverie Shield, Minerva Bustier, Sage's Robe
Immunity    : Automaton
Absorbed by : Sage's Ring, Mindflayer family

---Holy------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABILITIES WITH HOLY AFFINITY:
Holy [White Mage, Holy Lance]          Holy Breath [Dragonkin]

WEAPONS WITH HOLY AFFINITY:
Durandal [knight's sword]              Holy Lance [polearm]
Nirvana [staff]

Boosted by  : Excalibur, Tynar Rouge, Sage's Ring, Japa Mala

Weakness    : Skeleton family, Ghost family

Halved by   : Reverie Shield, Minerva Bustier, Sage's Robe
Immunity    : Automaton
Absorbed by : Excalibur, Chameleon Robe, Sage's Ring

---Dark------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABILITIES WITH DARK AFFINITY:
Lich [Summoner]                        Dark Whisper [Tiamat]
Unholy Sacrifice [Dark Knight]

WEAPONS WITH DARK AFFINITY:
ALL fell swords

Boosted by  : Sage's Ring

Halved by   : Reverie Shield, Sage's Robe, Nu Khai Armband
Immunity    : Minerva Bustier, Automaton
Absorbed by : Sage's Ring, Skeleton family, Ghost family

%%%ARITHMETICKS CHART%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00arith

The chart below is a quick reference as to which numbers can be targeted by
each multiple when using Arithmetician.  For example, characters at height = 3
will be hit by a Height Multiple of 3 or Height Prime spell, but not Height 
Multiple of 4 or 5.  You might find this chart handy when using Arithmeticks,
or trying to avoid enemy Arithmeticks attacks.

Some numbers, such as 34, can't be hit by ANY Arithmeticks multiple.  (These 
are numbers that are not prime but do not have 3, 4, or 5 as a factor.)  These 
numbers are indicated in the table by a solid horizonal line.  If you expect to
face enemy Arithmeticians, you can use these numbers to help avoid their 
attacks in two ways:
 - As long as you stand on tiles with height of 0, 1, or any fractional number
   (e.g. 2.5), you cannot be hit by Height-based Arithmeticks.
 - If you have level 99 characters, you may want to level them down using a
   Degenerator trap (e.g. at Zeklaus Desert) so that they can't be hit by Level
   Multiple of 3.
That said, enemy Arithmeticians appear only very rarely.

QUICK LIST OF PRIME NUMBERS (ONLY DIVISIBLE BY THEMSELVES AND 1):
2    3    5    7    11   13   17
19   23   29   31   37   41   43
47   53   59   61   67   71   73
79   83   89   97

QUICK LIST OF NUMBERS NOT TARGETABLE:
0    1    14   22   26   34   38
46   49   58   62   74   77   82
86   91   94   98
All fractional height numbers (e.g. height = 2.5)

---FULL ARITHMETICKS CHART---
#    MULT.3   MULT.4   MULT.5   PRIME  | #    MULT.3   MULT.4   MULT.5   PRIME
0 ------------------------------------ | 25                       X
1 ------------------------------------ | 26  ----------------------------------
2                                 X    | 27     X
3      X                          X    | 28              X
4               X                      | 29                                X
5                        X        X    | 30     X                 X
6      X                               | 31                                X
7                                 X    | 32              X
8               X                      | 33     X
9      X                               | 34  ----------------------------------
10                       X             | 35                       X
11                                X    | 36     X        X
12     X        X                      | 37                                X
13                                X    | 38  ----------------------------------
14 ----------------------------------- | 39     X
15     X                 X             | 40              X        X
16              X                      | 41                                X
17                                X    | 42     X
18     X                               | 43                                X
19                                X    | 44              X
20              X        X             | 45     X                 X
21     X                               | 46  ----------------------------------
22 ----------------------------------- | 47                                X
23                                X    | 48     X        X
24     X        X                      | 49  ----------------------------------

#    MULT.3   MULT.4   MULT.5   PRIME  | #    MULT.3   MULT.4   MULT.5   PRIME
50                       X             | 75     X                 X             
51     X                               | 76              X
52              X                      | 77  ----------------------------------
53                                X    | 78     X         
54     X                               | 79                                X
55                       X             | 80              X        X
56              X                      | 81     X
57     X                               | 82  ----------------------------------
58 ----------------------------------- | 83                                X
59                                X    | 84     X        X
60     X        X        X             | 85                       X
61                                X    | 86  ----------------------------------
62 ----------------------------------- | 87     X
63     X                               | 88              X
64              X                      | 89                                X
65                       X             | 90     X                 X
66     X                               | 91  ----------------------------------
67                                X    | 92              X
68              X                      | 93     X
69     X                               | 94  ----------------------------------
70                       X             | 95                       X
71                                X    | 96     X        X
72     X        X                      | 97                                X
73                                X    | 98  ----------------------------------
74 ----------------------------------- | 99     X
                     All fractional numbers  ----------------------------------

%%%RANDOM BATTLES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00rb

For now, I'm just listing the categories of monsters that appear in each 
location; I'll update this with more details soon.

Mandalia Plain: Chocobo, Goblin, Panther
The Siedge Weald: Goblin, Bomb, Skeleton, Minotaur
Zeklaus Desert: Bomb, Avis, Minotaur, Skeleton
Lenalian Plataeu: Panther
Fovoham Windflats: Mindflayer, Avis, Minotaur, Goblin
Araguay Woods: Ghost, Skeleton, Dryad, Panther, Aevis, Malboro, Goblin
Zeirchele Falls: Mindflayer, Panther, Chocobo, Skeleton, Ahriman, Minotaur
Balias Tor: Chocobo, Bomb, Minotaur, Panther, Aevis
Tchigolith Fenlands: Panther, Ghost, Ahriman, Minotaur, Skeleton, Malboro, Bomb
Balias Swale: Chocobo, Goblin, Mindflayer, Panther
Grogh Heights: Chocobo, Bomb, Ahriman, Dragon
The Yuguewood: Ghost, Dryad, Panther
Mount Bervenia: Ahriman, Chocobo, Ghost, Behemoth, Bomb
Dugeura Pass: Chocobo, Panther, Avis, Minotaur, Behemoth
Finnath Creek: Chocobo, Mindflayer, Dragon
Beddha Sandwaste: Bomb, Panther, Skeleton, Aevis, Ahriman, Behemoth, Dragon
Mount Germinas: Chocobo, Panther, Minotaur, Aevis, Dragon
Lake Poescas: Bomb, Ghost, Skeleton, Behemoth
Dorvauldar Marsh: Goblin, Mindflayer, Dragon, Skeleton, Minotaur, Malboro

%%%VARIOUS TRICKS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00tricks

---PAUSE BATTLES---
If you push Triangle while the enemies are moving, the game will pause after 
the current enemy stops moving.  (When you press Triangle, you'll hear a chime 
sound indicating the pause was activated.)  Once paused, you can check out 
everyone's status.  When you're done, just click on any character and choose 
Done to resume.

---EVASION RATE---
You've probably noticed that the status screen features three numbers for each
character's evade rate.  The first number, C-Ev, comes from the character's
current class/job.  It's effective only against attacks from the FRONT.  The
second number, S-Ev, comes from the character's shield; it's effective against
attacks from the front and side, but NOT from the back.  The final number,
A-Ev, comes from the character's accessory (i.e., cloaks) and is effective 
against ALL attacks.

And, of course, there are separate evade rates for both physical and magick
attacks.  No job actually has a magick C-Ev greater than 0, so magick can be
evaded only with a shield or cloak.

You can plan your attacks with these evade rates in mind.  If an enemy has a
shield, attack him or her from behind.  (Note that if an enemy doesn't have a
shield, attacking from the side or behind are equally effective.)  If an enemy
has a high overall physical evade rate, use magick -- or guns, which ignore 
evade rates completely.  Finally, equipping the Archer's Concentration ability
completely prevents your physical attacks from being evaded.  And, of course, 
positioning your own characters so that their backs/sides can't be attacked 
helps you evade enemy attacks.

Note that the Shirahadori, First Strike, and Archer's Bane reaction abilities 
stop attacks outright and are independent of evade rate.

---SHOOT ENEMIES NEXT TO YOU---
Normally, you can't shoot enemies close to you with a bow or gun, but all you 
have to do is target a square in a straight line behind the enemy you want to 
hit (there doesn't even have to be anybody in the square).  You'll end up 
hitting the enemy in front of you.

---2ENEMIES1TURN.COM---
The Shoot Enemies Next To You trick above can be combined with Balthier's 
Barrage ability to attack two or more different enemies in one turn.  This only
works if Balthier has a weapon with a range of 2 or more, and if the enemies
are both in a line from Balthier (and within range of his weapon).  Target the 
enemy that's further back with Barrage.  Balthier will use a series of four
attacks; of course, the initial strikes will actually hit the enemy closer to 
Balthier.  However, once that first enemy is KOed, Balthier will continue 
attacking and hit his "original" target -- the enemy in back!  This way, you 
can divide your damage between two targets instead of wasting a lot of damage 
finishing off an enemy that was already low on HP.  This trick works with guns,
bows, polearms, and any other weapon with a range of 2 or more.

---CURING & DRAINING THE UNDEAD---
As per Final Fantasy standards, undead enemies take damage when hit with Cure
spells, and the Arise spell works like an instant KO attack!  (Raise will also
do damage equal to 1/2 of the enemy's max HP -- thus KOing if it's at half HP
or below.)  On the other hand, undead characters are also *immune* to attacks 
that drain HP to the user, like the Blood Sword or the Mystic's Invigoration.  
These attacks backfire if used against an undead  monster!  (The undead monster 
gains HP, and you lose HP!)

Undead characters include monsters from the Skeleton and Ghost families, as 
well as human enemies in a few story battles, units who have had the Mystic
spell Corruption cast on them, and any ally equipped with the Cursed Ring.

---STOP UNDEAD REVIVAL---
Normally, KOed units disappear and turn into a crystal or chest when their
countdown hits 0.  Undead monsters or humans, however, may instead resurrect
themselves with full HP!  Fortunately, there's two easy ways to stop this:
First, you can turn the undead unit to stone, so it's never actually KOed.
The Seal Evil ability used by Mustadio and Balthier works great for this.
Second, for undead monsters, you can Poach or Tame them.  Poached monsters 
disappear from the map completely (and hence can't resurrect), and Tamed
monsters will actually fight on your side!

---CRYSTAL LOOT---
When you collect a crystal from a defeated enemy human and select Acquire
Abilities, you can point the cursor to any of several abilities.  Don't be 
fooled!  You're not making a choice here, you actually learn ALL the abilities
listed.  This makes collecting crystals a great way to learn abilities quickly!

---FRIENDLY (AND UNFRIENDLY) FIRE)---
Most magicks affect not just the targeted character or tile, but also the
surrounding panels.  (The radius of this effect varies from magick to magick.)
Geomancy, Iaido, and a number of sword techniques and monster abilities also 
have this effect.  This area effect can of course be used to hit multiple 
enemies, but you can also exploit it in a number of other ways.  If an enemy
is a little too far out of range to target directly with the magick, you may
still be able to target a somewhat closer tile and catch the enemy in the
wider effect radius.  (This is a good tactic for hitting more distant enemies.)
The same is true for using White Magick or Time Magick to assist distant 
allies.

Of course, you also need to watch out for a "friendly fire" effect when casting
magicks -- you don't want to hit your own characters in the effect radius!  If
one of your allies is standing close to an enemy, you'll hurt him or her if you
target the enemy directly.  So, one solution is to target a more remote panel
that will catch the enemy in the effect radius of your spell, but leave your
ally out of range.  (Of course, this also works in reverse for when you want to
heal an ally, but not an enemy.)  Just make sure the enemy won't be able to 
move before the magick is cast.

Note that Summons and Iaido abilities ONLY target the "correct" units.  They
won't hurt allies, or heal enemies.

---IMPROVE STEALING ODDS---
You can boost the success rate of the Steal command in a number of ways:
 - Put the enemy to Sleep - using a Sleep Blade weapon, Mimic Darlavon
   (Orator), Repose (Mystic), etc.
 - Target the enemy from behind or to the side, so the move will be harder to
   evade.
 - Putting Disable status on the enemy (e.g. with Arm Shot) will also prevent 
   the enemy from evading, although the steal may still fail.
 - Equip Concentration (Archer) or Brawler (Monk) as a support ability.  (If 
   you're using Concentration, then there's no need to try to steal from behind 
   as the enemy can't evade anyway.)
 - Increase your Speed statistic, or decrease the enemy's Speed.  Or, switch
   your stealing character to a job that has a high speed rating (e.g. Thief or
   Ninja)
 - Use Balthier's Plunder abilities, which have a somewhat higher success rate
   than the regular Steal command
 - Surround the character from whom you're trying to steal with both your main 
   thief and a Mime; the Mime will duplicate all of your Steal attempts
 - And, of course, stealing using a character who has good Zodiac compatibility
   with the target will improve your success, though you often don't have a lot
   of options here...
It's helpful to use one or more of these tactics if you're interested in
stealing enemy gear, as the Steal command has a pretty low success rate 
otherwise.

---AUTO-X-POTION---
The Auto-Potion reaction ability normally causes you to (sometimes) use a 
Potion when attacked.  However, if there aren't any Potions in your inventory,
you'll use a Hi-Potion instead, and if there aren't any Hi-Potions, you'll use
an X-Potion.  Once you start getting Hi-Potions and X-Potions, then, it's
actually a great idea to throw out your weaker potions so Auto-Potion will
only use Hi-Potions or X-Potions -- you can heal yourself for a lot more HP
that way!  (This trick is particularly important in the Wiegraf battle in 
Chapter III.)

---REVIVE THE LIVING---
Annoyed by long charge times for Raise spells?  Well, who says you can't start 
charging the spell before the target dies?  If somebody's low on life and you
know they're going to die, start charging up Raise or (preferably) Arise.
And if they fail to die for Arise, kill them and the Arise will bring them
back to full health! (why waste the spell?)

---THUNDERSTORM---
During a thunderstorm, lightning do 125% normal damage and fire spells do 75% 
normal damage.  Movement through swamp tiles is also slowed during a storm.
These effects occur only during a thunderstorm (when the screen occasionally
flashes) and not during a light rain.

---LAST-SECOND SILENCE CURE---
Silence status prevents you from casting magick or summons, but all that 
matters is whether or not you're Silenced at the time the magick is actually
cast, not when you start charging.  It's possible to start casting magick while
you're Silenced and *then* have someone else remove the Silence effect, as long
as you do so before the magick finishes charging.  This can come in handy if
your magick-user happens to get his/her turn before the character who can
remove Silence.  It's also useful if you get Silenced while in the middle of 
charging a spell -- if you quickly cure the Silence, you can still use your 
spell.

You can also use the timing of Silence in dealing with enemy magicks -- e.g.,
casting Silence on an enemyshortly before his or her magick activates will
cancel the spell.

Note that Silence also prevents the use of Speechcraft, but since Speechcraft 
abilities all activate instanteously, these timing effects don't come into 
play.

---TIME OF THE SEASONS---
As in Final Fantasy XII, Ivalice alternates between wet and dry seasons.  Each
year has two wet seasons (Gemini/Cancer and Sagittarius/Capricon/Aquarius) and
two dry ones (Leo/Virgo/Libra/Scorpio and Pisces/Aries/Taurus).  Thunderstorms 
(see above) are more common during the "Wet" months than the "Dry" ones.

---MONSTER EGG PREVIEW---
Trying to breed a particular kind of monster?  You can actually take a "sneak 
peek" as to what an egg will hatch into.  Open your party roster, position
the cursor over the egg in question, and move the cursor back and forth to
another party member to the left or right.  When you move over the egg, the 
future monster's portrait will display for a fraction of a second, and if you 
can move back and forth quickly, you can get a decent glimpse of what the 
monster is going to be.  You can identify the monster family by its portrait,
and from the color scheme, you might even be able to tell which monster it is
within that family.  (See the Monsters list for the color scheme of each
monster type.)  If the monster in the egg is not what you want, you can go 
ahead and dismiss the egg.

---LEARNING ULTIMA---
Luso's Game Hunter job and Ramza's Chapter IV Squire job both have an extra 
ability that can't be learned with JP: Ultima!  This ability can only be 
learned by having Ramza or Luso be hit with the spell while he is in the 
relevant job.  In the main game, the best time to learn this ability is the 
Limberry Castle Gate, where Celia and Lettie will cast the spell on you.  You 
can also learn it from them in the subsequent Limberry Castle Keep, and Luso
can also learn it on the roof of Riovanes Castle at the end of Chapter III.

Once you've acquired the spell, you can have Ramza and Luso cast it on the 
other to learn it that way.  You can even learn Ultima in the multiplayer mode 
by having one of the other player's character cast it on you.  (Note that only 
Ramza's "Chapter IV" version can learn Ultima.)  This is a great way to still 
get the spell in case you miss it during the main quest.

During the final battle, Alma can also learn Ultima if Ramza or Luso casts it 
on her.

---RARE RANDOM BATTLES---
There are a number of "special" random battles at particular wilderness 
locations.  If you enter these location heading the correct direction, there's 
a chance you'll sometimes get into an unusual random battle.  (They don't
ALWAYS show up.) Nothing tells you explicitly that you're in one of these 
battles, but they feature novel enemy parties.

For instance, you can enter a battle against a large team of enemy Monks if 
entering Grogh Heights from the south, and one against a team of enemy Samurai
entering the Yuguewood from the east.  Mount Germinas has a rare battle against 
some gun-wielding Chemists and Orators, where you can steal additional copies
of the magick guns, and sometimes the Stoneshooter (see below).  Mandalia 
Plains has a battle against a large set of enemy dragons.

---THE STONESHOOTER---
The Stoneshooter is an unusual weapon ... it's the strongest gun without a 
"magical" effect, but it's not without some drawbacks.  If you equip it, you're
turned to stone at the start of the battle!  If you de-stone the character with 
an item or spell, he or she can then fight normally, but the gun isn't all
that strong and doesn't have any special effects.  It's not worth the hassle, 
in my opinion.

Where to find the Stoneshooter?  Occasionally, at Mount Germinas, you'll get 
into a random battle where you'll see one of the enemy Chemists turned into 
stone at the start of the battle.  That's because he's equipped with the
Stoneshooter.  Use a Remedy or Esuna to de-stone him and then you can steal the
Stoneshooter.  (You can also get the Stoneshooter by poaching a Dark Behemoth,
although this is the "rare" poach.)

---THE INVISIBILITY CLOAK---
Also found at Mount Germinas is the Invisibility Cloak, an accessory that gives
a character an automatic Invisibilty at the start of every battle.  The Cloak
can be found during the initial story battle, or later during a random battle.
To get the cloak, put the Treasure Hunter ability and move to the very top of 
the peak.  The top of the peak forms sort of an "L" shape; the tile holding the 
Cloak is the one between the two "legs" of the L:
  ___
 /   
/  X  
--/ --
When you land on this tile, you'll receive either an Ether or the Cloak; your
chance of getting the Cloak goes up the lower your Bravery.  You only get to
pick up the item once, so if you get the Ether, you can no longer get the 
Cloak.

---SOUND TEST---
To access a "sound test" where you can listen to all the game's music, select
New Game on the title screen and then enter your name as PolkaPolka .  You'll
immediately be brought to the sound test.  Just turn the game off when you're
done.

---STEPPING STONES---
You can use Construct 8 as a stepping stone to reach high places -- another 
character can move onto its head as it were a normal panel, and move from there 
to somewhere else.  You can't END your move on top of Construct 8, but you can
use it for a mid-move boost.  In addition, Holy Dragon Reis, malboros, dragons,
and hydras can all be used the same way... even enemy ones!

---RIDING CHOCOBOS---
It's actually not too useful, but you can ride Chocobos.  Move a character onto 
the same tile as a friendly chocobo (of any color).  The character will mount 
the chocobo and they'll move and act as a single unit.  Basically, this allows
you to have a human character with the movement range of a Chocobo.  All
Chocobos have a nice movement range (6), and Black Chocobos can fly ... but, in
most cases, it's probably not worth taking up a whole slot on your battle team 
with a Chocobo.

---CATCH RARE WEAPONS---
Rare weapons like the Excalibur and Whale Whisker can't be bought in stores ...
but there's a way to get an infinite supply of them!  They're thrown by high-
level (90+) enemy Ninjas, and if you equip the Thief's Sticky Fingers reaction 
ability, you can catch the thrown weapons and add them to your inventory.  You
can find lots of enemy Ninjas on level 9 of Midlight's Deep, The Interstice,
but you'll have to raise your own levels until you start seeing level 90+
Ninjas.  Unfortunately, rare weapons that can't be thrown, like staves and 
rods, can't be attainable in this way, so they're one (or two) of a kind.

---MONSTER COMPATIBILITY---
When it comes to calculating Zodiac compatibility, monsters are actually
considered a third sex.  All monsters are considered to be the same sex as
each other (maybe that explains why they all lay eggs), but they're all 
considered to be "different sex" vs. any human.

---ROD OF FAITH---
The Rod of Faith, found on the fourth floor (The Catacombs) of the Midlight's 
Deep bonus dungeon, has an interesting effect.  While equipped with the Rod,
a character has permanent Faith status, giving him or her 100 Faith.  Of
course, this is good simply for making your own magick maximally powerful, but 
it also allows you to make a more versatile character.  Whenever the Rod is 
removed, the character's Faith reverts back to its "normal" value.  So, if you 
want a flexible character who can also defend well against enemy magick, lower
his or her Faith very low (as close to 03 as you can).  Without the Rod
equipped, the character is virtually invulnerable to enemy magick and makes a
good fighter.  But *with* the Rod equipped, s/he is now a high-Faith magick
user!  Using the Reequip ability, you could even make this change mid-battle, 
although it costs you a turn.

Since there's only one Rod of Faith available, though, you can only use this
tactic with a single character at a time.

---ALL 9 FEVER--
Once you max out at level 99 and 99 experience, you can easily cast healing or
defensive magicks to your whole party using Arithmeticks and Level Multiple of
3 or Exp Multiple of 3.  (Of course, you might hit a few enemies too.)

---BONUS COIN---
The amount of bonus gil you receive at the end of the battle is equal to the 
combined level of the enemies times 100.

---SWORD TECHNIQUES WITHOUT A SWORD---
Here's an unusual bug to beware of: Normally, you need to have a sword equipped
to use any of the "sword technique" commands possessed by many of the special 
characters.  However, there's a bug where enemies (or Charmed allies) can 
sometimes use sword techniques even without a sword!  This seems to happen if 
an enemy is first put in an abnormal status condition such as Sleep that 
prevents him or her from acting normally (including allies being Charmed), and 
you then steal or rend that enemy's sword.  In this case, the sword techniques 
don't get "switched off" and the enemy will still be able to use the 
techniques.  Unfortunately, this only works for enemy characters, not your own
characters, so it's less a trick and more something to watch out for!

*******************************************************************************
XIII. MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE
*******************************************************************************

%%%ZODIAC STONE LOCATIONS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00stones

                               !!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

Aries -- Get when you beat Wiegraf in Riovanes Castle.
Taurus -- In Mustadio's possession; you receive it after the battle in Goug 
          Machine City.  Re-obtained in Riovanes Castle.
Gemini -- Received after defeating Elmdore.
Cancer -- Received after defeating Construct 7. [optional]
Libra -- T.G. Cid (Orlandeau) has it; you'll get it when he joins
Scorpio -- Received after you defeat Delacroix.  Re-obtained in Riovanes 
           Castle.
Sagittarius -- Meliadoul has it; you'll get it when she joins.
Capricorn -- Obtained after killing Adrammelech.
Aquarius -- Given by Beowulf when he joins. [optional]
Pisces -- Received from Isilud in Riovanes Castle.
Leo -- You never get this one, Folmarv has it.
Virgo -- As above; Folmarv also has this one.
Serpentarius -- Receive after you defeat Elidibus in Midlight's Deep. 
                [optional]

                               !!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

%%%FMV MOVIE LIST%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00fmv

                               !!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

This is a list of the FMV cutscenes (found only in the PSP release).

#1:  Title Screen
#2:  New game -- Delita escapes with Ovelia captive

--Chapter I--
#3:  Ramza thinks about Argath's words.  Whistling with a blade of grass.
#4:  Ziekden Fortress explodes; Ramza disappears in the snow.

--Chapter II--
#5:  Ramza and Delita speak at Zeirchele Falls; Delita leaves Ovelia in Ramza's
     care.  Flashback to Tietra's demise.
#6:  Ramza and Delita meet again in Warjilis Port City.

--Chapter III--
#7:  At Zeltennia, Ovelia and Delita discuss their personal histories. Delita 
     pledges to build a new Ivalice.
#8:  Luso is pursued by Behemoths across Zeklaus Desert; Ramza throws a sword 
     to rescue him.

--Chapter IV--
#9:  Delita's reveals the Church's plans to Ramza at a church in Zeltennia.
     Zalmour arrives and surrounds the church.
#10: Thieves ambush Ramza in Dorter; Balthier appears on the scene.  [optional; 
     only seen if you complete the Recruiting Balthier subquest]
#11: Ending.  Account of Alazlam discovering Orran's papers.   Ramza and Alma 
     ride off into the sunset.
#12: End credits.

                               !!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

%%%FF REFERENCES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00ffr

I haven't included FF series mainstays like the classes, summon monster gang, 
Chocobos and other monsters, Cid, etc. just the references to specific games.

Final Fantasy I:
  Wonders: Mirage Tower, Fortress of Trials, Matoya Cave, Shrine of Chaos
  Artefacts: Rat's Tail

Final Fantasy II:
  Wonders: Pandaemonium, Semitt Falls, Shrine of Chaos (Jade)
  Artefacts: Minwu Orb

Final Fantasy III:
  Wonders: Forbidden Land Eureka, Crystal Tower, Falgabard, Tozus Village
  Errands: Enterprise, Yggdrasil (World Tree), Chocobo Restaurant Gisahl
  Other: Salonia (Materia), Unei (in proposition "Endless Caverns")

Final Fantasy IV:
  Wonders: Tower of Babel, Castle of Trials, Chocobo Forest
  Artefacts: Lugae, Calcobrena, Rat's Tail
  Errands: Enterprise, Anna and Gilbert [Edward], Assault
                Door ("Minimum's Melancholy")

Final Fantasy V:
  Wonders: Ronkan Ruins
  Artefacts: Excalipoor
  Other: Almagest spell, Boco, Byblos, Apanda, Mossfungus (Mossfungus
         is an enemy in the last dungeon)

Final Fantasy VI:
  Wonders: Phantom Train, Floating Continent
  Errands: Setzer, Blackjack

Final Fantasy VII:
  Artefacts: Materia, St. Elmo's Fire [attack used by Ghost Ships]
  Errands: Black-caped man ("Nightwalker"), Highwind
  Multiplayer Missions: Teioh the chocobo
  Other: Cloud and Aerith (duhhh.....), Adamantainmai (mentioned
         in a work history, it's an enemy near Wutai)

Ogre Battle:
  Other: Zodiac Stones, Zeltennia

*******************************************************************************
XIV. PSONE->PSP CHANGES
*******************************************************************************

%%%GAME CHANGES%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00psone

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions was originally released in 1997 
(Japan) and 1998 (North America) as Final Fantasy Tactics on the PSone.

Here's a list of the known changes between the 2007 PSP version and the 
original 1997/1998 PSone version:

* Two new crossover characters have been added as party members: Balthier, from 
Final Fantasy XII, and Luso, from the forthcoming Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 
2 (try saying that two times fast!).

* Additional subquests and accompanying battles have been added to Chapter IV.  
In addition to the mission to recruit Balthier, there are also the new Agrias's
Birthday, Disorder in the Order, and Lionel's New Liege Lord quests.

* Two new jobs are available for all characters: Dark Knight and Onion Knight.

* Two multiplayer modes have been added.  One allows you to compete against 
other player's team.  The other has you team up with another player to clear a 
variety of special missions.  Both are playable only over an "Ad Hoc" (i.e.: 
local) connection -- no Internet play, sadly.

* The maximum roster size has been increased by 8 (from 16 to 24), to allow
you to add Luso and Balthier to your crew without having to kick out any of the
other story characters.

* Key story scenes are now illustrated with cel-shaded animated cutscenes and 
voice acting, instead of the in-game cutscenes and CG movies of the original.

* There are a number of new story scenes and battles added to the main 
storyline, including:
  - Loffrey recruiting Wiegraf near the end of Chapter II.
  - Delita traveling with Ovelia at Zeirchele Falls, also near the end of
    Chapter II.  (This scene also involves a new story battle!)
  - Ramza's meeting with Luso in Chapter III and the battle to rescue him.
  - As assasination attempt against Ovelia near the end of Chapter III.
    (There's a new Delita battle here as well.)
  - Delita demonstrating the blade-of-grass whistle to Ovelia soon after the 
    beginning of Chapter IV.
  - A battle against Argath at Limberry Castle in Chapter IV.
  - An additional battle against Cletienne in Dorter on the way back to Eagrose
    in Chapter IV.

* Job prerequisites and ability JP costs have been changed--specifically, some
jobs now require the prerequisite jobs to be leveled up to a higher level, and 
some abilities cost more JP to learn.

* The Speed of some abilities has also been changed.  Some abilities (mostly
Summons, plus a few Time Mage abilities and the Mystic's Petrify/Induration) 
now take longer to charge.

* The "Crush" abilities used by Meliadoul and Orlandeau can now still damage 
enemies even if they don't have the relevant piece of equipment.  This means
that these abilities can also now damage monsters, making them a lot more
useful!

* New pieces of equipment have been added.  A few are obtainable in the single-
player game as Balthier's initial equipment; the rest can only be found by
completing the multiplayer missions.

* The quest to recruit Cloud is immediately after completing Fort Besselat (and
the other prerequisite subquests).  In the PSone version, this quest could not
be done until substantially later--after defeating Adrammelech.

* It's no longer possible to steal any of Elmdore's equipment. Actually, this 
is consistent with the original Japanese PSone release, where you couldn't 
steal his equipment either--the ability to steal his gear is unique to the
North American PSone version.

* The "item duplication" trick/glitch (which allowed you to buy extra copies of 
some weapons that you couldn't normally buy) has been removed from the game, as
has the glitch that allowed you to earn infinite JP via a bug in the ability-
learning menu.

* Instead of using the Gregorian Calendar (January to December), dates are now
displayed in Zodiac format (e.g. 3 Capricorn).  The year also now alternates
between "Wet months" (in which storms are more likely) and "Dry months,"
similar to the cycle on Final Fantasy XII's Giza Plains.

* Victory conditions for the Bethla Garrison/Fort Besselat sluice battle in 
Chapter IV have changed.  In the PSone version, you had to throw a pair of
switches to finish the battle.  This meant that you could hang around even 
after you'd killed all the enemies to have your characters hit each other and
easily level up.  In the PSP version, the battle ends as soon as you defeat all
the enemies.

* All of Rapha's skills are now learnable as soon as she joins the party.  In
the PSone version, many did not appear until Chapter IV.

* In the PSone version, using a spell or special technique would occasionally
cause the character to shout out a special quote (e.g. "Life is short...Bury!
Steady Sword!").  These quotes have been removed from the PSP version.

* In the PSP version, when a summon spell is cast, the name of that summon's
special attack is displayed (e.g. Shiva casts "Glacial Shards"), as in most
Final Fantasy games.  The PSone version simply displayed the name of the
summoned creature itself (e.g. "Shiva").  Similarly, each Iaido ability now has 
a special name when being cast, rather than simply the name of the katana.

* In the PSone version, the game would cycle through various "attract" movies--
a trailer for the game and videos demonstrating all the jobs--if left on the
title screen for a while.  These movies do not exist in the PSP version; the 
title sequence just repeats over and over if the game is left running on the 
title menu.

* The icons for some of the status conditions have been changed -- probably to
be more visible on a smaller screen.

* Some other visual display elements have also been changed.  For example, the 
party roster screen now has more characters per row (to fit the widescreen
format), the victory condition and battle clear screens are different, and the
text map on the map screen is printed in a different & bigger font.

* On the bad side of things, the game runs somewhat slower than the original 
PSone version.

* Also on the bad sides, some of the sound effects (e.g. some ability effects, 
and the "death screams" when characters are KOed) also sound different (and
poorer) on the PSP hardware.  To be honest, I have such a tin ear for these 
kinds of differences that it's hard for me to tell exactly what has and hasn't 
changed, but it's been widely reported that they do sound different :)

* And, of course, the game has been retitled Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of 
the Lions, given a new logo, and rebranded as part of Square Enix's new Ivalice 
Alliance franchise.

In addition, the North American, European, and Australian releases boast some 
further changes:

* The game has been completely retranslated, with the Engrish-y awkwardness 
from the original version being replaced with a "medieval" style similar to the 
English version of Final Fantasy XII.  If you're familiar with the old 1998 
PSone translation and want to get up to speed with the new one, check out the
name conversion guide below.

* The slowdown in the North American and European releases is not as bad as it 
was in the Japanese PSP release (or so I'm told).

* The X and O button mappings are reversed from the North American PSone 
release -- X now selects things in menus and O cancels, as in almost all North 
American releases.  (Explanation: In Japanese versions of games, using O to 
select and X to cancel is actually the standard.  In North America, the 
reverse is true; usually X selects and O cancels.  Games being localized from 
Japan generally have the X and O buttons swapped -- in fact, this is a Sony-
mandated change.  The original PSone translation of FF Tactics apparently 
slipped through the cracks, in keeping with the general kookiness of its 
localization, and ended up with the O button to confirm.  The PSP localization 
brings things back in life with the North American standard.)

%%%NAME CONVERSION CHART%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%00names

The new English translation has changed quite a few names from the much-
maligned 1998 translation seen in the PSone version, so I've provided this 
chart to help FF Tactics veterans get up to speed with the new translation.

---Game Mechanics--------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation]      [2007 PSP translation]
Brave                         Bravery
Propositions                  Errands
Treasure (from Prop.s)        Artefacts
Unexplored Land               Wonders of the Ancient World
Strengthen: (equipment)       Boosts:
Cancel: (equipment)           Immune:
Always: (equipment)           Equip:
Bonus Gil                     Bonus Coin

STATUS CONDITIONS
Transparent                   Invisible
Darkness                      Blind
Petrify                       Stone
Frog                          Toad
Don't Move                    Immobilize
Don't Act                     Disable
Blood Suck                    Vampire
Death Sentence                Doom
Invitation                    Traitor
Innocent                      Atheist

---Story-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation]      [2007 PSP translation]

CHARACTERS
Adramelk                      Adrammelech
Alazlam J.D.                  Arazlam Durai
Algus Sadalfas                Argath Thadalfus
Alphons Draclau               Alphonse Delacroix
Altima                        Ultima
Balbanes Beoulve              Barbaneth Beoulve
Balk Fenzol                   Barich Fendsor
Balmafula Lanandu             Valmafra Lenande
Besrodio Bunanza              Besrudio Bunansa
Bestrada Larg                 Bestrald Larg
Beowulf Kadmus                Beowulf Cadmus
Buremonda                     Bremondt
Cidolfas Orlandu              Cidolfus Orlandeau
Delita Hyral                  Delita Heiral
Druksmald Goltana             Druksmald Goltanna
Elidibs                       Elidibus
Gaff Gafgarion                Goffard Gaffgarion
Gelkanis Barinten             Gerrith Barrington
Golagros Levine               Gragoroth Levigne
Gustav Margueriff             Gustav Margriff
Hashmalum                     Hashmal
Izlude Tingle                 Isilud Tengille
Kletian Drowa                 Cletienne Duroi
Lede                          Lettie
Malak Galthana                Marach Galthena
Marge Funeral                 Marcel Funebris
Mesdoram Elmdor               Messam Elmdore
Miluda Folles                 Milleuda Folles
Mustadio Bunanza              Mustadio Bunansa
Olan Durai                    Orran Durai
Omdolia Atkascha              Ondoria Atkascha
Orinas Atkascha               Orinus Atkascha
Professor Bordam Daravon      Master Darlavon
Queklain                      Cuchulainn
Rad                           Ladd
Rafa Galthana                 Rapha Galthena
Reis Dular                    Reis Duelar
Rofel Wodring                 Loffrey Wodring
Rudvich Bart                  Ludovich Baert
Ruvelia Atkascha              Louveria Atkascha
Simon Pen Rakshu              Simon Penn-Lachish
Sinogue                       Syneugh
Teta Hyral                    Tietra Heiral
Velius                        Belias
Vicks                         Biggs
Vormav Tingel                 Folmarv Tengille
Worker 8                      Construct 8
Zalbag Beoulve                Zalbaag Beoulve
Zalmo Rusnada                 Zalmour Lucianada

TERMS
Hokuten Knights               Order of the Northern Sky
Nanten Knights                Order of the Southern Sky
Death Corps                   Corpse Brigade
Bart Company                  Baert Company
Temple Knights                Knights Templar
Black Sheep Knights           Blackram Knights
Lion's War                    War of the Lions
Mosfungus                     Mossfungus

CHAPTER TITLES
The Manipulator & the         The Manipulative & the
  Subservient                   Subservient
Somebody to Love              In the Name of Love

---Places----------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation]      [2007 PSP translation]

OVERWORLD
Ygros Castle                  Eagrose Castle
Sweegy Woods                  The Siedge Weald
Sand Rat Cellar               Sand Rat's Sietch
Thieves' Fort                 Brigands' Den
Lenalia Plateau               Lenalian Plateau
Fovoham Plains                Fovoham Windflats
Fort Zeakden                  Ziekden Fortress
Zirekile Falls                Zeirchele Falls
Fort City Zaland              Castled City of Zaland
Bariaus Hill                  Balias Tor
Zigolis Swamp                 Tchigolith Fenlands
Goug Machine City             Clockwork City of Goug
Warjilis Trade City           Port City of Warjilis
Bariaus Valley                Balias Swale
Golgorand Execution Site      Golgollada Gallows
Goland Coal City              Mining Town of Gollund
Lesalia Imperial Capital      Royal City of Lesalia
Grog Hill                     Grogh Heights
Yardow Fort City              Walled City of Yardrow
Yuguo Woods                   The Yuguewood
Doguola Pass                  Dugeura Pass
Bervenia Volcano              Mount Bervenia
Finath River                  Finnath Creek
Bed Desert                    Beddha Sandwaste
Bethla Garrison               Fort Besselat
Zarghidas Trade City          Trade City of Sal Ghidos
Germinas Peak                 Mount Germinas
Dolbodar Swamp                Dorvauldar Marsh
Murond Holy Place             Mullonde

DEEP DUNGEON/MIDLIGHT'S DEEP
Deep Dungeon                  Midlight's Deep
NOGIAS                        The Crevasse
TERMINATE                     The Stair
DELTA                         The Hollow
VALKYRIES                     The Catacombs
MLAPAN                        The Oubliette
TIGER                         The Palings
BRIDGE                        The Switchback
HORROR                        The Interstice
END                           Terminus

---Jobs------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation]      [2007 PSP translation]
Priest                        White Mage
Wizard                        Black Mage
Mediator                      Orator
Oracle                        Mystic
Lancer                        Dragoon
Calculator                    Arithmetician

SPECIAL JOBS
Delita's Sis                  Commoner
Dark Knight                   Fell Knight
Engineer                      Machinist
Heaven Knight                 Skyseer
Hell Knight                   Netherseer
Holy Swordsman                Sword Saint
Arc Knight                    Ark Knight
Temple Knight                 Templar
Steel Giant                   Automaton
Dragoner                      Dragonkin

ENEMY JOBS
Impure King                   The Impure
Holy Priest                   Celebrant
Warlock                       Gigas
Angel of Death                Death Seraph
Lune Knight                   Rune Knight
Ghost of Fury                 The Wroth
Regulator                     Bringer of Order

---Monsters--------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation]      [2007 PSP translation]
Gobbledeguk                   Gobbledygook
Cuar                          Coeurl
Vampire                       Vampire Cat
Explosion                     Exploder
Living Bone                   Skeletal Fiend
Bull Demon                    Wisenkin
Minitaurus                    Minotaur
Sacred                        Sekhret
Gust                          Ghast
Pisco Demon                   Piscodaemon
Squidlarkin                   Squidraken
Flotiball                     Floating Eye
Plague                        Plague Horror
Juravis                       Jura Aevis
Woodman                       Dryad
Taiju                         Elder Treant
Hyudra                        Hydra
Hydra                         Greater Hydra
Uribo                         Pig
Porky                         Swine
Apanda                        Reaver
Archaic Demon                 Archaeodaemon

---Abilities-------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation]      [2007 PSP translation]

SQUIRE
Basic Skill                   Fundaments
Accumulate                    Focus
Dash                          Rush
Throw Stone                   Stone
Heal                          Salve
Monster Skill                 Beastmaster
Gained Jp UP                  JP Boost

CHEMIST
Throw Item                    Throw Items
Maintenance                   Safeguard
Equip Change                  Reequip
Move-Find Item                Treasure Hunter

KNIGHT
Battle Skill                  Arts of War
* Break                       Rend *
Magic Break                   Rend MP
Mind Break                    Rend Magick
Weapon Guard                  Parry
Equip Armor                   Equip Heavy Armor

ARCHER
Charge+x                      Aim +x
Speed Save                    Adrenaline Rush
Arrow Guard                   Archer's Bane
Concentrate                   Concentration

MONK
Punch Art                     Martial Arts
Spin Fist                     Cyclone
Repeating Fist                Pummel
Wave Fist                     Aurablast
Earth Slash                   Shockwave
Secret Fist                   Doom Fist
Stigma Magic                  Purification
HP Restore                    Critical: Recover HP
Hamedo                        First Strike
Martial Arts                  Brawler
Move-HP UP                    Lifefont

WHITE MAGE/PRIEST
White Magic                   White Magicks
Cure 2                        Cura
Cure 3                        Curaga
Cure 4                        Curaja
Raise 2                       Arise
Protect 2                     Protectja
Shell 2                       Shellja
Regenerator                   Regenerate
Magic DefendUP                Arcane Defense

BLACK MAGE/WIZARD
Black Magic                   Black Magicks
Fire 2                        Fira
Fire 3                        Firaga
Fire 4                        Firaja
Bolt                          Thunder
Bolt 2                        Thundara
Bolt 3                        Thundaga
Bolt 4                        Thundaja
Ice                           Blizzard
Ice 2                         Blizzara
Ice 3                         Blizzaga
Ice 4                         Blizzaja
Frog                          Toad
Magic AttackUP                Arcane Strength

TIME MAGIC
Time Magic                    Time Magicks
Haste 2                       Hasteja
Slow 2                        Slowja
Don't Move                    Immobilize
Demi                          Gravity
Demi 2                        Graviga
MP Switch                     Mana Shield
Short Charge                  Swiftness
Float [movement ability]      Levitate

SUMMONER
Summon Magic                  Summon
Silf                          Sylph
Fairy                         Faerie
Zodiac                        Zodiark
MP Restore                    Critical: Recover MP
Half of MP                    Halve MP

THIEF
Gil Taking                    Steal
Caution                       Vigilance
Gilgame Heart                 Gil Snapper
Catch                         Sticky Fingers
Secret Hunt                   Poach

ORATOR/MEDIATOR
Talk Skill                    Speechcraft
Invitation                    Entice
Persuade                      Stall
Threaten                      Intimidate
Solution                      Enlighten
Death Sentence                Condemn
Negotiate                     Beg
Finger Guard                  Earplug
Train                         Tame
Monster Talk                  Beast Tongue

MYSTIC/ORACLE
Yin-Yang Magic                Mystic Arts
Blind                         Umbra
Spell Absorb                  Empowerment
Life Absorb                   Invigoration
Pray Faith                    Belief
Doubt Faith                   Disbelief
Zombie                        Corruption
Silence Song                  Quiescence
Blind Rage                    Fervor
Foxbird                       Trepidation
Confusion Song                Delirium
Dispel Magic                  Harmony
Paralyze                      Hesitation
Sleep                         Repose
Petrify                       Induration
Absorb Used MP                Absorb MP
Defense UP                    Defense Boost
Any Weather                   Ignore Weather
Move-MP Up                    Manafont

GEOMANCER
Elemental                     Geomancy
Pitfall                       Sinkhole
Water Ball                    Torrent
Hell Ivy                      Tanglevine
Carve Model                   Contortion
Local Quake                   Tremor
Kamaitachi                    Wind Slash
Demon Fire                    Will-o'-the-Wisp
Blizzard                      Snowstorm
Gusty Wind                    Wind Blast
Lava Ball                     Magma Surge
Counter Flood                 Nature's Wrath
Attack UP                     Attack Boost
Any Ground                    Ignore Terrain
Move on Lava                  Lavawalking

DRAGOON/LANCER
Level Jump x                  Horizontal Jump x
Dragon Spirit                 Dragonheart
Equip Spear                   Equip Polearms
Ignore Height                 Ignore Elevation

SAMURAI
Draw Out                      Iaido
Asura                         Ashura
Koutetsu                      Kotetsu
Bizen Boat                    Osafune
Heaven's Cloud                Ama-no-Murakumo
Meatbone Slash                Bonecrusher
Blade Grasp                   Shirahadori
Two Hands                     Doublehand
Walk on Water                 Swim

NINJA
Ball                          Bomb
Stick                         Pole
Spear                         Polearm
Knight Sword                  Knight's Sword
Dictionary                    Book
Sunken State                  Vanish
Abandon                       Reflexes
Two Swords                    Dual Wield
Move in Water                 Waterwalking

ARITHMETICIAN/CALCULATOR
Math Skill                    Arithmeticks
Prime Number                  Prime
3                             Multiple of 3
4                             Multiple of 4
5                             Multiple of 5
Distribute                    Cup of Life
Damage Split                  Soulbind
Gained Exp UP                 EXP Boost
Move-Get Exp                  Accrue EXP
Move-Get JP                   Accrue JP

BARD
Sing                          Bardsong
Angel Song                    Seraph Song
Life Song                     Life's Anthem
Cheer Song                    Rousing Melody
Battle Song                   Battle Chant
Magic Song                    Magickal Refrain
Last Song                     Finale
MA Save                       Magick Boost
Face Up                       Faith Boost

DANCER
Wiznaibus                     Mincing Minuet
Polka Polka                   Polka
Disillusion                   Heathen Frolic
Nameless Dance                Forbidden Dance
Last Dance                    Last Waltz
A Save                        Fury
Brave Up                      Bravery Boost

SQUIRE [Ramza]
Guts                          Mettle
Accumulate                    Focus
Dash                          Rush
Throw Stone                   Stone
Heal                          Salve
Yell                          Tailwind
Wish                          Chant
Cheer Up                      Steel
Scream                        Shout
Equip Axe                     Equip Axes
Monster Skill                 Beastmaster
Gained Jp UP                  JP Boost

DARK KNIGHT / FELL KNIGHT
Dark Sword [command]          Fell Sword
Night Sword                   Shadowblade
Dark Sword [ability]          Duskblade

HOLY KNIGHT
Stasis Sword                  Judgment Blade
Split Punch                   Cleansing Strike
Crush Punch                   Northswain's Strike
Lightning Stab                Hallowed Bolt
Holy Explosion                Divine Ruination

PRINCESS & CLERIC
Holy Magic                    Holy Magick
Mbarrier                      Aegis
Deathspell 2                  Dispelna

ENGINEER / MACHINIST
Snipe                         Aimed Shot
Leg Aim                       Leg Shot
Arm Aim                       Arm Shot

ASTROLOGIST / ASTROLOGER
Starry Heaven                 Astrology
Galaxy Stop                   Celestial Stasis

HEAVEN KNIGHT / SKYSEER
Truth                         Sky Mantra
Heaven's Thunder              Heaven's Wrath
Asura                         Ashura
Diamond Sword                 Adamantine Blade
Hydragon Pit                  Maelstrom
Space Storage                 Celestial Void
Sky Demon                     Divinity

HELL KNIGHT / NETHERSEER
Un-Truth                      Nether Mantra
Heaven Bltback                Hell's Wrath
Asura Back                    Nether Ashura
Dia Swrd Back                 Nether Blade
Dragn Pit Back                Nether Maelstrom
Space Str Back                Corporeal Void
Sky Demon Back                Impiety

HOLY SWORDSMAN / SWORD SAINT
All Swordskill                Swordplay

DIVINE KNIGHT
Mighty Sword                  Unyielding Blade
Shellbust Stab                Crush Armor
Blastar Punch                 Crush Helm
Hellcry Punch                 Crush Weapon
Icewolf Bite                  Crush Accessory

ARC KNIGHT / ARK KNIGHT
Destroy Sword                 Blade of Ruin
* Ruin                        *sap

TEMPLE KNIGHT / TEMPLAR
Magic Sword                   Spellblade
Aspel                         Syphon
Innocent                      Doubt
Despair                       Dispel
Shock!                        Vengeance

STEEL GIANT / AUTOMATON
Work                          Tasks
Crush                         Pulverize

DRAGONER / DRAGONKIN
* Bracelet                    * Breath
Dragon Tame                   Dragon's Charm
Dragon Care                   Dragon's Gift
Dragon PowerUp                Dragon's Might
Dragon LevelUp                Dragon's Speed

SOLDIER
Braver                        Brave Slash

BYBLOS
Energy                        Energize
Shock                         Vengeance
Difference                    Manaburn

ENEMY JOB ABILITIES
Use Hand                      Subdual Arts
Stop Bracelet                 Suffocate
Teleport 2                    Master Teleportation

MONSTER ABILITIES
Choco Attack                  Choco Beak
Choco Ball                    Choco Pellets
Scratch                       Claw
Poison Nail                   Venom Fang
Cat Kick                      Cat Scratch
Blood Suck                    Vampire
Small Bomb                    Bomblet
Turn Punch                    Spin Punch
Bloodfeast                    Mutilate
Knife Hand                    Chop
* Soul                        * Anima
Aqua Anima                    Water Anima
Wave Around                   Feral Spin
Blow Fire                     Breathe Fire
Mimic Titan                   Earthsplitter
Gather Power                  Beef Up
Throw Spirit                  Ectoplasm
Grease Touch                  Oily Touch
Tentacle                      Tentacles
Black Ink                     Ink
Odd Soundwave                 Dischord
Look of Fright                Dread Gaze
Wing Attack                   Wing Buffet
Look of Devil                 Bewitching Gaze
Death Sentence                Doom
Circle                        Beam
Scratch Up                    Talon Dive
Shine Lover                   Glitterlust
Beaking                       Peck
Shake Off                     Pickaxe
Leaf Dance                    Leaf Rain
Spirit of Life                Life Nymph
Protect Spirit                Guardian Nymph
Clam Spirit                   Shell Nymph
Bad Bracelet                  Bad Breath
Malboro Virus                 Malboro Spores
Stab Up                       Gore
Sudden Cry                    Heave
Dash                          Charge
Tail Swing                    Tail Sweep
Hurricane                     Twister
Ulmaguest                     Almagest
Triple *                      Tri-*
Straight Dash                 Reckless Charge
Oink                          Squeak
Pooh-                         Toot
Nose Breath                   Snort
Please Eat                    Bequeath Bacon

---Equipment-------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation]      [2007 PSP translation]
ITEM CATEGORIES
Ninja Sword                   Ninja Blade
Knight Sword                  Knight's Sword
Hammer                        Flail
Dictionary                    Book
Spear                         Polearm
Stick                         Pole
Ribbon                        Hair Adornment
Mantle                        Cloak
Magic Ball                    Bomb

WEAPONS
Zorlin Shape                  Zwill Straightblade
Hidden Knife                  Ninja Blade
Ninja Knife                   Kunai
Short Edge                    Kodachi
Ninja Edge                    Ninja Longblade
Spell Edge                    Spellbinder
Sasuke Knife                  Sasuke's Blade
Koga/Iga Knife                Koga/Iga Blade
Nagrarock                     Nagnarok
Sleep Sword                   Sleep Blade
Koutetsu                      Kotetsu
Bizen Boat                    Osafune
Heaven's Cloud                Ama-no-Murakumo
Rainbow Staff                 Serpent Staff
Wizard Staff                  Mage's Staff
Sage Staff                    Staff of the Magi
Faith Rod                     Rod of Faith
Flail                         Iron Flail
Flame Whip                    Flame Mace
Romanda Gun                   Romandan Pistol
Blaze Gun                     Glacial Gun
Glacier Gun                   Blaze Gun
Blast Gun                     Blaster
Night Killer                  Knightslayer
Gastrafitis                   Gastrophetes
Ultimus Bow                   Artemis Bow
Bloody Strings                Bloodstring Harp
Fairy Harp                    Faerie Harp
Battle Dict                   Battle Folio
Monster Dict                  Bestiary
Papyrus Plate                 Papyrus Codex
Madelgelm                     Omnilex
Oberisk                       Obelisk
H Bag                         Hydrascale Bag
C Bag                         Croakadile Bag
P Bag                         Pantherskin Bag
FS Bag                        Fallingstar Bag
Persia                        Damask Cloth
Ryozan Silk                   Wyrmweave Silk

SHIELDS
Platina Shield                Platinum Shield
Kaiser Plate                  Kaiser Shield

HELMS
Barbuta                       Barbut
Cross Helm                    Close Helmet
Feather Cap                   Plumed Hat
Triangle Hat                  Wizard's Hat
Twist Headband                Headband
Holy Miter                    Celebrant's Miter
Black Hood                    Black Cowl
Flash Hat                     Lambent Hat
Thief Hat                     Thief's Cap

ARMOR
Platina Armor                 Platinum Armor
Carabini Mail                 Carabineer Mail
Reflect Mail                  Mirror Mail
Leather Outfit                Leather Clothing
Leather Vest                  Leather Plate
Chain Vest                    Ringmail
Adaman Vest                   Adamant Vest
Judo Outfit                   Jujitsu Gi
Power Sleeve                  Power Garb
Earth Clothes                 Gaia Gear
Black Costume                 Black Garb
Wizard Outift                 Wizard Clothing
Secret Clothes                Ninja Gear
Rubber Costume                Rubber Suit
Linen Robe                    Hempen Robe
Silk Robe                     Silken Robe
Light Robe                    Luminous Robe
Robe of Lords                 Lordly Robe

ACCESSORIES
Spike Shoes                   Spiked Boots
Feather Boots                 Winged Boots
Sprint Shoes                  Hermes Shoes
Power Wrist                   Power Gauntlet
Magic Gauntlet                Magepower Glove
Genji Gauntlet                Genji Glove
Defense Ring                  Protect Ring
Magic Ring                    Magick Ring
N-Kai Armlet                  Nu Khai Armband
108 Gems                      Japa Mala
Defense Armlet                Guardian Bracelet
Diamond Armlet                Diamond Bracelet
Small Mantle                  Shoulder Cape
Leather Mantle                Leather Cloak
Wizard Mantle                 Mage's Cloak
Elf Mantle                    Elven Cloak
Dracula Mantle                Vampire Cape
Feather Mantle                Featherweave Cloak
Vanish Mantle                 Invisibility Cloak
Salty Rage                    Sortile'ge
Setiemson                     Septie`me

ITEMS
Eye Drop                      Eye Drops
Echo Grass                    Echo Herbs
Soft                          Gold Needle
Magic Shuriken                Fuma Shuriken
Yagyu Darkness                Yagyu Darkrood
Fire Ball                     Flameburst Bomb
Water Ball                    Snowmelt Bomb
Lightning Ball                Spark Bomb

---Errands---------------------------------------------------------------------
[1998 PSone translation]      [2007 PSP translation]
TREASURES/ARTEFACTS
Four Gods Set                 Four-Deity Plate
Statue of Lylis               Statuette of Lilith
Beetle Charm                  Scarab Charm
Zeni-Sword                    Coin Blade
Malice Mask                   Hanya Mask
Kid's Bread                   Moppet Bread
Adult's Bread                 Goliath Bread
Yurgeivogue                   Lugae
M-Fiction Novel               Mesa's Musings
Diary of Nanai                Nanai's Histories
Wyuvle                        Veil of Wiyu
Book of Enavia                Enavia Chronicles
Magical Gun                   Enchanted Pistol
M Machinegun                  Enchanted Machinegun
Magi-Sword                    Zanmato
Minu Orb                      Orb of Minwu
Tarot of Ben                  Tarot de Bennstat
Excalipar                     Excalipoor
Parasite Tree                 Yggdrasil Mistletoe
Longibunne Spear              Lance of Longibunne

UNEXPLORED LAND/WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
Magic Continent               Floating Continent
Castle of Trials              Fortress of Trials
Falgabird                     Falgabard
Magic Train                   Phantom Train
Touzas Village                Tozus Village
Semite Falls                  Semitt Falls

*******************************************************************************
XV. CREDITS / DISCLAIMER                                                 00cred
*******************************************************************************

This FAQ is copyright 1998 and 2007 by Fritz Fraundorf.  Final Fantasy Tactics: 
The War of the Lions is copyright 1997 and 2007 by Square Enix.  This FAQ is 
not associated with or endorsed by Square Enix or Sony.

You may freely distribute this FAQ if it is not altered in any way and I am 
credited.

This FAQ is distributed by weight, not volume, and some settling of its 
contents may have occured during shipping.

%%%CREDITS%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

---PSP VERSION CREDITS---------------------------------------------------------

- Aaron N. Price for the name of one of the errands in the new translation.
- ace luna for suggesting I add a note about Midlight's Deep always staying
  red on the map.
- Agostino Gruppi for pointing out typos in the range for bows and crossbows.
- Albert K.G. for the late-game save files that allowed me to quickly update
  a lot of the retranslated names, for some of the starting conditions for the 
  new subquests, and for Dark Knight stats and abilities.
- Alexander Scott for suggesting I add using cure spells on the undead to the
  Various Tricks section.
- Andrew Lyfoung for the PSP version's removal of the infinite-JP trick.
- Anocruxis via the GameFAQs.com secrets page for the procedure for
  recruiting Balthier.
- Archie Fiasco for suggestions on how to level up characters without Focus.
- azymyth for info on the new Chapter IV Argath battle and some of the info.
  on how your choice on Mandalia Plain in Chapter I affects your Bravery.
- BradyGames's official guide for the game for the Brass Coronet stats and for
  the location of the Blood Sword during the Eagrose Castle Keep battle.
- Brent Clevenger for pointing out that the Balthier quest isn't immediately
  available in Chapter IV.
- Carlos Alexandre for pointing out some of the merits of Ramza's Squire job.
- Cecil Beoulve for the Oracle level-down stat raising trick.
- Chris Ng for confirming that buying Aerith's flower is a one-time 
  opportunity and for the bug where enemies use swordskills without a sword.
- Cody Hickman for suggesting the missable items list.
- Cristiano Bruzzo for some of the new JP costs for abilities.
- Darius Rodriguez for the info on how Bravery and Faith increases are 
  calculated after a battle.
- Darrel Wade for noting that monks can equip clothes, and correcting the
  price of two of the guns.
- David Jamison for correcting the location of the Faerie Harp.
- Derek Kupper for pointing out that bows are unlike all other weapons in that
  they don't require a direct line of fire.
- Desmond Gaban for the correct size of the roster increase in the PSP version.
- Doug for pointing out that you can't steal a Blood Sword from Gaffgarion
  until the Gallows.
- Doug Prevo for more info. on enemies using swordskills without a sword.
- Drew Seleski for correcting the amount that Intimidate and Enlighten lower
  Bravery and Faith.
- Edgar Hernandez for pointing out I had the coordinates for the Excalibur
  reversed in the Midlight's Deep item locations.
- Emanuel Mak for learning Ultima in the multiplayer mode.
- Felix_Omni for Dark Knight, Sky Pirate, and Game Hunter abilities.
- Flaring Bahamut for when the new Cletienne battle occurs in Chapter IV, for 
  when Agrias's subquest actually becomes available, and for pointing out some
  typos :).
- Freaky Liar for highlighting Flails as a great weapon to throw.
- gunblade15 for using Balthier's Barrage to attack more than one enemy per
  turn, for reminding me to note the difference between the Angel Ring and the
  Chantage, for suggesting I make a more obvious warning about saving in
  the final sequence of battles, for pointing out a typo in the Nagnarok's
  stats, and for some of the stats on the multiplayer-only items.
- Gunther Kris Santos for catching a few more abilities with different JP costs
  in the PSP version.
- Harvey Ng Lee for when failed errands reappear in the Tavern, and for also
  pointing out the reversed Excalibur coordinates.
- Havamere for info on the Onion Knight.
- IGN.com and 1Up.com for information on some of the various changes to the PSP
  release.
- J.J. Garcia for pointing out that I had the Red Chocobo and Behemoth King
  poached items backwards, for when the Clockwork Faire errand is available, 
  and for pointing out a typo in the weapons list.
- James Derr for first suggesting the usefulness of Ramza's Steel ability in
  raising Bravery.
- Jason Wood for which quests do and don't require Alicia and Lavian, and that
  you only need to protect Beowulf during the *first* Lionel Castle battle.
- John Hoffman for the new names for the Deep Dungeon/Midlight's Deep floors,
  and the rumor necessary to start the Beowulf Subquest.
- Jonathan Tabish for some of the information on the sound effect changes in
  the PSP version.
- Johnny World for the new name of the Zorlin Shape (Zwill Straightblade).
- Joseph Welke for correcting the job prerequisities for Dragoon.
- Joshua Evans for pointing out a typo in one of the battle strategies.
- Juan Mejia for suggesting Aurablast and Leg Shot as useful abilities against
  Cuchulainn.
- Judg3m3nt for a couple tactics for the Lionel Castle Gate battle.
- kami_amaya via the GameFAQs.com secrets page for the sound test.
- Ken Bernardo for the current name and stats of the Almagest monster ability.
- Leonardo Vaz for Luso learning Ultima, for being able to catch Scorpion
  Tails with Sticky Fingers, and for the new names of the Great(er) Malboro
  and Malboro Virus (now Malboro Spores).
- Leonardo Vidal for some more requirements on the Tynar Rouge event.
- Logicmanhero for Dark Knight, Balthier, and Luso abilities.
- Luze for Reflexes mechanics and the Featherweave Cloak/Reflex combo.
- Manny for suggesting I add a note about the character departures due to low
  Bravery/high Faith.
- Matt Dorothy for Balthier being available as soon as you finish Bervenia.
- Mauro Schiavo and Benedict Icton for bringing the clear-game save problem to
  my attention.
- Michael Wood for using Hallowed Bolt on Belias.
- Minh Vu for pointing out the EXP section was misleading about when attack
  strength and speed go up, and for Mimes as a good alternative to Onion 
  Knights for stat grinding.
- Muhammad Iqbal for the FF VII reference in one of the multiplayer missions.
- Mytherial J for the changes to Meliadoul's abilities in the PSP version
  (they now work on unequipped enemies and monsters!)
- Not Dice for pointing out that the FAQ about stealing the Genji equipment was
  a little confusing.
- Olivier for pointing out when Cloud becomes available in the PSP version, and
  for being one of several readers to point out that Beowulf is available from 
  the start of Chapter IV.
- Pat Polk for correcting when the Tynar Rouge quest becomes available, for
  quite a few of the new PSP names, for correcting a few item locations in
  Midlight's Deep, for the Mana Shield + Manafont combo, for the Infinite
  Revival party strategy, for some of the mechanics of Balthier's Barrage
  ability, for insights on gaining levels, and for pointing out a few other 
  typos and errors.
- RalphTheBleeder for the Black Magicks strategy for Lionel Castle Gate.
- Reninzo for catching another point where I'd still said Reis couldn't use any
  equipment.
- RevenantThings and LDKAngel via the GameFAQs.com FF T secrets page for the
  PSP version job prerequisities.
- Rob Mako for the procedure for recruiting Luso.
- Romuald Brunet for suggesting Teleport at the Lionel Castle Gate battle.
- sahkuh on YouTube for the video demonstrating the Toad-based automated
  leveling technique.
- Sane Valios for info on the inability to steal from Elmdore in the PSP
  version.
- Seth X.H. for the correct prerequisites for the Nelveska Temple battle.
- Shaun Tang for pointing out the Chemist with the Glacial Gun in the colliery
  may have Maintenance, for suggesting Inviting the Pig in the colliery, for 
  pointing out that Beowulf is available at the beginning of Chapter IV, for 
  the Disable tactic on the Riovanes Castle Roof, and confirming that Luso can
  learn Ultima in Chapter III.
- Tam Thanh Truong for pointing out that I'd written "Oracle" instead of
  "Mystic" more than a few times in the FAQ.
- Tom Dougall for pointing out that my Learning Ultima instructions were a 
  little TOO opaque.
- Tony Lawrence for using Balthier's Barrage with Poach.
- Ty'ere Mosley for pointing out that Zodiark isn't learned 100% of the time
  when you're hit with the spell; it's random.
- UnshakableWill for recommending Break or other petrification/instant KO
  attacks as a strategy for the Finnath Creek battle.
- Vincent Cheng for suggesting clarifications to the Arithmetician's job
  description and for JP-raising tips.
- Warren for suggesting using Magick Break against Elidibus, for alternate
  strategies against Wiegraf/Belias, and for pointing out that Masamune Iaido 
  is somewhat limited in usefulness since Masamunes are so rare :P
- winddraco for the stats on almost all of the mutiplayer-only items, for 
  weapon damage stats, for confirming that the Tynar Rouge event never expires 
  even if you miss it on 1 Cancer the first time, for filling in the stats on 
  the Ribbon, for the mechanics of Balthier's Plunder and the Dark Knight 
  abilities, for when and how Onion Knights get more powerful, for Onion Knight 
  level up strategies, for Brawler improving stealing, for Cloud's Limit using
  Magick Attack, and for pointing out a couple typos and other goofs.
- XmushXroomX via the GameFAQs.com secrets page for "previewing" monster eggs.

---PSONE VERSION CREDITS-------------------------------------------------------

- Alex Jennings (ajenning@isd.net) for one FF reference.
- Andrew Schoonmaker (neon@eskimo.com) for general corrections, the Bonus Gil 
  info, and the Shock trick on the final battle.
- Ben Ford (bhford@ibm.net) for improving the Shoot Enemies Close to You Trick.
- Billy Sauls (doomsday@citynet.net) for tips on the "Roof of Doom" (Riovanes 
  Castle Roof).
- C.J. Showers (CaptainAndy98@yahoo.com) for info on the Bloody Strings 
  draining HP.
- cobblerob@softhome.net for the suggestion to use Teleport to light up the 
  Deep Dungeon.
- Dan Polcari (magus@cyberverse.com) for the Chaos Blade's stats, the Stop 
  Galaxy quote, and the Deep Dungeon / Vietnam War connection.
- David Artman (tzombie@netrox.net) for correcting which option to choose on 
  the battle to save Mustadio.
- D. B. Brown (dbrown1@stny.lrun.com) for suggestions on the Knight job.
- H. Clower (SeigfriedH@hotmail.com) for tips on the Riovanes Castle roof, 
  dismissal quotes, a lot of thoughts on various jobs, and correcting my 
  mistake on Fire/Ice/Bolt 4.
- Henry LaPierre (freeza@ix.netcom.com) for writing the Alundra FAQ.  This has 
  nothing to do with FF Tactics, but I never would have gotten through that 
  game without it.
- Jacob Carson (Zebra-38@worldnet.att.net) for most of the rare poaching items.
- James Yoon (daedelon1@hotmail.com) for some JP costs.
- Jason Narad (rdnarad@aiusa.com) for where to get the Escutcheon II and 
  Javelin II.
- Jason Wong (pchwong@netcom.ca) for stats on the Zorlin Shape and Scorpion 
  Tail.
- Jeff Smith (snsi@win.bright.net) for the suggest to Rend Weapon Gaffgarion.
- Jeremy Frey for some Draw Out quotes.
- jerid23@aol.com for the poaching list, as well as the stats on the other 
  perfumes.
- jjukil@aol.com for tips for the Riovanes Castle Roof, the Wild Boar 
  abilities, and the effect of Malboro Gem.
- joas@nbnet.nb.ca for some spell quotes and Riovanes Castle roof tips.
- John LaRusic (johnlr@telusplanet.net) for making the excellent HTML version 
  of the FAQ.
- Joshua Kodroff (jjk209@psu.edu) for the suggestion to use Phoenix Down on the 
  undead.
- Justin Kudo-Pfeiffer's (endymion@linex.com) Deep Dungeon Guide for a lot of 
  background info on the Deep Dungeon and the location of the Kaiser Plate.
- John Jung (locke@wam.umd.edu) for the effect of the Wild Boar's Please Eat 
  ability.
- Justin McKennon (xhacker_m998@hotmail.com) for spell quotes, character 
  quotes, the item stats I was missing, and the strategy for the Bethla 
  Garrison north gate.
- Ken Bernardo (DBnoise@aol.com) for noting that you need Mustadio to do the 
  Cloud subquest.
- Ladotheus (frivest@ibm.net) for the Monk / Dual Wield suggestion.
- Marcin Szymanski for the Mincing Minuet / Vanish strategy (from PSM Online).
- Masumo's Final Fantasy Tactics page (http://members.tripod.com/~masumo) for 
  some info on some of the poaching items, and stats on the Rubber Costume.
- Matt32 (teletech1@mindspring.com) for reminding me to add Golagros's name to 
  the walkthrough, and for the dismissal quotes I was missing
- Matthew Weng (agent99x@bmw.autobahn.org) for tips on stealing the Genji gear.
- Matt Hobbs (yelseyking@aol.com) for the Commonly Found part of the poaching 
  list, a lot of the poached item stats, the JP costs for the abilities I was 
  missing, propisition info, dismissal quotes, where to get the Sasuke Knife 
  and Nagrarock, and for revamping the ENTIRE spell quotes list.
- Mike Stucke (mastucke@concentric.net) for explaining the meaning of the Deep 
  Dungeon floor names.
- neelixbeta@aol.com for the Bard / Dancer JP trick and using Don't Move with 
  call spells.
- Not Me (nineteenounces@hotmail.com) for the explanation of how Jump and 
  axe/mace weapons work.
- oblivion@pegasus.rutgers.edu for being the first to point out that there 
  really ARE items on level 10, and for the "Holy Justice" team.
- Patrick Chalnik (pat@fur.com) for the stats on the second Escutcheon.
- Paul Nathans (elyzhutch@aol.com) for poaching info and pointing out the Wild 
  Boar monster.
- PlayStation Gamer (http://www.sol.no/games/psgamer) for the instructions on 
  how to get Cloud.
- PSM magazine for the location of the Vanish Mantle.
- PSM Online (http://www.psmonline.com) for the "buy unpurchasable items" 
  trick, and many of the ability strategies.
- Rori Bryant-Raible (CaitSith88@aol.com) for numerous tips and advice, plus 
  the weather effects.
- rpgskills@aol.com for the monster abilities I was missing, and some poaching 
  info.
- Shane Lile (ShaneLile@mindless.com) for mistranslations info.
- shinra2@yahoo.com for some poached items.
- t.g.cid@mindless.com for general info, stealing a Defender and Chantage from 
  Meliadoul, and the unhittable ninja.
- The Falcon (Falcon@kktv.com) for how JP and gil is determined on errands.
- The Mighty Octopus (tmo42@usaor.net) for one FF reference and the Brave/Faith 
  permanent change info.
- Tony Barath (serpent@wizardsinc.net) for where to find Dark Behemoths.
- Zachary Piper (zpiper@student.umass.edu) for strategies for Golgorand 
  Execution Site.
- And Square, for making one of my favorite strategy RPGs.