Walktrough FFXIII

Chapter 1: Hanging Edge

Watch the game's gorgeous but chaotic opening cinematic, you'll be thrust into battle with a Manasvin Warmech. Watch and participate in the tutorial to learn about auto-battle, and use it to get past the first section of this fight. After a brief cutscene you'll be fighting it again. Don't bother healing; just mash on the auto-battle button until the battle ends. Here you will get your first battle ranking, where you're scored on a scale of 5 stars.
When you finally have control of Lightning on the field, follow the path up to the first save point. Save your game (don't bother shopping now), then move on. Just ahead you'll find a pair of PSICOM Wardens to defeat, so take them out using auto-battle.
Ahead, it seems as though you can travel no further. Locate and approach the blue circle on the ground ahead to hop over the debris pile, take out the PSICOM Wardens ahead, and three more enemies beyond them. Jump over the next pile of debris, grab the Potion (that floating sphere to the left). Past that you'll face another PSICOM and two Pantherons. They're slightly tougher than the PSICOM soldiers, but not by much. From now on, you will want to watch your characters' HP gauges carefully. If you fall in combat, you will be revived at the last checkpoint you reached. Using potions in battle is far less time consuming than restarting from a prior checkpoint.

Aerorail Trussway 12-E/11-E

Just ahead to the right is a staircase. Head up and open the sphere for 2 Potions. Return to the main path, save at the save point, jump over the debris, defeat the PSICOM Enforcer and Aerial Recon on the other side, then head up the steps to the left. Open the sphere for an Iron Bangle and equip it on Lightning as her accessory.
Move forward on the linear path until you reach Sazh, who's watching a scene below. Drop off the ledge ahead and grab the 50 gil to the right. Try to sneak up on the PSICOM Wardens ahead to get the advantage in battle.

Just ahead you'll get a tutorial on item use in battle. You can skip it; taking part in the tutorial causes you to lose a Potion.
After the brief cutscene ahead, head up the ramp to fight three Pantherons and a PSICOM Warden. Watch your HP in this fight; you'll most likely need to use a Potion on Lightning or Sazh at some point. Afterward, go up the stairs, use the save point, then jump off the ledge and hit the switch to cross the gap.
Ahead you'll get a tutorial on Attack Chain. Here you'll learn about the Chain Gauge bar and Staggering, so pay close attention.
Watch the following cutscene, in which you meet a new character, Snow, who for some unfathomable reason likes to wear his hair down between his eyes.

Aerorail Trussway 5-W

As Snow, turn around and open the sphere for 50 gil. Move forward on the path to a save point, use it, and proceed up the debris ahead until a cutscene takes over.
Defeat the PSICOM soldiers ahead, then continue up the path, mowing down more of them until, yes, another cutscene kicks in. Kill more PSICOM grunts and Pantherons ahead, and watch another scene.

Aerorail Trussway 6-W

Open the sphere to the left for an Iron Bangle for Snow, then use the save point ahead. Defeat the PSICOM soldiers and Pantherons ahead, and then get ready for a mid-boss of sorts, the Beta Behemoth. Use auto-battle to attack it, and heal when your HP gets below 80. It has an attack that can damage everyone in your party for around that amount, so you'll want to be sure to heal up afterward if it uses it.
After another lengthy cutscene, save your game. Watch more cinematics, then fight the Myrmidon with Lightning and Sazh. Just hit it repeatedly with auto-battle, and use a Potion when either character's HP gets in the 70-80 range.

Aerorail Trussway 3-N

When you regain control of Snow, open the sphere ahead for a Power Circle. Equip it on him, use the nearby save point, then defeat the enemies ahead. Go up the steps and down the other side, then look in the alcove to the right for 100 gil. Continue on the path, defeating more PSICOM lackeys, then check out the bikes to trigger another cinematic.

Skybridge No. 103

As the new character, Hope, examine the bike in the center of the path to trigger a cutscene that ends this chapter.

Chapter 2: Pulse Vestige

Sacrarium

Defeat the Pantheron with Vanille and Hope, then go right down that path. Open the sphere for 30 gil, then return to the starting area. Check the alcoves for a save point, and use it. Note that you have a new shop available to now, not that you need to buy anything from it yet.
Head up the stairs to the right and go left. Clear this area of Pantherons and Zwerg Scandroids, and loot the sphere for 4 Potions. Head down the other set of stairs, defeat the enemies there, loot the sphere for an Iron Bangle, then jump over the debris by the bike to proceed.

Defeat the charging Pantherons and go right, and control will switch to Snow.

House of Stairs

Turn around and open the sphere for 2 Potions. Use the save point, kill the enemies beyond, then activate the switch.

Ambulatory

As Lightning, you'll get a primer on Shrouds. Use the save point ahead, then defeat the charging Pantherons. Head up the stairs, kill the enemies up there, and get the Phoenix Down from the sphere. Take out the Myrmidon guarding the stairs as you did the first one, then go up. Defeat the enemies up top, open the sphere for a Gladius for Lightning, then go up the next set of steps to face a Pantheron and a Myrmidon. Don't forget to heal if your HP gets too low in that fight.
After another cutscene, you'll be in control of Snow again.

House of Stairs, Part 2

Turn around and go straight to a sphere containing 2 Potions. Turn back around and go forward. Defeat the Pantheron and Zwerg Scandroids, then activate the switch. Head up the steps and get on the lift.

Sacrarium, Part 2

Defeat the enemies here and go up the stairs to the right. Turn right at the top, defeat those Scandroids, and open the sphere for a Fortisol. Turn around now and go straight to the next area.

Oblatorium

Save your game here, defeat the Pantherons, open the sphere for 100 gil, then proceed. Snow will join you here and help you defeat three Ghouls. Toss Hand Grenades to finish them off quickly.

Ambulatory, Part 2

Go left of the stairs, defeat the two Ghouls, then open the sphere for a Power Wristband. Equip it on Lightning and give her Iron Bangle to Sazh. Go up those stairs you passed, defeat all the Ghouls up there if you like, and at the top you'll face a Ghast. It's not particularly powerful, but it can cast Fire, which hits you for 70+ damage.
Use the save point ahead and continue to the next area.

Nave

Plow through the Ghouls and two Ghasts (keep your HP up in that battle!) here, get on the lift, head up the steps, watch the cutscene, and then Snow will join you.

Anima's Throne

Take out the Ghasts, Ghoul, and Wights here, and open the sphere to the left for 5 Potions. Save your game at the save point, use a Fortisol on your party, then proceed into the corridor to face the Anima, your first real boss.

Boss: Anima HP: 3,300 The Anima may look tough, but it's really a pushover. It dies when you defeat its center, but it's worth killing its Left and Right Manipulators, as the Anima will focus on reviving them for a short time, allowing you to hammer it without retaliation. The Manipulators each have 300 HP. Take them out with normal attacks, and once they fall, go hard on the Anima. Once it revives its Manipulators, defeat them again. Remember to use Potions when your HP drops below the 100 mark and you should come out of this fight victorious.

Watch the cutscene, then save your game at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 3: Lake Bresha

The Waters Stilled

This chapter begins with a tutorial on the paradigm system. Stick with the Relentless Assault paradigm until you're attacked by one of the Ghasts. At that point, switch to the Solidarity paradigm to heal, then switch back to Relentless Assault to finish off the Ghasts. You can now open the Paradigm menu outside of battle and experiment with your paradigms.
Head down the slope for a cutscene. You'll get a tutorial on the Crystarium, so use the CP you've obtained so far to boost your stats for each characters in whichever role they work best in.
Continue forward and go left at the fork. Kill the Ghouls and Ghasts in your way to reach a sphere containing a Pearlwing Staff for Vanille. Go back and take the right fork this time to reach a save point. Proceed forward, kill the Ghast and Wights, then jump up to the broken ledge to the right to find 7 Chipped Fangs. Keep moving forward, jumping up the debris, then look right for 200 gil. Approach Snow now to trigger a cutscene and another tutorial, this one on Command Execution. Use it to defeat these PSICOM fools.
Moving on, kill the group of Ghasts and Wights ahead, go right at the fork to obtain 5 Cie'th Tears, then take the left path down the hill.

Amid Timebound Waves

Defeat the four Breshan Bass here, then go left at the fork. Defeat the enemies there, then open the sphere for a Silver Bangle. Return to the fork and continue down the other path. Save at the save point, then cross the bridge and head down and up the hills to find some Pantherons to defeat. After they're dead, open the nearby sphere for a Phoenix Down.
Turn around and head up the hill to find another sphere: this one contains 50 gil. Head down the hill now. Defeat the Pantherons ahead, then look left for 8 vials of Strange Fluid. Continue forward to where the path forks. Defeat the PSICOM Enforcers and Warden there, then take the left path to find a Magician's Mark.
Take the right path now, save at the save point, and take a moment to set up a few new paradigms in addition to Relentless Assault and Solidarity:

• Commando/Ravager/Medic (Diversity)
• Ravager/Ravager/Ravager (Tri-Disaster)
• Ravager/Sentinel/Ravager (Mystic Tower)
• Ravager/Sentinel/Medic (Entourage)

Set your active paradigm to Solidarity. Now head down the hill.

A Silent Maelstrom

After the cutscene with Serah, you'll have to the Manasvin Warmech again, and this time it means business.

Boss: Manasvin Warmech HP: 32,400 A tutorial accompanies this battle. Pay attention to the advice it gives you about swapping between the Relentless Assault and Solidarity paradigms when you want to focus on, respectively, attacking and healing. Of course, we have new paradigms to choose from, if you followed our advice. The boss will start by hitting your party with Wave Cannon. If you did as we suggested and are in the Solidarity paradigm, Vanille should heal your party now. The boss then hits you with Crystal Rain, which Vanille should also heal you from. Switch to the Diversity paradigm now and start attacking. After you manage to fill the Chain Gauge and Stagger the boss, switch to the Tri-Disaster paradigm. Then you can really let loose with attacks. Keep an eye out for the Manasvin Warmech's hatch to open. This signals that it's about to use Wave Cannon/Crystal Rain again, so switch paradigms to Entourage until the attacks are over. Then switch back to Diversity, then to Tri-Disaster. Keep this up until you finally destroy this bucket o' bolts.

Head downhill to the bridge, where the zone changes.

Encased in Crystal

Defeat the Breshan Bass here, then go right at the fork. Obtain the 6 vials of Strange Fluid from the sphere, then drop down. Defeat the Pantherons, then take the left path across the ravine. Open the spheres on the other side for 240 gil and Deneb Duellers for Sazh, then go back and take the right path across the ravine to continue.

Defeat the Bloodfang Bass on the other side, then take the path right leading down to more Bass to kill. Kill them, then open the sphere for 6 vials of Enigmatic Fluid. Turn around and go back up the path, then take the other route around to the right to reach a ship. Examine it and it will fire its weapon at the wall on the other side of the nearby bridge, destroying it.
Before you cross the bridge, turn around and head up the slope to face four Pantherons guarding 7 Wicked Fangs. Now cross the bridge, killing in the Bass on it, then save at the save point on the other side and continue to a battle with an Alpha Behemoth, where you'll get a tutorial on battle techniques. After using Libra on the Behemoth, use a paradigm like Diversity to defeat it.
Check the dead-end path to the right for a Librascope, then follow the main path around to trigger a cutscene. Afterward, head down the hill to face a couple PSICOM Trackers. Go left now and follow that route to three Watchdrones. Defeat them, then go right at the fork. Open the sphere for 2 Digital Circuits, then cross the bridge to face two more PSICOM trackers and a Ranger.

The Frozen Falls

Climb the cliff and go right at the fork to find 2 Paraffin Oils and 50 gil. Keep climbing, then go right and jump over the gap. Open the sphere in the dead-end for 3 Insulated Cablings, then turn around and head in the other direction. Defeat the Watchdrone and Ciconia Velocycle, then use the save point to save. Head forward to trigger a cutscene. Now follow the ravine to the next zone, defeating the three Watchdrones en route.

Mirrored Morass

Proceed to a sphere containing 30 gil, then keep going to find another sphere, this one holding 6 Begrimed Claws. Move on.

Gates of Antiquity

Head up the stairs and save your game at the first landing. Continue up to face another Alpha Behemoth. Let it charge toward you and it will stop short. When it turns around, attack it for a Preemptive Strike. Check the alcove to the right for 600 gil, then head up the next set of steps to face some Watchdrones and a PSICOM Ranger. Turn right and check the back left corner of this open area for 2 Digital Circuits. Now take the main path up the ramp to the next zone.

Forgotten Commons

Go right and then right again to five 7 Begrimed Claws. Turn around and attack the PSICOM Rangers and Crusader, then the next group of the same enemies ahead. Look to the left for a Spark Ring, then follow the main path to some stairs leading to the next zone.

A City No Longer

Open the sphere here for 3 Potions, then go right to find a save point. Use it. Ignore Vanille's suggestion to use the shortcut and go left instead. Take out the Pantherons and PSICOM soldiers as you follow the path visible on your minimap around to a sphere containing Millerite. Keep going to face some PSICOM fools and Pantherons.
At the fork, go up the stairs to the right and defeat the PSICOM Ranger and Tracker up there. Open the sphere for some Ferroelectric Film. Drop down, defeat the PSICOM soldiers there, then move forward up the stairs to reach the next zone.
Remember: use that CP to boost your characters' stats in the Crystarium! You should be getting close to filling everyone's board at this point.

Echoes of the Past

Use the save point here, then check the area to the left for 2 Librascopes and the area to the right for a Phoenix Down. If you haven't already done so, you're going to want to set up a few paradigms:

• Commando/Ravager/Ravager (Relentless Assault)
• Commando/Medic/Ravager (Diversity)
• Ravager/Ravager/Ravager (Tri-disaster)
• Ravager/Medic/Ravager (Thaumaturgy)

Set your active paradigm to Diversity, save your game, then head up the steps to face a two-part boss battle!

Boss: Garuda Interceptor Part 1 HP: 8,000 The problem with the Garuda Interceptor is that it can easily Stagger anyone in your party with its single- or multi-target attacks. That said, it's still extremely weak, especially if you've been keeping up in the Crystarium. Keep attacking the boss until you've gotten its chain gauge to around 120%, then switch paradigms to Tri-disaster to get it Staggered. Keep dealing blows until the second phase of the battle kicks in. Part 2 HP: 16,200 As before, start in the Diversity paradigm. You'll notice quickly that your attacks don't deal much damage. This is because the boss is using a barrier that is resistant to both physical and magical attacks. To break this barrier, you must first Stagger the boss! Keep attacking the Interceptor until it flies around in the air and uses its Hellstorm Bolt attack, then switch to Tri-disaster. Keep attacking until you push it into Stagger. At that point, the battle is yours to win.

A Silent Maelstrom, Part 2

The Synergist role is available to Sazh now, and the Saboteur role is available to Vanille.
As Snow you must take out several PSICOM soldiers. You'll then get a tutorial on battling Eidolons. Basically, you must attack an Eidolon until you fill its gestalt gauge, then press the button displayed onscreen to claim victory.
You must now take out the two Shiva Sisters, Nix and Styria. Switch to the Sentinel paradigm and keep using Steelguard. Styria will keep healing you throughout the battle, so don't worry about dying. Keep using Steelguard until you see the "Gestalt Mode" prompt on the right side of your screen. Hit the appropriate button to win the battle and obtain the Shiva Eidolon.
Afterward, you'll get to meet a new character, Fang. Watch the scenes that bring this chapter to a close.

Chapter 4: Vile Peaks

Dismal Dunescape

Defeat the Pantherons that attack you at the start of this chapter. When you regain control, build up Sazh and Vanille's Crystarium, then head forward on the path to trigger a scene. You'll then be controlling Lightning and Hope and get a tutorial on the Synergist's role.
Save at the save point up the hill, build up your Crystarium (focus Hope on the Synergist role) then jump over the debris to the right to find a Thexteron to fight and a Librascope in a sphere. Jump back over the debris and follow the main path to a Thexteron and two Pantherons.

Wrack and Ruin

Jump to the catwalk ahead and keep jumping to follow the main path. Soon you'll find some Watchdrones to kill. They can mop the floor with you if you're not careful, so start with the Supersoldier paradigm to boost your defenses, then go nuts on the bots. Just ahead are more Watchdrones and a Thexteron. A Pulsework Soldier awaits just beyond. It's weak to lightning-based attacks, so switch to a paradigm that puts Lightning in the Ravagar role. Build up the Chain Gauge until you Stagger it, then keep attacking until it goes down. Now jump down the cliff.

Another Man's Treasure

You're controlling Sazh and Vanille now and will receive a tutorial on the Synergist role and three-way battles. Use the save point, then head forward on the path to find some Watchdrones attacking a Pulsework Soldier. Attack the Watchdrones first, but don't kill them until they've almost defeated the Pulsework Soldier to make your job easier. Activate the machine to open the path forward.
Kill the enemies ahead, then get ready for a 4-way battle ahead. Attack the Watchdrones first. After that, open the sphere for a Black Belt, then activate the panel at the back of the tunnel. Continue forward to a battle between Thexterons and Pulsework Soldiers. Focus on the Pulsework Soldiers first. Press on to reach Hope.
Hop up the machinery and rocks here, take out the Pulsework Soldier, open the sphere for a Ninurta weapon for Hope, then use the save point up the hill.
Defeat the Pulsework Soldier farther up, and the Incubi after that. Move forward to trigger a cutscene, then press on.

Munitions Necropolis

More Incubi await above in the figure-8 shaped area. Keep going up the hill to face another Pulsework Soldier, then continue up to face another one. Jump up the rocks to the circular area to the left to find a Phoenix Down, Metal Armband, and a save point.

Devastated Dreams

Return to the main path and head up to fight some Incubi and Pulsework Soldiers, then save at the next save point. Head up the path to reunite with Lightning.

Defeat the two Pulsework Soldiers up the path (this should be a lot easier now that you've got Lightning and her Commando role in your party again). Kill the Incubus and Succubus ahead, then hop up the rocks to find more to kill. Activate the panel just after that last group to create a new walkway.
Head up the steps and save your game at the save point, then kill the nearby Incubi/Succubi. Check the little tunnel for a sphere containing a Librascope. Now continue and kill the group of Incubi/Succubi after that. A little farther up are some Pulsework Soldiers and a Succubus guarding an Ember Ring. Continue up the rest of the path to reach a save point.
Here you should take a moment to set up some paradigms:

• Synergist/Commando/Saboteur (Bully)
• Ravager/Commando/Ravager (Relentless Assault)
• Ravager/Ravager/Medic (Thaumaturgy)
• Ravager/Ravager/Saboteur (Smart Bomb)
• Ravager/Ravager/Ravager (Tri-disaster)

Also, be sure to spend all your CP in the Crystarium (it should be mostly filled by now). Move forward to trigger a cutscene that precedes the next boss, the Dreadnought.

Boss: Dreadnought Part 1 HP: 17,940 Like the fight with the Garuda Interceptor, this is a two-part battle. Begin with the Bully paradigm and have Sazh cast Faith on himself and Vanille, and Bravery on Lightning. Vanille should be hitting the Dreadnought with Deshell and Deprotect (if not, you may have to cast Libra on the boss a couple times). After casting your buffs and when Lightning has gotten the boss's Chain Gauge up fairly high, swap paradigms to Tri-disaster and go to town with attacks. Keep an eye out for the Dreadnought's energy attack that hits a character for around 300 HP of damage and use a Potion when it stops attack to emit some steam. Continue the assault until you move to the second phase of the fight. Part 2 HP: 44,850 This phase is just like the first, except that the Dreadnought gains the ability to emit a ring of fire around it, damaging characters for around 70-80 HP of damage. As before, start with the Bully paradigm, cast Faith on Sazh and Vanille and Bravery on Lightning. Let Vanille debuff the boss while Lightning raises the Chain Gauge. Switch to Tri-disaster to lay on the damage, and use a Potion (or switch to the Thaumaturgy paradigm) to heal when necessary. After you Stagger it, keep attacking. Once the Stagger meter runs out, switch to Bully, rebuff everyone in your party, then repeat these tactics to Stagger the boss a second time. You should defeat it shortly after the second Stagger.

Lightning can now use the Medic role and Sazh can use the Commando role. Role and Accessory nodes have also been added to the Crystarium. You can also upgrade weapons and accessories now at save points.
Head up the path to reach a save point.

Scavenger's Trail

Move on to trigger a cutscene, after which you'll be fighting some PSICOM soldiers. Take them out (switch to the Double Dose paradigm to heal), then make sure you've got the War & Peace paradigm at your disposal. Have Lightning start spending her points in the Medic role to build toward the Accessory and Launch nodes. Hope should be working toward Ravager, then Synergist, then Medic.
You'll be facing Corps Gunners and Regulars on your way through this area. When the path forks in a small ring, go left and check the alcove for 3 Fiber-optic Cables. At the next ring, go right to find a Librascope. Just ahead is an Uhlan, which is weak to lightning and water and shouldn't be tough to beat. Use the save point just past it.

MINIGAME: After a couple PSICOM Trackers cause a fuss ahead, you'll take control of a Pulse Armament. Press the button marked onscreen (X for PS3 and A for 360) to deliver a sweeping blow toward the enemies here. Try to move toward each group of enemies carefully so that you take out as many as possible in one sweeping blow. Ten enemies will come in the first wave; wait for them to group around you, then use three sweeping blows. Nine enemies come in the second wave, and you have three power charges to use against them. Finally, 12 will come in the third wave, followed by four more from the nearby hatches. When you jump down to this last area, chase the enemeis to the right until they're grouped around you. Use a sweeping blow, then wait for the remaining enemies to gather before using a second sweep. Head to the bridge now and wait for the final eight enemies to retreat as far as they can, then approach them and use your final sweep to take them out.
Doing well here earns you greater rewards in the two treasure spheres just afterward. See the chart below for more info.

Pulse Armament Minigame
Sweeping Blow Kills	Reward (Gil)
40+	999
25-39	300
24 or less	100
Total Kills	Reward (Item)
35+	Spark Ring
25-34	Thickened Hide (x20)
24 or less	Sturdy Bone (x10)

Move on, opening the next sphere for 2 Electrolytic Capacitors, using the save point, and taking out the PSICOM Ranger first whenever you encounter one to avoid having him cast Protect or Shell on his buddies. When the path forks, go right, defeat the Uhlan and PSICOM soldier, and cross the bridge for a Spark Ring. When the path forks again, go right for a Phoenix Down.
Fight your way to the next save point, where you should take a moment to spend your CP. If you haven't already, create the following paradigms:

• Medic/Synergist (Symbiosis)
• Commando/Medic (War & Peace)

We also suggest opening the Settings menu and switching Battle Speed from Normal to Slow. Set your active paradigm to Symbiosis, equip whatever Spark Rings you have, save your game, then move on to face another Eidolon: Odin.
To fill Odin's Gestalt Gauge, you must heal the wounded, but also attack. Odin starts the fight with an onslaught of attacks. Let Hope cast Protect and Shell on both himself and Lightning while Lightning heals, then switch to the War & Peace paradigm. Attack Odin until he uses his Ullr's Shield ability, then switch to the Dualcasting paradigm. Keep this up, filling his gauge until he starts attacking again, then switch back to War & Peace. Keep alternating between the two (Dualcasting when he uses Ullr's Shield and War & Peace when he's not) until you're able trigger Gestalt Mode before the Doom counter drops to zero.
Afterward, the Odin Eidolon is yours! Head to the end of the path to trigger a cutscene and an Eidolon tutorial. Use your Eidolon to win the battle you're thrust into now. Control will then shift to Sazh and Vanille.

Scrap Processing

Create the Undermine paradigm (Ravager/Saboteur), which you'll want to use whenever you encounter a Pulsework Soldier, then turn around head back up the path to find a Phoenix Down. Move forward on the path to reach a save point. Use it, then press on. There are Bombs to fight in this zone, so be sure to kill them first whenever you encounter them to avoid their powerful Self-Destruct attack.
Activate the lever on the device ahead to create a walkway forward. Note the panels here: we're going to come back to activate them later. Follow the path around until it forks, and go right there to find a sphere containing an Auric Amulet. Move on to reach another save point. Follow the path forward and you'll eventually reach another sphere: this one holds an Ember Ring.

A little ways beyond you'll reach a machine with four control panels. Open the sphere to the right for a Phoenix Down, then activate all four panels on the outer walkways to open the way forward. Open the sphere on the inner walkway for a Fortisol, then fight your back to those panels you passed near the start of the area. The first panel (closest to the start of the zone) opens the path to a sphere containing 8 Iron Shells and is guarded by three Bombs and a Pulsework Soldier; use a Fortisol before entering this battle to ensure your survival! The second panel leads to a sphere containing 6 Vibrant Ooze and is guarded by three Pulsework Soldiers. The last panel leads to an elevator that takes you to a platform patrolled by two Pulsework Soldiers and three Gremlins. There's no sphere here, so only fight them if you want the CP.
Back at the four-paneled machine, move forward to the gate to fight two Bombs and two Pulsework Soldiers. If a Bomb looks like it's about to explode, switch to the War & Peace paradigm. Move on and open the last sphere for 300 gil. At this point, consider removing your party's accessories, as Sazh and Vanille don't take part in the next chapter and you may want to let others equip them.
Ahead, you'll take control of Snow. Head to the building in the middle of the area and talk to Lebreau, then head to the pier to end the chapter.

Chapter 5: Gapra Whitewood

Ecological Research

Begin this chapter by spending all your CP. Lightning should unlock her Accessory and Launch nodes, and Hope should be plowing through the Synergist role to unlock Barfrost, Barfire, and Accessory. Also, create the War & Peace paradigm (Medic/Commando). Battle through the Frag Leeches and Texterons past the save point to reach an elevator, and ride it up.

Canopy Wardwalks

Use this save point, then continue battling enemies until you reach a fork. Go left and fight the enemies there to find 3 Antidotes (though you'll have to fight an Alpha Behemoth to get to them; make sure to get a preemptive strike on it and use the Slash & Burn paradigm so Lightning Launches the beast), then go back and take the other path to the next elevator.

Research Corridor

WikiCheats Tip At the start of this zone is a group of six Frag Leeches. Defeating them earns you 156 CP. Want to really rack up the CP? Defeat the Frag Leeches, ride the nearby elevator down, then ride it back up. The Leeches will respawn, allowing you to defeat them and earn another 156 CP. Keep this up to earn massive amounts of CP!

Save at the save point, then head up the path, battling more enemies en route to a sphere containing a Hawkeye, a weapon for Hope.
Press on through the next zone (Bulkhead Fal'Cie), save at the save point, then ride the nearby elevator.

Bioweapon Research Site D

Energy barriers block the way forward, so you must defeat all monsters in the immediate area to get past them. You face Silver Lobos first. They can poison you, but ignore the ailment and focus on taking them out fast.
Crawlers are next. They're weak against Fire, so use that to your advantage. Don't forget to open the sphere for 6 Antidotes. After that you'll have a Feral Behemoth on your hands. Use the Slash & Burn paradigm first to get its Chain Gauge to around 40%, then shift to Dualcasting to Stagger it. Switch back to Slash & Burn and use Lightning's Launch ability to help finish it off.

Bioweapon Research Site K

Ten Crawlers await at the top of the climb. You'll want to switch to War & Peace after your initial assault, because you're definitely going to need to heal from the onslaught of enemy attacks coming your way. Use Lightning's Blitz to hit multiple enemies at once.
You'll get a cutscene after that, after which Lightning is the party leader.

Field Trial Range S

Jump down and use the save point here. Go right at the next fork and kill the two Silver Lobos. This grants you access to a sphere containing a Star Pendant. Continue forward on the main path to reach the next zone.

Field Trial Range N

Press on (can't go anywhere else!). You'll soon encounter a Barbed Specter, which is weak against Fire. Start with the Slash & Burn paradigm, then switch to Dualcasting to finish it off. Open the sphere behind it for an Edged Carbine for Lightning.
Continue up to face another Feral Behemoth. Defeat it as you did the first one and you'll win an item that opens up the Magical Moments shop at save points.

Environmental Regulation

Save at the save point, then head forward and look left. Walk through the thin gap at either end of the energy barrier and kill the Feral Behemoth there. This lowers the barrier. Open the sphere for 1,500 gil, then head forward.
At the fork, go right. A Feral Behemoth and some Crawlers will attach each other here, so join the battle. Focus on killing the Crawlers first. Afterward, open the sphere for 8 Fragrant Oils.
Return to the main path and head left before approaching the waypoint marker. A barrier will go up and you'll have to battle a Feral Behemoth and a Barbed Specter to lower it. Take them out, but be ready to heal, as this is a deadly duo. After the fight, open the sphere in the area for a Watchman's Amulet. Head to the waypoint marker now and ride the nearby elevator up.

Bioweapons Maintenance

Use the save point, then move forward to take out a group of Silver Lobos (use Slash & Burn against them and War & Peace to heal). There are some Corps soldiers to deal with after that (use ice on them), and then a Milvus Velocycle. Use Slash & Burn against it, then switch to Dualcasting to Stagger it. Keep fighting until you reach a sphere containing an Ethersol and another save point. Take a moment to spend your CP and create the Symbiosis paradigm (Medic/Synergist). Set Supersoldier as your active paradigm. Save your game, defeat the Velocycle and Corps Marksmen ahead, then proceed to the elevator to trigger your next boss fight.

Boss: Aster Protoflorian HP: 129,600 The problem with the Aster Protoflorian is that it can change elemental strengths and weaknesses on the fly. This makes for a tough battle that will keep you on your toes. Begin this difficult fight by scanning the boss with Libra a couple times. Hope should be casting buffs on your party, but you should still switch to the Symbiosis paradigm whenever you need to heal. The Aster Protoflorian begins the fight with the ability to halve all elemental damage, but it will soon switch to a different elemental alignment via its "Exoproofing" ability. For example, if it uses Exoproofing Fire, it will become strong to fire and weak to ice. Once you're Protected and Shelled, switch to the Slash & Burn paradigm and build up the boss's Chain Gauge to around 30%. Switch to Dualcasting at that point to build the gauge toward the Stagger point, and switch to War & Peace when you need to heal. When you manage to Stagger the boss, shift to Slash & Burn and attack; Lightning should be Launching the boss every round. When the first Stagger ends, shift paradigms to Symbiosis to get your Protect and Shell buffs back in place. Build up the Chain Gauge as you did the first time, starting with Slash & Burn and switching to Dualcasting at 30%. The boss will use attacks more often once you've knocked off half its health, so you'll need to use War & Peace more at that point if you want to stay alive. Do so whenever a character's HP gets near the 50% mark. Keep up the Dualcasting attacks until you manage to Stagger the boss again, then switch to Slash & Burn to finish it off.

ALTERNATIVE METHOD -- Boss: Aster Protoflorian An alternative method is very simple and straight forward, but requires perfect timing. Start off by using War and Peace to give the boss' Stagger a quick jump. You'll want to keep Hope as a medic for 90% of this battle because the boss' attacks are random and getting caught off guard can easily get you killed. After your first attack using War & Peace, you'll want to switch between Dualcasting, Yin & Yang, and War & Peace to get the boss' Stagger up to max. However, only use Dualcasting after your characters have been healed good after a War & Peace turn. NOTE: If your HP is below 450, you are prone to death at any moment, so be careful. You may even have to use a potion or two during some of the boss' more aggressive assaults. While the boss is in Stagger mode, you will want to switch to Slash & Burn to keep it in the air. Dualcasting during Stagger leaves you open to attacks and you will waste time having to heal during those time critical moments. You'll want to deal as much damage as possible during this time and it will take two full Stagger sessions to finish it. If you properly switch between War & Peace, Dualcasting and Yin & Yang, you should have no problems defeating this boss. There is a possibility that Hope may die sometime during the fight however, as his choices for healing are not always correct, so keep a few Phoenix Downs in your inventory just in case.

Save your game at the save point, then head to the waypoint to end the chapter. Before doing so, you may want to unequip Lightning and Hope of their accessories, as they won't take part in the next chapter.

Chapter 6: Sunleth Waterscape

The Old Growth

First thing's first: get to spending that CP! Have Vanille start by completing the Ravager role, then move on to unlock Poison in the Saboteur role and Esuna and Cura in Medic. Sazh should try to unlock his second Accessory slot and the Synergist Role Level crystal, then unlock Blitz under Commando. Also, create the Undermine paradigm (Saboteur/Ravager), and equip Vanille with the Tungsten Bangle.
Save at the save point and move out. When you encounter the Flandragora here, use Undermine and then Dualcasting on them (make sure to use Libra on them the first time so your idiot ally knows to use fire magic!). Use Slash & Burn on everything else. When the path forks, go left to find 8 Mysterious Fluids. Get back on the main path and proceed.

Sun-dappled Trail

Soon you'll reach another sphere, which contains a Belladonna Wand for Vanille. Use the save point just beyond. The next sphere contains a Procyons weapon for Sazh. When the path forks again, go left first to find a Doctor's Code. Continue on the main path to the next zone.

A Shimmering Sky

Save at the save point. You'll encounter an enemy in this area called the Scalebeast, and its Shocking Breath attack can be particularly devastating, so try to always get a preemptive strike on it. Use War & Peace to heal from Shocking Breath, then keep attacking to Stagger it. Use Undermine then to hit it with status ailments. After it regenerates its carapace, shift paradigms to Slash & Burn to fill its Chain Gauge to 50%, then use Dualcasting to get it Staggered again.
Defeating one of those things takes a long time, so feel free to avoid any that aren't guarding spheres, like the first one you encounter. Jump down to the left and defaet this one, then open the sphere, which contains 15 Iron Shells. The two other spheres in this zone contain a Librascope and 10 Scaled Wings. Continue to Lake Shayra, where a cutscene will trigger. Afterward, go to the waypoint by the water to reunite with Sazh, then follow the path forward to a save point.

Rain-spotted Vale

The Climate Control Orbs will shift the weather in the following sections between rain and sunshine, changing and respawning the enemies you'll be facing. You'll face Mud Frogs, Hedge Frogs, and Scalebeasts when it rains; and Wyverns and Flandragora when the sun's out. Gremlins and Garchimacera will be present no matter the weather. When you face a Mud Frog, kill it first or it'll keep summoning reinforcements. When you face a Wyvern, cast Poison on it, buff your party with Bravery and Faith, then use Slash & Burn and Dualcasting to take it out.
Keep it raining at the first orb, then switch to sunshine at the second orb. Go right at the fork, take out the groups of Flandragora, and open the sphere for a Metal Armband. At the third orb, switch the weather back to rain.
When the path forks again, go left and hit the orb to switch to sunshine. Kill the Flandragora, open the sphere for an Aqua Ring, then switch back to rain. Continue forward to the final orb, and switch the weather to sunshine. Fight through the enemies to earn CP, and spend it. Try to earn enough to reach the Role Level crystals for Vanille and Sazh before moving on to the next zone.

Hemmed in Stone

Use the save point here, spend any remaining CP, and set up your paradigms. For the boss battle ahead you'll want Tide Turner (Saboteur/Synergist), Slash & Burn, Dualcasting, and War & Peace. You may also want to create the Symbiosis paradigm (Medic/Synergist) for when you need extra protection in the upcoming battle. Set Tide Turner as your active paradigm. Head up to face this chapter's greatest threat: Enki and Enlil.

Boss: Enki & Enlil Enki - HP: 75,600 Enlil - HP: 70,200 Begin by casting Deshell, Deprotect, and Poison on Enlil while Sazh buffs you with Bravery and Faith. Use Libra on Enlil while you're waiting for the buffs. Once all the buffs/debuffs are in place, shift paradigms to Slash & Burn. Fill Enlil's Chain Gauge to 40%, then switch to Dualcasting to get it into Stagger. Be ready to switch to War & Peace or Symbiosis whenever a character's HP drops below the 60% mark, and use Potions liberally! Keep an eye out for Enlil to use its Bellow or Enraged abilities, which give the boss status enhancements, and recast your debuffs. The Trample attack is pretty devastating, and will necessitate a shift to the War & Peace paradigm to heal up afterward. You'll also want to stop and heal whenever Enki uses its Raging Torrent attack. Continue battering on Enlil until it falls, then switch to Enki. Use the same tactics you used to take down Enlil, and Enki will soon follow.

There aren't anymore enemies ahead in this chapter, and Sazh and Vanille won't participate in the next chapter, so feel free to remove their accessories for your other party's use. Continue on the path to the end to complete this chapter.

Chapter 7: Palumpolum

The Metrostile

Spend your CP, having Lightning working toward unlocking Overwhelm, Thundara, and Blizzard under the Ravager role, and Smite under Commando. Hope should work toward Thundara and Watera.
Fight through a couple groups of Corps Tranquifex, then check the dead-end behind the trucks to the right for 3 Fiber-optic Cables. Drop into the pipe by the fence and go left at the fork to find 3 Holy Waters. Return to the main part of the pipe and follow it the rest of the way out. You'll have some Corps Pacifex to deal with up top; like their Tranquifex brethren, they're weak to thunder. When you encounter the Falco Velocycle, hit it with Slash & Burn until its Chain Gauge is 40% full, then switch to Dualcasting to Stagger it. Be sure to Libra it to learn its weakness to thunder.
Follow the pipe ahead into a much larger one. When you drop down, go right first and open the sphere for a Librascope, then turn around and head forward to the next zone.

Nutriculture Complex

Use the save point after dropping down the ledges, then activate the switch ahead to call a moving platform. Step aboard and ride it across, then activate the floating switch on the left. Get back on the moving platform and it will take you to a secret platform with two sphere. They contain 4 Holy Waters and a Phoenix Down.
Ride the platform back across and head up the stairs. The Flanitors will do little else than heal each other, so just barrage them with attacks until they eventually fall. Attack the Lucidon in this area with Slash & Burn to fill 40% of its Chain Gauge, switch to Dualcasting to Stagger it, then switch back to Slash & Burn to Launch it. Better yet, just ignore it.
Move through this area until you reach another platform. Activate the switch on the left, then ride the platform to another secret area where you'll find an Aqua Ring and 2 Mobius Coils. They're guarded by a Flanitor and a Lucidon, so take out the Flanitor first.
Ride the platform back, step off, then get back on to ride the platform to the next section of the main path. Past the three Flanitors head you'll find a sphere containing a Warding Talisman. Ride the next platform at the end of the path, save at the save point, then get on the elevator.

The Agora/Pedestrian Terraces

As Snow, you'll find yourself in a battle along with Shiva. Use Autogestalt to get rid of the enemies, though you will need to use physical attacks to finish off the Orion. Orion will most likely destroy you, so pause the game, select "Retry", and set up his Crystarium first. Spend all your CP on Snow's Sentinel and Commando roles, then Ravager. Equip him with the Doctor's Code, as you'll need the extra boost for your Potions. After you take down the Orion, create the Dualcasting (Ravager/Ravager) and Supersoldier (Commando/Synergist) paradigms, save at the save point, and start moving.
Defeat the first group of enemies here, then head up into the twisting crystal tunnel. The PSICOM Scavengers are the biggest threat here, so take them out first. Same goes for PSICOM Predators. PSICOM Bombadiers have lots of HP, so save them for last.
Move on into the Pedestrian Terraces zone, and go left past the next crystal ramp to face a PSICOM Warlord and two Corps Pacifex (take the Pacifex out first). The Warlord is a dangerous fellow, so when you see that he's about to use Activate Manadrive, make sure the party is fully healed! Use Supersoldier to build his Combo Gauge to 40%, then switch to Dualcasting to Stagger him. Switch to Slash & Burn then so Snow can Launch him. After he's dead, open the sphere for a Fortisol, then return to the main path up the crystal ramp.
Go right at the top of the ramp and deal with the large number of soldiers up there. Be sure to switch paradigms to War & Peace whenever your HP starts to fall. Afterward, open the sphere for a Paladin, a weapon for Snow.
Turn around and go back down the ramp and up on the main path. When you jump down to the outer circle of the terraces, go left first. Open the sphere for 4 Insulated Cabling. Turn around and take the path to a save point, and use it. Proceed into the next zone.

The Back Alleys

Here, Lightning is joined by a new character, Fang. First thing's first: build up her Crystarium! Focus first on the Commando role's Launch, Smite, and Adrenaline nodes, followed by Slowga and Accessory under Saboteur. Also, create the War & Peace paradigm (Commando/Medic), as well as Divide & Conquer (Saboteur/Commando). The PSICOM soldiers here won't be much of a threat, but when you encounter an Orion, use Divide & Conquer to inflict it with Slow, then switch to Slash & Burn to finish it off.
Save at the save point, then fight your way forward to the waypoint. There you'll pass into the Western Promenade and revert back to Snow and Hope.

Western Promenade

Turn around and open the sphere in the back corner for 4 Holy Waters, then move forward on the main path. Approach the first corner on the left when the path forks and jump to the upper walkway; at the end of it is a sphere containing 2 Incentive Chips. Drop down through the gap in the wall, and press on to the next zone, fighting every enemy for the CP.

Central Arcade/Eastern Promenade

Open the sphere here for a Guardian Amulet, and use the save point. Cross the bridge and battle through more enemies. Of note are three PSICOM Aerial Sniper. Start with one round of Slash & Burn, shift to Dualcasting to Stagger them, then switch back to Slash & Burn to kill them. Keep on the one and only path until you reach the next zone.

Rivera Towers

After dropping down the steps, check behind you for a sphere containing a Shaman's Mark. Equip this accessory along with the Magician's Mark on the same character to seriously boost their Magic stat.
Head up to the end of the path and go right at the fork, jumping up to the ledge. Open the sphere for 3 Thrust Bearings, then proceed to the next fork. Go right there and head straight back to a sphere containing a Vidofnir weapon for Hope.
Turn around now and go right when you can to continue forward. There are numerous Falco Velocycles in the vicinity, so be cautious with them. When you see one about to use its Gatling Gun attack, shift paradigms to Lifeguard immediately so that Snow can use Provoke and keep Hope alive.
Cross the roof and open the sphere in the right corner for some Deceptisol, then jump up. Watch out for the two PSICOM Aerial Snipers and a Falco Velocycle, as that's a tough battle; you might want to use a Deceptisol beforehand, then use Quake first thing to Stagger all three enemies immediately (take out the Velocycle first). They can still rock your world, so if you're having trouble, just use the Deceptisol to slip past them. Go right on the thin path ahead and follow the railing around to a sphere containing 2,000 gil, then turn around and return to the main path.
Continue forward into the building and follow the path to a save point. Spend your CP, save your game, set your active paradigm to Supersoldier (Commando/Synergist), then proceed to a boss battle ahead.

Boss: Ushumgal Subjugator HP: 126,000 Begin by using Libra on the boss while letting Hope cast Barfire, Protect, and Shell on you. Once those buffs are up, switch paradigms to Slash & Burn. When you get the boss's Chain Gauge 40% full, shift to Dualcasting until you Stagger the boss, then work it over hard. If at any point either of your characters' HP drops below 50%, switch to War & Peace to heal. Chances are you'll probably need to Stagger the Ushumgal Subjugator twice before you can defeat it.

Western Promenade/Central Arcade

First, spend Fang and Lightning's CP, then turn around and follow the path back to a sphere containing 15 Bestial Claws. The Orion and Lodestar Behemoths in this area can be tough, so start with the Divide & Conquer paradigm to cast Slow on them.
Move on, staying to the right to reach another sphere, this one holding a Gae Bolg weapon for Fang. Head across the bridge ahead for a cutscene. Afterward, take out the Corps soldiers, then get ready to deal with two Orions. Open the next sphere up the ramp and in the right corner for an Axis Blade for Lightning, then proceed to the waypoint.

Felix Heights

Save at the save point, then head up the left set of stairs and follow the wall to a sphere containing a Tungsten Bangle. Kill the other enemies in the area and follow the left wall to another sphere, this one holding a Black Belt. There's another save point ahead, so use it.
Before moving on, make sure you spend all your CP, as there's a rematch with the Ushumgal Subjugator just ahead.

Boss: Ushumgal Subjugator HP: 378,000 The battle begins with just Hope versus this monstrosity. Don't even think about trying to inflict damage. Just cast Libra on it until Fang and Lightning join the fray. There are two ways to defeat the Ushumgal Subjugator for the second time: the safe way and the quick way. The quickest way of defeating it is to first shift paradigms to Evened Odds. Let Fang cast Slow on the boss while Hope buffs your party. Once you're buffed, shift to Relentless Assault and pound the boss repeatedly, switching to Solidarity (and also using Potions) when you need to heal. Once you Stagger the boss, stick with Relentless Assault. If you're having trouble defeating the boss that way, use the Delta Attack paradigm as your primary offensive stance (after casting Slow and buffing your party), and switch to Solidarity when you need to heal. Use Relentless Assault when you Stagger the boss to get some Launches in. Either way, one attack you'll want to keep an eye out for is the boss's Targeting ability. Once you see that it's about to use it, switch to Solidarity, as you'll definitely need to heal afterward.

Estheim Residence

Open the sphere ahead for a Phoenix Down, then approach Hope for a cutscene. Afterward, activate the television at the waypoint. You'll be thrust into a battle with some PSICOM soldiers. Defeat them, then save your game at the nearby save point.
PSICOM soldiers will respawn endlessly through the house, so don't bother trying to kill them all (plus the CP they give is pretty lousy). Open the two spheres in the halls for an Ethersol (immediately to the right of your starting position) and a Brawler's Wristband (at the far end of the hallway). Spend any remaining CP, set your active paradigm to Evened Odds, then head to the waypoint to face this chapter's final boss.

Boss: Havoc Skytank

HP: 441,000
Let Hope buff your party while you use a Librascope to reveal the Havoc Skytank's five targets. You're going to want to destroy the Havoc Skytank's four sub-systems first: the Portside Hull, Starboard Hull, Portside Turret, and Starboard Turret. Go after the two turrets first. Shift to the Delta Attack paradigm to do your attacking, and use the Solidarity paradigm when you need to heal. As you destroy each of the boss's components, it will explode and deal damage to its core.
Once you destroy all four sub-systems, switch back to Evened Odds to recast your buffs, then switch to Relentless Assault to stagger it. You're still going to want to shift to Solidarity and use Potions often to heal, as the boss will permanently use its Main Cannon from here on. Keep up the attacks and it should fall shortly.
 

Chapter 8: Nautilus

Nautilus Station/Concourse

Crack open the Crystarium and you'll see that the CP cost of nodes is much higher than before. Have Sazh purchase Haste under Synergist, then move on with the Commando role while Vanille works toward Dispel under Saboteur and Raise under Medic.
Save your game at the save point and move toward the waypoints, triggering cutscenes at each until you reach the Nautilus Concourse. There, activate the Nautilift at the waypoint to reach the park area of the Nautilus.

Park Square/Chocobo Corral

Emerge from this alcove, watch the cutscene, and check the alcove farthest to the right to find a Phoenix Down. Head to the waypoint in the Chocobo Corral for a cutscene.
You must find Sazh's chocobo! There are four places it will hide, so check these locations (in order) to find it:

• In the flock of sheep to the right of the fountain.
• On the balloon cart.
• Above the fountain.
• By the large group of chocobos in the grass.

After you find it, open the sphere in the Corral for a Star Pendant. Now follow the only path forward to the waypoint.

The Mall/Clock Tower

Save at the save point and get ready to take part in battles again. You'll be facing Corps Gunners, Zwerg Metrodroids, and Orions. Stick with the Slash & Burn paradigm unless you face an Orion, in which case start with Undermine (Ravager/Saboteur) to debuff it, and switch to Dualcasting to Stagger. Along the way in this switchback heavy area you'll find three spheres. They contain, in order, Spica Defenders, a Guardian Amulet, and a Healer's Staff. The Guardian Amulet is at the end of the dead-end to the right of the next save point, and the Healer's Staff is at the end of the dead-end to the left of the save point.
Before moving on past the save point, take some time to grind. You'll want to be fighting the group of five Zwerg Metrodroids around the sphere to the left of the save point in the Clock Tower zone. Defeat them for 640 CP, then trek back to the opened sphere in The Mall. Return to the Clock Tower and the Metroidroids will have respawned. Keep this up to earn lots of CP for the Crystarium.
When you're ready to move on, set your active paradigm to Tide Turner (Synergist/Saboteur), then head past the save point to face a boss.

Boss: Midlight Reaper HP: 100,800 Start by using Libra on the Midlight Reaper while Vanille casts Imperil and Deprotect on the boss. Sazh should then cast Haste on the party, as well as any combination of Protect, Shell, Bravery, or Faith. After buffing your party and debuffing the boss sufficiently, switch to the Dualcasting paradigm to Stagger the boss. After this Stagger ends, the boss will "release its arm restraints." Whenever you see the "Priming Main Cannon" notice from now on, make sure your HP is completely full. Switch to a paradigm with a Medic if necessary. When the attack passes, heal up, switch to Slash & Burn, and start building the Chain Gauge again. Switch to Dualcasting to fill it. Whenever Imperil ends, recast it.

Go back to the save point and save, then move on to the next zone.

Fiendlord's Keep

Equip Sazh with any Ember Rings you've got, then head to the waypoint to trigger an Eidolon battle with Brynhildr.
Begin in the Tide Turner paradigm. Cast Vigilance and then Haste on both of your party members, then shift to War & Peace to heal any lost HP. Switch to Dualcasting now to start building up Brynhildr's Chain Bonus. Switch back to War & Peace whenever you need to heal. Keep this up and Brynhildr should be yours well before the Doom timer ends. Just be ready to hit Square (PS3) or X (XB360) to trigger Gestalt Mode when the bar has filled!
Thus ends Chapter 8.

Chapter 9: The Palamecia

Short-field Landing Deck

As always, it's time to spend some CP! Lightning should unlock the Ravager role's Aero spell, then move toward Watera, then switch to the Medic role and work toward Raise and Renew. Hope should unlock Veil and Boon under Synergist, Blizzara under Ravager, then work toward the Medic's role level. Fang should unlock Steelguard under Sentinel, Dispel under Saboteur, the first three Commando abilities, then Curse and Cursega under Saboteur.
Head up to the waypoint and speak to Rygdea to depart. When you regain control, you'll find yourself in a battle against two PSICOM Raiders and a PSICOM Infiltrator. Go after the Raiders first. Afterward, make sure the party is wearing suitable accessories, and create the Discretion paradigm (Medic/Medic/Commando) for use when you need to focus on healing or recovering from serious status ailments, and Diversity (Ravager/Medic/Commando) or Tireless Charge (Commando/Medic/Commando) when you want to stay on the offensive but need light healing.
Save at the save point afterward, then head up to face another group of enemies..
After you jump up, activate the switch, ride the elevator, jump up again, then go right first to find 4 Digital Circuits. Turn around and follow the path to the next zone.

External Berths

You'll find Deckdrones and PSICOM Dragoons patrolling this area. Use Relentless Assault to beat them down as quickly as you can, starting with the Dragoons whenever they're paired with another enemy type.
Turn right and head to the end of the path to find a Millerite, then turn around and use the save point ahead. Follow the point to the point where you must jump up again. Go right first and open the sphere for 3 Incentive Chips, then turn around. Proceed to another jump point. Go left and open the sphere for 3 Silicone Oils.
Keep moving through the rest of this zone to reach the Crew Corridors.

Crew Corridors

There are PSICOM Huntresses and Vikings in this zone. Use the Relentless Assault paradigm to finish them off. You can Launch the Vikings once they're Staggered. Kill Huntresses last, as they halve physical and magic damage with their buffs. When you face groups of Huntresses and Raiders, use the Diversity paradigm until you take out the Raiders, then switch to Bully to debuff the Huntress(es). Finish them off with Relentless Assault.
Save your game at the save point here, then follow the path down and take a right when you can. Open the sphere to the left for a Lifesaber weapon for Lightning, and follow the path to another sphere, this one containing an Ember Ring. Keep going to reach another save point. When you face the two Huntresses and a Viking ahead, start with the Bully paradigm and debuff one of the Huntresses, then defeat her with the Diversity paradigm. Do the same with the second Huntress, and finally the Viking (opting for Relentless Assault over Diversity). Open the sphere containing a Pandoran Spear for Fang at the end of the path.
If you have the time or inkling, go back through this zone and External Berths to grind for CP. Otherwise, move on!

Cargo Access

You'll be briefly controlling Sazh and Vanille now, so spend some time spending their CP. Have Sazh unlock Boon under Synergist, Scourge and Jeopardize under Commando, then work toward the Commando Role Level. Have Vanille work toward unlocking Renew, Raise, and Medic Role Level. Also, create the Undermine paradigm (Ravager/Saboteur) for use against the Flanborgs in this area.
Activate the switch next to the bulkhead door to pass through. Head down the corridor and make a right, then another right. Open the bulkhead doors there, then open the sphere beyond for a Royal Amulet. Now turn around and head to the other end of the corridor, where it turns left. Open the sphere by the waypoint for 12 Muddy Ooze, then open the bulkhead doors nearby.

Rotary Shaft

Back to Lightning & Co. Save at the save point.
The Rotary Shaft consists of three concentric rings, each connected to the next via four bridges. There are two spheres in the center ring (containing a Rhodochrosite and a Perfect Conductor) and two spheres in offshoots of the outermost ring (these contain a White Cape and Pain Dampener). You'll have to battle enemies to reach all of them. Of note are the Vespid Soldiers. If they're fighting alongside multiple Vespid Soldiers or a Thermadon, shift paradigms to Diversity when they attack with Aeroga.
When you've looted the four spheres here, head to the waypoint on the outer ring's offshoot and control will switch to Sazh and Vanille again.

Primary Engine Bay

Save at the save point ahead, then go left around the outer ring to reach a sphere containing 8 Segmented Carapaces. Head to the next bridge on your right and cross it to the center section, where you'll find another sphere containing a Phoenix Down.
Head to the waypoint to trigger a scene and a battle. Take out the Vespid Soldier first. Use the Undermine paradigm to help weaken the Thermadon.

Starboard Weather Deck

You'll control Lightning & Co. again now. Save at the save point, then turn around and battle the enemies to reach a sphere in the corner containing a Whistlewind Scarf.
The Delta Attack paradigm, with Fang playing the part of the Sentinel, will come in handy as you trek through this zone when you battle large numbers of Deckdrones. They can combine to use a Tornado Kick that can kill a character instantly, if enough Deckdrones take part. You can also use Delta Attack against the large group of PSICOM Dragoons near the end of the zone.
Stay to the right on this jagged path to reach a sphere holding a Perfect Conductor. Head down the ramp and up the next to reach another save point. Before moving along on the main path, head down the dead end to the right of the save point to find 13 Barbed Tails.
Go down the ramp by the save point to reach the blasters. Run down the one farthest away from the last save point to move down into the lower area, where you'll find a sphere: it contains 300 gil. Go back up and fight your way to the back right corner to find a Spark Ring. Equip that and any other Spark Rings you have, and make sure you have the Bully, Relentless Assault, and Diversity paradigms ready. Set Bully as your active paradigm, then head to the waypoint to face a boss.

Boss: Kalavinka Striker Part 1 HP: 108,000 Cast Slow and Curse on the boss, then shift paradigms to Relentless Assault to Stagger it. Switch to Diversity when you need to heal. Before you know it, you'll have beat the Kalavinka Striker! Part 2 HP: 122,400 Of course, a boss that easy was too good to be true. Luckily, the same tactics you used in the first half of the battle apply here. Watch out for the boss's Hellstorm Bolt, which takes a sizeable chunk of HP from its target, and heal afterward.

Bridge Access

Have Lightning equip the Soulfont Talisman and Blessed Talisman that you win by defeating the Kalavinka Striker. You also have the option of swapping new characters into the party, but we recommend you stick with Lightning, Hope, and Fang for the majority of the game from this point on. This allows you to focus on building these three characters as you see fit, while your three other allies become your specialists.
Use the save point, then activate the console to the left of it to form a bridge to the platform ahead. You'll do this through this entire zone. There are six rows of three platforms, all connected by these bridges you activate, and there are treasure spheres on certain platform. See the map below for more detail.

When you encounter a PSICOM Destroyer, always defeat it first in a group. PSICOM Reavers are weak only to the earth element, so Ravagers aren't that much help here; when you see one, create the Tireless Charge paradigm (Commando/Medic/Commando) to maximize damage during the Stagger period.
When you're done collecting the treasure you want (at the very least grab the Gold Bangle for its HP boost), head to the platform marked "End" on the map and save your game there.
Take a moment to spend your CP. If you don't have enough to buy the Role Level crystals for your three main characters, go back and grind until you do, or until you're at least close to purchasing them. Equip Lightning with two Tungsten Bangles, and the Gold Bangle on Hope. Also, set up the Hero's Charge paradigm (Medic/Synergist/Commando), make sure you have the Discretion paradigm (Medic/Medic/Commando), and set Bully as your active paradigm.
When you're ready, save again and head up to the waypoint.

Bridge

Boss: Barthandelus

HP: 462,000

In addition to its core, the Barthandelus has four components to its armor that you must destroy if you hope to survive the battle. The Left Pauldron is weak to lightning, the Left Ailette is weak to fire, the Right Pauldron is weak to ice, and the Right Ailette is weak to water. All have 50,400 HP.
After tossing a Librascope, begin in the Bully paradigm to cast Slow on the boss and Shell, Protect, and Veil buffs on your party. Once those are in place, shift paradigms to Diversity (or Relentless Assault if you're feeling cocky) as you start taking out the four components. Use their elemental weaknesses to take them out one by one.
When all four components are down, Barthandelus's core will be susceptible to damage. Shift paradigms to Bully to reinstate your buffs (and debuffs on the boss), then shift between Relentless Assault and Diversity until you've Staggered the boss. Hit it hard at that point.
After the first Stagger, the Barthandelus will use its Destrudo attack, which is absolutely devastating. Destrudo also resets its Chain Gauge, even if the boss is Staggered. When you see (and hear) it powering up for this, immediately shift to the Discretion paradigm and make sure every party member is at full HP, or you will pay the price. Once you're getting near to full HP, shift to Diversity so Hope can finish the job while Lightning and Fang continue the attack. When you're at full HP, shift again to Relentless Assault and let Barthandelus have it. If you strike it enough times before it gets off the Destrudo attack, you'll significantly lower the damage the attack deals on your party!
After the Destrudo attacks goes off, shift to Discretion heal again, then shift to Diversity so Hope heals Lightning and Fang while those two continue to pound on the boss until it falls. Don't worry if it casts Doom on your party; you should be able to defeat it well before it runs down.
 

 

Chapter 10: Fifth Ark

Upper Traverse

As we mentioned in the previous chapter, you'll want to consider who will be included in your primary party. We believe Lightning, Fang, and Hope are your best contenders, and we will write this guide from this point on as if you were using them.
Also, all roles are available to all characters now. Lightning's primary role should be as a Ravager, Fang as a Commando, and Hope as a Medic, though other roles will certainly come into play. Lightning should focus on the Commando and Medic sub-roles. Fang's sub-roles should be Sentinel and Saboteur. Hope's should be Synergist and Ravager.
Take a moment to spend CP. Have Fang buy every Commando crystal before moving on to Sentinel. Everyone should be working toward those Role Level crystals. Also, you'll want these six paradigms, written for the party of Lightning/Fang/Hope:

• Relentless Assault (Ravager/Commando/Ravager)
• Diversity (Ravager/Commando/Medic)
• Evened Odds (Medic/Saboteur/Synergist)
• Protection (Medic/Sentinel/Synergist)
• Delta Attack (Commando/Sentinel/Ravager)
• Solidarity (Commando/Sentinel/Medic)

Time to move out. Save at the save point and follow the tunnel until you get a prompt; answer "Yes" to proceed.

Vestibular Hold

Head up the stairs for a cutscene and an event battle against two Pulsework Knights. Stagger them to lower their defenses. Afterward, you will unlock the ability to spend CP on any role you choose.
Open the sphere on the right after going down the first set of steps for a Hero's Amulet. Watch out for Circuitrons in this area; they're like Bombs in that they'll Self-destruct if you don't destroy them quickly. Follow the path up the stairs ahead. You'll see a group of two Circuitrons and a Pulsework Knight. Dash up the nearby steps before they reach you. They'll turn around, allowing you to get a preemptive strike on them. Now go down the set of stairs to the left to find a sphere containing 8 Bomb Shells, guarded by three Circuitrons.
Go back up the stairs, turn left, and enter the tunnel. Take it to a save point, and use it before moving on to the next zone.

Lower Traverse

Couple new enemies here. Kill Phosphoric Oozes quickly before they Merge to become a larger, much more powerful enemy, the Alchemic Ooze. The Noctiulcale here aren't that dangerous alone, but in numbers can be lethal, as they do nothing but absorb HP. Use the Delta Attack paradigm against groups of five or more.
Enter the far-left dead-end first to find a Saint's Amulet, then return to the main room and enter the left of the two long tunnels (the right is a dead-end). You'll fight both Noctilucale and Phosphoric Oozes there, so use the Solidarity paradigm against them to stay alive, and kill the Oozes first.
When you reach the tunnel's end, go right and jump up to find a dead-end with 10 Medicinal Oils being guarded by ten Noctilucale. Before fighting them, make a temporary paradigm of Commando/Commando/Ravager (Aggression), and try to get a preemptive strike on them. You should be able to kill them extremely quickly and earn 640 CP in the process. This is a great group of enemies to kill when grinding for CP. Just make four jumps back toward the tunnel, then return and they'll have respawned.
Moving on, take the path left of the tunnel's exit around to an intersection. Go right first to find a Rainbow Anklet, then head in the opposite direction to reach a save point. Use it, then head through the door at the waypoint.

High Conflux

More new enemies here: the Stikini and Skata'ne work together to beat you down, with the Stikini casting debuffs on you while the Skata'ne attacks. Kill the Stikini first, then go after the Skata'ne. Defeat the first pair here, then follow the walkway on the left wall of the chamber to get behind the second and launch a preemptive strike on them. Open the nearby sphere for 600 gil.
Instead of taking the main path (following the waypoints), head up and follow the curving outer walkway to sneak up behind a group consisting of Stikini, Skata'ne, and a Circuitron. Kill the Stikini first, then the Circuitron, then the Skata'ne. Use the save point just ahead and continue to the next zone.

Hibernatorium

Expect to face two Berserkers in this zone. Each has a lot of HP, but they're slow, meaning you can easily get a preemptive strike on both. Keep attacking with Relentless Assault until you Stagger it, then use Launch to juggle it. Stay with Relentless Assault as you Stagger it a second time. If you don't manage to get a preemptive strike, the Berserker will probably forge a Centaurion Blade to join it in battle. If this happens, Stagger the Berserker, kill the Centaurion Blade, then go back to damaging the Berserker.
On the far right wall of this large area you'll find a sphere containing a Rigels weapon for Sazh. Head into the elevator at the end of the hall and activate the switch to ride it down to the next area, the Inner Conduit.

Inner Conduit

Use the save point here, then go right and check the right of the two alcoves for an Auric Amulet. Turn around now and head into the open tunnel ahead. Follow it around to a Greater Behemoth. Quickly jump to the upper platform near the Behemoth, then jump down and get a preemptive strike on it as it walks away from you. Keep going until you reach a sphere containing an Alicanto weapon for Hope.
Go straight at the fork ahead (instead of left, which is the way forward). You'll have to kill ten Noctilucale, and then four Noctilucale and a Greater Behemoth. When you face this last battle, kill the Noctilucale first, then cast Deprotect and Curse on the Behemoth. Bash the beast repeatedly until it stands on its hind legs, causing it to replenish its HP. Watch out if uses Painga; if so, shift to Evened Odds and use Esuna on the affected character, after that open the nearby sphere for 7 Begrimed Claws.
Go back to the last fork and head right to reach another tunnel. On the other side, get the Metal Armband from the back-right alcove and an Ethersol next to the save point. Take a moment to spend your CP, and set your active paradigm to Evened Odds. Now head up the path to the next zone, where you'll have a boss fight with series regular Cid.

Mezzanine

Boss: Cid Raines HP: 226,800 For the first part of this fight, Cid will telegraph his moves with one of three onscreen prompts: Offensive Shift: Cid will attack or use Launch. Defensive Shift: Cid will Guard. Recovery Shift: Cid heals himself and removes status ailments. Start by casting Slow and Curse on Cid while Hope casts buffs on the party. Once you've debuffed Cid, shift paradigms to Delta Attack if Cid is in his Offensive Shift, or Relentless Assault if he's in his Defensive Shift. Keep an eye on your health and shift paradigms appropriately. Steadily build Cid's Chain Gauge until it's 60% full, then shift to Delta Attack (or Solidarity, if you need some healing). At some point before you Stagger him, Cid will use his Metamorphose ability and follow it up with Seraphic Ray, which is incredibly dangerous. When this occurs, immediately shift to Solidarity to heal your wounded party. He'll use this attack periodically for the remainder of the fight (when he's not Guarding), so it's always a good idea to keep your HP high in case he does. Steadily build his Chain Gauge. Just before you fill it the first time, shift to the Relentless Assault paradigm. When you Stagger Cid, Fang should use Launch on him. Wait for the last of Fang's aerial strikes to hit, then time your attacks to keep Cid juggling the air as long as you can. Remember to push Triangle (PS3) or Y (XB360) to ATB Cancel and get off any queued up attacks if you need a quick attack to keep him airborne. After the first Stagger, Cid will keep using his Offensive/Defensive/Recovery Shifts, but now he won't telegraph them. For this reason, it's safest to stay in Solidarity and Delta Attack, unless Cid is Guarding, in which case you should switch to Evened Odds to reapply your buffs, then hit him with Relentless Assault. As the fight nears its end, Cid will use more status enhancements on himself and ailments on you. Stick with Solidarity to stay alive! Keep building toward a second Stagger, then switch to Relentless Assault and keep him juggled as long as possible. He should fall shortly thereafter.

Continue up the path to a save point, and use it. You have access to the Moogleworks store, if you feel like shopping. Enter the elevator ahead and take it to the Central Conflux.

Central Conflux

You'll be ambushed in the elevator on the ride down to the Central Conflux by three Circuitrons, though you can actually get a preemptive strike if you're quick. When you reach the bottom, head up into the large chamber. You can avoid the three-way battles between Pulsework Knights and flans by using the outer walkway to the left, but it's better to defeat them for the CP. Be careful and sneak up on the groups or they'll see you, join forces, and attack you simultaneously!
However you decide to handle this zone, follow the main path to a save point, use it, and proceed to the next zone.

The Synthrona/Basement Conflux

You'll get a cutscene as you enter this zone. Afterward, toward the four Circuitrons and attack them. As soon as that battle ends and you're back in the field, stand completely still until three Pulsework Knights approach and then turn away from you. Attack them then for a preemptive strike.
Move down the hall to the next chamber, then up into the next hall. Check an alcove on the right wall in this hall for a Feymark weapon for Snow, then continue up into the Basement Conflux.
Attack the Pulsework Knights and Imps here and begin with the Relentless Assault paradigm. Take out the Imps first. Switch to Diversity when there's only the Knights left. There's a Greater Behemoth on the bridge, but try to get a preemptive strike on it to make that fight a little easier. Take the path around the bridge, then drop down and get behind it.

Hypogeum

As you enter the Hypogeum, you'll see four Circuitrons. This group is excellent for grinding! Defeat them (try to get a preemptive strike to speed this up), then run back onto the bridge in the previous zone to respawn them. Keep this up to earn 512 CP a battle!
Continue to the next chamber where you'll face a Greater Behemoth, two Skata'ne, and a Stikini. Take out the Stikini first, then shift to the Solidarity paradigm. If you manage to get a preemptive strike on this group, Stagger both the Stikini and the Greater Behemoth quickly.
Before heading down to the waypoint, make a left out of that chamber. A Berserker will ambush you there and use Forge to create a Centaurion Blade. Focus on Staggering the Berserker first, and when Fang uses Launch on it, start attacking the Blade.
Afterward, open the sphere for 3 Electrodes. Head back to the previous chamber now and head down to a save point and an elevator. Hop on. Three enemies will drop down in the elevator, so stand in the center of the lift to trigger a battle with them as soon as they land to score a preemptive strike.

Transept/Substratal Conflux

Proceed up the corridor and get a preemptive strike on the Berserker there. Use the save point ahead and get on the long bridge. As the Skata'ne run toward you, sprint back through the doorway. They should turn around, allowing you to get a sneak attack on them. As you cross the bridge, two more groups of enemies will try to ambush you by dropping in: make contact with them as soon as they land to get a preemptive strike both times.
When you reach an intersection, go left to find 2 Otherworldly Bones. Return to the main path and head up to the Vaults.

Vaults/The Apse

Lure the first Berserker here to the doorway, then attack it when it turns away from you. Run past the second Berserker to the other side of the room, then wait for it to look away before making contact with it.
After that, use the save point here. Swap Hope out for Vanille so that you have a party of Lightning, Fang, and Vanille. Equip Vanille with the Healer's Staff weapon and the Tetradic Crown and Shield Talisman accessories. If you don't have those, use HP-raising accessories instead. Why bother with Vanille? Because in the Eidolon battle just ahead you're forced to use her, Lightning, and Fang.
Shift paradigms to Combat Clinic at the start of the battle. Just use the Auto-Cover option for the first part of the battle. Bahamut will work you over, but Lightning and Vanille should manage to keep you alive. Once the Doom timer is around the 1,000 mark and your party's health is decent, wait for Bahamut to finish an attack and back away, then shift paradigms to Ruthless to cast debuffs on Bahamut, then shift to Delta Attack to start building up the Gestalt Gauge. Keep an eye on your HP, and when any character's health falls below the halfway mark, shift to Combat Clinic to heal before going back on the offensive. Be ready to push the appropriate button when Gestalt Mode becomes available.

How to defeat Bahamut.

You now have the Bahamut Eidolon! Follow the path forward through the Apse now to the waypoint to end the chapter. Get ready for a lot of long, long cutscenes...


 

Chapter 11: Gran Pulse

Vallis Media

Base Camp/Fingers of Stone

Hope is temporarily "out of commission," so stick Vanille in your party in his place. Spend all her CP on the Medic role. Take a moment to create these two paradigms for use while she's briefly in your party: Diversity (Ravager/Commando/Medic) and Delta Attack (Commando/Sentinel/Ravager).
Use the save point behind you (do not purchase the Collector Catalog, as you'll get a free one later), then head up the path. Go left at the fork (the right is currently a dead-end, though it does open up later in the game) and fight your way through the Alraunes, Flans, and Dire Flans on the single path. Open the sphere about two-thirds of the way through for a Partisan for Fang, then keep going until you get a cutscene preceding a fight with the Eidolon, Alexander.
Hope's back in your party now. Shift paradigms to Delta Attack and start pounding Alexander. The Eidolon will fight back, so shift to Combat Clinic whenever someone's HP drops below the halfway mark, then shift back to Delta Attack. Keep up this strategy until Alexander yields, probably around 100 on the Doom counter.
Watch the scene that follows, and afterward you'll be in the next area of Pulse, the Archylte Steppe.

Archylte Steppe

Welcome to the Archylte Steppe, where the game finally opens up and allows you explore (you can see a full map of the area, including zones that are currently unreachable, on the Side Quests page). Unfortunately, a great deal of the monsters here will destroy you if you try to defeat them at this point in the game, so it's best you avoid them. Here are the monsters you should avoid for the time being:

• Adamanchelid
• Adamantoise
• Adamantortoise
• Amphisbaena
• Cactuar
• Megistotherian

Take a moment to set Lightning as the party leader, and set up your six paradigms:

• Ravager/Commando/Ravager (Relentless Assault)
• Ravager/Sentinel/Ravager (Mystic Tower)
• Medic/Saboteur/Synergist (Evened Odds)
• Medic/Sentinel/Medic (Combat Clinic)
• Commando/Sentinel/Medic (Solidarity)
• Commando/Sentinel/Ravager (Delta Attack)

Set Delta Attack as your active paradigm. It works well in conjunction with Mystic Tower; after you get an enemy's Chain Gauge 40% filled with Delta Attack, shift to Mystic Tower to Stagger the foe.
A Cie'th Stone appears right where you begin on the Steppe. Cie'th Stones give your marks for the game's main sidequest. See the Stone Missions page for more information on these hunts. You're more than capable of completing the first two missions right now.
Also, some new areas have opened up, though you shouldn't even consider visiting them at this point in the game. If you trek back through Vallis Media to its other end, you'll reach the new Yaschas Massif area, the home of certain Stone Mission marks. By taking the path in the northeastern corner of the Archylte Steppe to its end, you'll reach the Faultwarrens, where you'll find many very difficult Stone Mission marks.
Turn around and use the save point behind you. Roaming the area near here is a Behemoth King. If you feel like grinding for CP, the Behemoth King is possible to defeat, if you prepare and get a preemptive strike on it. Create the Aggression paradigm (Commando/Commando/Ravager) and just work it over. You must defeat it before its first Stagger ends, or you will almost certainly die. Defeating it earns you a whopping 4,000 CP! Return to the save point to respawn this beast, and defeat it repeatedly to rack up the CP.
Anyway, on with the main story! You're in the "south-central" zone of the Steppe, the Central Expanse, and your goal for the moment is to reach the Northern Highplain to the "northwest" (just run toward the floating Cocoon and you'll find it). Go to the western peninsula and start heading north. You should see a save point on your left.
Continue up the northwestern path, bypassing the battle with a Behemoth King and Megistotherian en route to the next area, Mah'habara.

Mah'habara

Maw of the Abyss

WikiCheats Tip This is a great area to grind. Run between the first Boxed Phalanx (which you should avoid) and where the path forks toward the Juggernaut to rack up the CP!

Save your game at the save point up the path. Try to get a preemptive strike on the Hoplite enemies up ahead, then use Relentless Assault on them. Open the sphere ahead for a Hauteclaire weapon for Lightning, then proceed to a fork in the road. There's a sphere containing a Platinum Bangle at the end of the path to the left, but it's guarded by a Juggernaut, which will most likely destroy you, so save it for later when you're strong; go right instead.
Just ahead you'll face a Boxed Phalanx, which can summon new Hoplites to the battle. At this point in the game, it's probably best to use the Odin Eidolon against it after first hammering it with the Relentless Assault paradigm. You can also just opt to run straight past it.

The Earthworks

Save at the save point here, then get ready to deal with more tough monsters. You'll definitely want to get a preemptive strike on the four Cryohedrons to avoid their Self-destruct attack. Don't use magic on the Rust Puddings. Use the Relentless Assault paradigm on Pulsework Centurions, but if you face more than one, use Delta Attack.
Check the two alcoves on the left wall for 4 Electrodes and 4 Chobham Armors. Cross the bridge ahead and go straight at the fork. Take this to a dead-end with 4 Tesla Turbines. Return to the fork and take it to a second bridge. You'll have to fight a Box Phalanx and three Hoplites there, so use Relentless Assault on the Boxed Phalanx until you Stagger in, then bring in Odin to clean up.
Open the sphere past the bridge for 2 Saint's Amulets, then follow the route to the waypoint.

Flower-filled Fissure

Save at the save point and spend all of Vanille's CP points in the Medic role. Try to get to Curasa and the ATB level crystals on the top tier. Now equip Vanille with the Healer's Staff, Blessed Talisman, and Shield Talisman. Set your active paradigm to Slash & Burn. Now head up the path to face another Eidolon battle.
Hecatoncheir will likely throw you for a loop. Let Fang perform two sets of attacks on the Eidolon to put some distance between her and Vanille, then shift to the Stumbling Block paradigm. Lay on the debuffs while Fang heals you. Shift to Lifeguard when you need extra healing. Another strategy is to create the Arcane Defense paradigm (Ravager/Sentinel) and switch between that and Stumbling Block, finishing the battle with Slash & Burn. The Renew ability is also an option.
Afteward, the Hecatoncheir Eidolon is yours! Proceed to the next zone.

Dusktide Grotto/Deep in the Dark

Use Delta Attack on the enemies you face here (though you should by all means run past the Juggernaut). Past the first group is a sphere; open it for an Ice Charm. Cross the bridge ahead and use the save point on the other side.
The path forks west, north, and east here. Go east first; at the end of the path you'll find a Particle Accelerator. Return to the save point and go west this time. After you fight the next group of enemies, go right to find 3 Crystal Oscillators. Continue on the main path, fighting two more groups of enemies to reach a sphere containing 3 Perfect Conductors.
Sneak up on the Boxed Phalanx in the next zone to get a preemptive strike against it. Keep going to the end of the path and examine the machine to trigger a scene. Afterward, board the Atomos to reach the next part of Pulse.
NOTE: Once you reach Sulyya Springs, you can get back on the Atomos and ride it back to Mah'habara. This opens up three new map areas there. It is in the "An Asylum from Light" zone that you'll find the Cie'th Stone for Mission 29. To get past the barrier leading to the final chamber of the "Abandoned Dig" zone, you must first activate Stone Mission 30.

Sulyya Springs

Ceiling of Sky/Subterranean Lake

Save your game here, then open the shopping menu. Sell all your Credit Chips and Incentive Chips for Gil at the B&W Outfitters shop, then buy as much of this gear as you can: three Warrior's Wristbands and three Sorcerer's Masks. Equip two Sorcerer's Masks to Hope, two Warrior's Wristbands to Fang, and one of each to Lightning.
Follow the path to the Subterranean Lake zone. Follow the right wall to a sphere containing 13 Strange Fluids. Head across the small island to reach the next larger one, and go right to find 10 Enigmatic Fluids.
Head to the left part of the island, where you'll find five Ceratosaurs. These guys can kill an underprepared party, so begin by using Libra on one, then shift to Delta Attack. If you're still having trouble staying alive, use the Solidarity paradigm.
Afterward, interact with the circle of water to cause two platforms to appear, each the home of two treasure spheres that are guarded by very tough enemies. Go back a couple islands first and look right for the first of these two platforms. Open the spheres for an Uraninite and a Riptide Ring. Jump back to the island where you triggered the platforms and go northeast this time, past where you opened the sphere that contained the Enigmatic Fluid, to jump to a new island.
Jump to the second of the two new platforms to the left here to find a Mnar Stone and a Water Charmp. Again, if the enemies guarding them are too tough for you at this stage, come back later when you're more powerful. Follow the right wall to a sphere that contains an Aquabane Brooch. You'll need to defeat two Ceratosaurs and two Orobons to get it; kill the Ceratosaurs first. The adjacent island is guarded by Ceratosaurs and a Ceratoraptor. Take out the Cerataraptor first! Go left to find a sphere containing 6 Moistened Scales, then follow the left wall up to the other end of this island. Use Delta Attack & Combat Clinic paradigms to defeat the Orobons, then open the sphere for 5 Seapetal Scales.
Return to the center island and follow the path forward to the next zone.

Ceiling of Sky/The Skyreach

Fight your way along this path to another sphere; it contains 7 Abyssal Scales. Continue onward to the Skyreach, where you'll find a save point to the right. Proceed forward and open the sphere on the left side of the path for a Cie'th Tear. Keep moving and you'll soon reach the next area of Pulse, Taejin's Tower.

Taejin's Tower

Palisades/Tyrant's Gate

You're not far from Taejin's Tower, so take a moment to prepare. Set Delta Attack as your active paradigm, and spend all your CP.
Save at the save point and follow the path up to a pair of Managarmr. Try to get a preemptive strike on them. After that is an Amphisbaena, which is much tougher. Shift to Combat Clinic or Solidarity to heal. Fight through more enemies to reach a wide open area, then check the back left corner for 20 Sinister Fangs.
Continue to the Tyrant's Gate, where you'll face two Managarmr. They'll cast status ailments on you, but Fang can deal with it. Once they're dead, head into the passage leading to the tower.
NOTE: No doubt you noticed the Cie'th Stone in the Palisades zone. This opens up the optional Stone Mission 21 that you can complete now if you feel up to the task.

Ground Tier

There are three spheres on the Ground Tier: two on the lower (southern) half of the ring, and one near the elevator to the next level. They contain 4,721 gil, a Sparkbane Brooch, and 11 Chipped Fangs. Collect all the loot, then ride the lift to the Second Tier.

Second Tier

You begin on the inner of this tier's two rings. Save at the save point, then move forward. The path ahead will be blocked, so take the path left to the outer ring. Activate the large Menhirrim statue there to accept the first of six Stone Missions you must complete in order to get through Taejin's Tower. There are three on this floor, and this is the first.
Mission 21 - Gelatitan: Use Libra (or a Librascope) at the start of the battle to learn the Gelatitan's weakness to Lightning, then hammer it. Shift to Combat Clinic whenever you need to heal.
Mission 22 - Ambling Bellows: Keep your distance from the Ambling Bellows until you see a Cryptos moving by the door, then run and make contact with it from behind to trigger a preemptive strike. Hit the Ambling Bellows hard without stopping to heal so you can defeat it before it summons friends to the battle. Use the Odin Eidolon if necessary.
Mission 23 - Gurangatch: Before attacking the Gurangatch, make Relentless Assault your active paradigm. Attack it from behind for a preemptive strike (and if you miss, pause the game and select "Retry" to start over). Hammer it with the Relentless Assault paradigm to Stagger it, then keep up the offensive until it falls. Equip the Warrior's Wristband you earn as a reward on Fang.
The flames that once blocked the path forward are now hope. Head past them now. Go to the end of the inner ring to find 5 Spark Plugs, then follow the waypoint to reach the Third Tier.

Third Tier

Open the sphere in the corner for a Simurgh weapon for Hope. Examine the Menhirrim statue ahead to open the path to the inner ring. Go right first and open the sphere for 2 Metal Armbands, then head in the other direction to reach the elevator to take you to the Fourth Tier.

Fourth Tier

Another quick floor. Head toward the waypoint to find a save point. Use it, then head to the end of the inner ring to find 2 Glass Orbs. Go back to the last intersection and head up to find the elevator that takes you to the Fifth Tier.

Fifth Tier

Go left and open the sphere for 9 Ancient Bones, then turn around and head in the other direction. Kill the Yakshini first when you face it along with the Yaksha. Activate the Menhirrim statue to receive another mandatory Stone Mission.
Mission 24 - Mushussu: Take out the two Yakshini first, then use Libra on the Mushussu while you heal. Shift to Delta Attack to take it down.
The rest of this floor is blocked off, so ride the elevator back to the Fourth Tier.

Fourth Tier, Part 2

Follow the waypoint marker into the inner ring and go right, past the save point and the elevator you used to get here. Open the sphere at the end of the ring for a Gale Ring, then go through the arch to the outer ring. Veer left and open the sphere for 2 Rainbow Anklets, then ride the nearby elevator to the Sixth Tier.

Sixth Tier

There's a Vampire in this room on the Sixth Tier's outer ring. Lure it to the doorway, then attack it from behind when it turns around. Afterward, activate the Menhirrim statue for another Stone Mission.
Your mark isn't on this floor, however, so enter the inner ring and go left. Take another left when you can to another room on the outer ring. Activate the statue here to rotate the tower floor, then return to the inner ring.
Take the second right into another outer ring room. Open the two spheres in the corners for 4 Tears of Woe and an Unsetting Sun weapon for Snow, then head down the nearby stairs to the Fifth Tier.

Fifth Tier, Part 2

Here you'll find your Mission 25 mark.

WikiCheats Tip A good group of enemies to grind for CP sits at the bottom of the stairs to the Sixth Tier. Defeat the five Pulsework Gladiators (best done with a preemptive strike), then run upstairs, past the Vampire to the walkway. Go back now and the group should have respawned. Each time you defeat them you'll earn 8,000 CP.

Mission 25 - Vetala: This is a tough mark when you encounter it in the course of the game's main story, because its Inertial Barrier protects it from all physical attacks and cut elemental damage in half. Use Delta Attack to slowly fill its Chain Gauge, and use Combat Clinic when you need to heal. Use Dispelga when necessary to get rid of any status ailments the mark inflicts upon you. Once you fill the Chain Gauge halfway, shift paradigms to Mystic Tower to Stagger it.
Open the sphere in this room for a Librascope, then follow the corridor to another room. Activate the Menhirrim statue to get your last mandatory Stone Mission. The mark for this mission is back up on the Sixth Tier. We suggest you avoid the Tyrant in this room, as it's pretty strong. Enter the floor's inner ring and go right. The path will become blocked, so make your way back to the stairs leading up to the Sixth Tier.

Sixth Tier, Part 2

Enter the inner ring and take the second left to an outer ring room. There you'll find the Mission 26 mark:
Mission 26 - Penanggalan: Take out the Chonchon enemies first before focusing on the mark. Shift paradigms to Combat Clinic when you need to heal.
After the Penanggalan is dead, return to the Fifth Tier.

Fifth/Fourth/Sixth Tier

Head to the waypoint marker on the inner ring and you'll then be able to proceed to a Menhirrim statue. Activate it, then ride this tier's elevator down to the Fourth Tier.
Get on the elevator in the inner ring and ride it up to the Sixth Tier. You could fight the three Vampires here, but the rewards aren't really worth it, so we suggest you avoid them.
Follow the ring until you can make a left to the outer ring. Open the two spheres there for 8 Tears of Remorse and a Clay Ring, then head to the next room. Take that elevator up to the Cloven Spire.

The Cloven Spire

Use the save point here, then follow the outer ring around the floor to find two spheres containing an Ethersol and 2 Frostbane Brooches.
Return to the save point to get ready for a boss fight. Set Delta Attack as your active paradigm, and spend all your CP. If Lightning hasn't unlocked her Commando role's Dispelga ability, return to the tower's previous floors and grind until you're able to afford it. When you're prepared, head to the floor's central platform to face the boss, Dahaka. Thought it was Taejin, did you? Well you were wrong! That would make too much sense!

Boss: Dahaka HP: 2,314,800 Yes, you read that right: this beast has over two million HP. Luckily, if you know how to kill it, whittling away all those hit points isn't as hard as it sounds. Begin by hammering on the boss with the Delta Attack paradigm. Keep an eye out for an onscreen prompt for Bone-chilling Breaker or Fulminous Firestorm. When you see either, immediately shift to the Combat Clinic paradigm. After the attack hits, heal up, then shift to Delta Attack (or Solidarity, if you're not so confident) to keep the Chain Gauge alive. Watch for Dahaka's Diluvial Plague attack, which can inflict your party with status ailments. A simple casting of Dispelga will remove their effects at once. If you don't have Dispelga, shift to Combat Clinic. You can also use Dispelga on the boss if it uses Faith or Haste on itself, though if you almost have it Staggered, don't bother. Keep attacking until you manage to Stagger the boss, then shift paradigms to Relentless Assault and go to town. When the Stagger bar is almost depleted, shift paradigms so Fang can cast Slow before the Stagger ends to make filling the Chain Gauge again an easier proposition. Paradigm shift again to get a Sentinel in your party, as you'll probably need some buffs after your all-out assault.

After the battle, you have two options. You can either head to the waypoint marker to travel to Oerba, or you can briefly check out the tower's seventh tier to grab some treasure. We suggest the latter. Take the newly-arrived elevator at the southern end of the floor to the Seventh Tier.

Seventh Tier

Activate the final statue here to rotate the floor, which allows you to ride the central elevator to any tier. Exit the room to the inner ring and go left to reach a sphere containing the aforementioned Collector Catalog. Equip this whenever you're grinding to earn more items after battles.
Return to the Cloven Spire now and head to the waypoint to exit.

• Note

Dont think of challenging this mark unless your absolutely fully prepared. This boss has high HP, high attacks/defenses.

Oerba

The Ashensand/Village Proper

Use the save point here and follow the path through the ravine to the ghost town of Oerba, which is now populated by Vampires, Taxims, Vetalas, Chonchons, Seekers, and a Varcolaci.
Hop over the gap into the village and take your first left to find a Perovskite. Return to the main path and continue to a fork. The left path leads to one of three Cie'th Stones in Oerba (the other two aren't available until later in the game). Feel free to activate it and accept Stone Mission 28. Otherwise, go right down the ramp for a cutscene.
Ignore the house on the right for now and head up the stairs next to the dumpster filled with sand. There you'll find a small robot. Examine it to start the Repairing Bhakti side quest. We suggest you do this now, so see the description on the Side Quests page for more info.
Moving on, open the sphere at the 180-degrees corner near the Dilapidated Dwelling for a Heavenly Axis weapon for Vanille. Continue on the path down the ramp and over the roots, and head down the steps to the left leading to a Librascope.
Continue south on the main path until you can veer right into the Deserted Schoolhouse area. Check the roof of the schoolhouse for two spheres containing a Moogle Puppet and a Pleiades Hi-Powers. Leave the schoolhouse and follow the path around to a save point. Use it, then enter the building. Defeat the three Taxims inside, then go upstairs to reach the next zone.

Rust-eaten Bridge

Go left here to find a Flamebane Brooch, then turn around and start heading forward. Soon you'll encounter a sphere guarded by a Vetala. Defeat it, then open the sphere for a Taming Pole weapon for Fang. Try to get a preemptive strike on the Vampire and three Seekers ahead, and take out the Vampire first. If you fail to get the sneak attack, kill the Seekers first instead.
Proceed across the bridge to a save point and a sphere containing an Ethersol. Take a moment to prepare for the boss battle ahead. Set Delta Attack as your active paradigm, if you haven't already. Spend all your CP; you'll want your characters to have reach the Role Level crystals in their key roles, and a full TP gauge is a must. Go grind for a while with the Energy Sash equipped to fulfill either of these requisites before tackling the boss at the waypoint, the gargantuan Barthandelus.

Boss: Barthandelus HP: 3,307,500 Barthandelus is a status ailment-happy kind of guy. Though you may be tempted to cure these myriad debuffs with Dispelga, you're going to want to save your TP for the very end of the fight. We'll get to that later. For now, focus on getting the boss into Stagger by hitting it with two rounds of Delta Attack, then shifting to Mystic Tower to finish the job. If you get bombarded with too many status ailments in the meanwhile, shift paradigms to Combat Clinic to cast Esuna. Only bother with curing debuffs when they're really hampering your game, such as when Lightning gets hit by Pain, or Hope gets hit by Fog. Keep pounding on Barthandelus until he only has about 500,000 HP left. At that point he will probably hit you with the Doom meter. From now on, you'll need to adopt a more aggressive strategy to beat Barthandelus before Doom kicks in. Shift paradigms immediately to Relentless Assault. With full TP you can cast Renew twice and Dispelga once. Save your two Renews for emergencies only! Only bother with Dispelga if the wrong character gets hit with Fog or Pain. Keep pounding away without focusing on healing and you should kill the boss before the Doom timer runs down to zero. Another way of cutting the battle short is to bring in Sazh. First, have him in Syn mode. He'll give all members stat enhancers. Once your ready to go. Switch to Relentless Assault. With this he should fall within the first Stagger session. This' assuming you've had frequent trips to the Crystarium Why this setup? Throughout the 5 ATB slots, Sazh hits multiple times. Which can be quite damaging

After that heart-pounding battle, examine the Cie'th Stone here for a cutscene. Afterward, get on the vehicle to proceed back to Cocoon. You can return to the Archylte Steppe now if you want to tackle more Stone Missions, but we recommend waiting until Chapter 13 to do so.

Chapter 12: Eden

Grand Prix Circuit

After the cinematic that opens this chapter, you'll take part in an event battle against the Anavatapa Warmech. Just keep using Auto-Gestalt until it's defeated.
Now spend some of that sweet CP. Lightning should work toward the Ravager role's Thundaga and Army of One abilities and the Medic role's Stopga. Fang should work toward the Sentinel role's Reprieve, Saboteur's Imperil, and Commando's Highwind. Hope should work toward the Medic role's Curaja, Synergist's Haste, and Ravager's Last Resort.
Also, take a moment to set up these six paradigms for the party of Lightning, Fang, and Hope:

• Commando/Sentinel/Ravager (Delta Attack)
• Ravager/Sentinel/Ravager (Mystic Tower)
• Ravager/Commando/Ravager (Relentless Assault)
• Medic/Sentinel/Medic (Combat Clinic)
• Medic/Sentinel/Synergist (Protection)
• Medic/Saboteur/Synergist (Evened Odds)

Use the save point here, then start heading north up the labyrinthine paths. Go north from your starting position to a four-way intersection, and go left there. Make the next right. Follow this to another intersection, and go straight there. Take your next right, then go right again to find a Lionheart weapon for Lightning. Turn around now and go straight at the next two intersections to reach another wider oval-shaped area. Take the passage straight north from it, then go right at the intersection. Go forward as far as you can, then turn right and head down to find 9,240 gil.
Head to the waypoint in the northwest corner to reach the Skywalk.

Skywalk/Expressway

Use the save point, the move out. Use the Delta Attack paradigm to get through the enemies here. When you fight a Bulwarker and two Sanctum Seraphs, take out the Bulwarker first to have an easier time with the Seraphs. Continue up the passage to the Expressway, where you'll have an event battle against a Behemoth King. Hit it with Delta Attack to build up its Chain Gauge, then shift to Mystic Tower to Stagger it. Shift to Relentless Assault once it's Staggered to put on the hurtin'.
Save your game here. The enemy battle of note in this zone is against a Behemoth King and three Orobons. Go after the Behemoth King first, and defeat it as you did the previous one, except shift to Delta Attack when you Stagger it, instead of Relentless Assault. Open the first sphere on the path for a Rebel Heart weapon for Snow, and the second sphere later on for an Otshirvani weapon for Hope.
Use the save point here, make sure Hope has the Haste ability (if not, go grind until you can afford it), and set Protection as your active paradigm. Why? Well, there's a boss just ahead, of course.

Boss: The Proudclad HP: 1,530,000 In the Protection paradigm, let Hope cast buffs on your party, then use Delta Attack and then Mystic Tower to Stagger the boss. Once the Proudclad is Staggered, shift back to Delta Attack and hammer away. When there are about 10 seconds left in the Stagger, shift to Combat Clinic to heal the party, because the Proudclad will go on the offensive when it's no longer Staggered. Shift back to Protection then, set up your new buffs, then repeat the Delta Attack/Mystic Tower routine to Stagger it again. Lightning meanwhile should let her ATB gauge fill, and use it only for healing herself, at least until you Stagger the Proudclad.

Get in the Bridge Pier Elevator now and ride it down.

Ramuh Interchange

You'll get an event battle here against an Adamanchelid, a giant beast that may seem unbeatable upon first sight. Have Fang in her Saboteur role casting debuffs on the beast while you work away at its Chain Gauge; it's weak against Ice. Be sure to cast Haste on everyone. Shift regularly to Combat Clinic to heal from the Adamanchelid's frequent and powerful attacks.
After that battle, use the save point here and follow the right wall to a sphere that contains a Punisher weapon for Fang. When you encounter the Humbaba, use Delta Attack on it, then shift to Mystic Tower to build the Chain Gauge to Stagger. Shift to Relentless Assault then to take it down.
Jump across the broken sections of road, and follow the right wall up until you reach a small dead-end with 15,000 gil at the end of it. Leave this alcove and go straight forward to find 5 Perfect Conductors. Descend either set of stairs and head through the large door to Siren Park.

Siren Park

Use the save point ahead. There are several groups of three-way battling enemies ahead, making them prime grinding opportunities, especially if you get preemptive strikes on them (and you should).
Go right when the path forks, then go right at the next fork and take this around to a sphere containing 2 Blaze Rings. Go back to the last fork and go straight. Continue in that direction, heading below the overpass and around to a Librascope. Continue on this path to reach 6 Particle Accelerators. A little north of that sphere on the lower levels is a Champion's Badge.
Once you have all the loot, head for the waypoint. It's guarded by a Tyrant and a Vernal Harvester. Get a preemptive strike on them, then go after the Vernal Harvester first. Stagger it, and keep bashing it until its health is almost depleted, then switch to the Tyrant. When the Centaurion Blade is summoned, defeat it, then finish off the first two enemies.
As we mentioned before, it's worth grinding in this area, as the three-way battles are pretty easy sources of CP. When you're ready to move on, continue to Leviathan Plaza.

Leviathan Plaza

Use the save point here, and open the sphere to the left for an Antares Deluxes weapon for Sazh. The enemies in this zone are pretty difficult, and you may want to consider just avoiding them entirely, especially if you spent some time grinding in Siren Park. By no means should you even consider trying to take down the Adamantoise. If you do feel like tackling the Juggernaut, get a preemptive strike on it, use Relentless Assault to Stagger it, then shift to Protection after the Stagger period ends. Switch to Delta Attack and Mystic Tower to get a second Stagger, then use Relentless Assault again. Finish it off with Delta Attack.
Anyway, there's another save point just ahead. Use it. Inside the large building you will see two treasure spheres. The one to the left contains 6 Particle Accelerators and the one on the right contains a Plush Chocobo. Though you can sell the Plush Chocobo for 35,000 gil, we suggest going for the Particle Accelerators, as their 4,800 EXP value is much greater than that of the gil reward.
After the other sphere "disappears," check the alcoves on the left and right side of the lobby for 12 Hellish Talons and 17 Hellish Talons. Now head through the door at the waypoint to reach the next zone.

Edenhall Grand Foyer/Edenhall

Head down the hall to find another save point. Use it, open the sphere ahead for a Mistilteinn weapon for Vanille, then continue into Edenhall itself.
A cutscene will trigger here. When it ends, rush the Juggernaut to the right and defeat it as you did the previous one. The battle with three Sanctum Inquisitrices and a Sanctum Archangel should not be taken lightly. Go after the Archangel first, kill it, shift to Combat Clinic to heal, then slowly eliminate the three Inquisitrices. Later on you'll face two Sacrifies battling a Vernal Harvester. Focus all of your attacks on the Vernal Harvester at first to put a dent in its HP, then go after the Sacrifices and kill them.
Proceed down the path to an intersection with a save point. Use it, then take the path going east a short distance to find a Power Glove (and no, you don't get to play NES games with it). Return to the save point and head up toward the waypoint. Defeat the enemies en route to a sphere containing an Ethersol, then stop. Take a moment to set Protection as your active paradigm before proceeding to the boss fight, a rematch with the Proudclad.

Boss: The Proudclad HP: 3,570,000 The Proudclad has a few new tricks up its sleeve. It now has the capability of switching between two forms, resetting the Chain Gauge in the process. The first form is Annihilation Mode (sounds fun, yeah?). In this mode it will use Muon Blaster, but you can Launch it when it's Staggered. In Aerial Defense Mode it will take to the air and use Retaliatory Strike after you Stagger it. Prepare for this by shifting paradigms to Combat Clinic before the Stagger period ends. At the start of the fight, set up your buffs and stay on the defensive until the Proudclad goes into Aerial Defense Mode. When that happens, shift to Delta Attack to build up the Chain Gauge, shift to Mystic Tower to Stagger it, then shift back to Delta Attack during Stagger mode. Shift to Combat Clinic just before the Stagger period ends for the Retaliatory Strike, then shift to Protection to set up your buffs again. As the battle goes on, you'll see a message that reads "Limiters Deactived." From that point on, the Proudclad will activate statue enhancements on itself. It will also use a new attack: Oneiric Maelstrom, which hits the whole party. Shift paradigms to Combat Clinic and stay with it until the Proudclad changes modes again. Don't attack unless the boss is in Aerial Defense Mode!

After the battle, enter the elevator above to end the chapter.

Chapter 13: Orphan's Cradle

The Tesseracts, Part 1

After the cutscene up the steps, save your game at the save point. Two warp gates have opened at the four-way intersection at the south end of this area. These lead back to Edenhall in Eden and Vallis Media on Gran Pulse. If you want to go hunt marks on the Archylte Steppe, feel free to do so now, though we recommend waiting until after you defeat the main story's final boss before doing so.
Also, as with the previous chapter, you'll want these six paradigms ready to use at your discretion:

• Commando/Sentinel/Ravager (Delta Attack)
• Ravager/Sentinel/Ravager (Mystic Tower)
• Ravager/Commando/Ravager (Relentless Assault)
• Medic/Sentinel/Medic (Combat Clinic)
• Medic/Sentinel/Synergist (Protection)
• Medic/Saboteur/Synergist (Evened Odds)

Before you go to the waypoint, check out the passage on the opposite side of the area. This route holds three spheres, which contain a Librascope, Cherub's Crown, and a Millerite. Of course, you'll have to fight through enemies to get to them. Use the Evened Odds paradigm against the Aquila Velocycle to cast Slow and Imperil on it, then switch to Mystic Tower to Stagger it. Use the same strategy against the Megrim Thresher, but shift to Relentless Assault during the Stagger to Launch it.
After collecting the loot, go to the waypoint marker and interact with the statue. Two platforms will appear. The left one goes to an optional area with more treasures, so take that platform first.
At the first fork, go right and take that route to the end to find 4 Superchargers. Turn around and head in the other direction. Follow the right wall to a ledge you can jump down, and open the sphere to the left for 4 Perfect Conductors. Head down the ramp behind you and open the sphere for 5 Turboprops.
From that last sphere, head south, then west and jump up the ledge on the other side of the room. Go right and take the path to a fork. Take the left path to find 2 Particle Accelerators and the right path to find a Uraninite.
Return to the area with the two platforms and take the right one this time.
Open the sphere to the right for 20 Seaking's Beards, then turn around and head in the other direction. The monsters here are more difficult than before, so try to get a preemptive strike on them as much as you can.
At the fork, go left first, then take another left and go to the top of the ramp to reach the upper area. Go right first and open the sphere in the dead-end for 2 Aegisols. Turn around and head up the other path. When the path forks, follow the left path to its end for 9 Tears of Woe and the right path to its end for a Gale Ring.
Go back down the ramp to the lower area and get back on the main path heading north. When the path forks again, go right first to find a Shamanic Spear for Fang. Now go up the only other path to find a save point. Save, then activate the statue to shift the platforms.

The Tesseracts, Part 2

Head down the ramp to face a Sacrifice and an Aquila Velocycle, and kill the Sacrifice first. You'll face other Sacrifices in this area, but when they're accompanied by Dagonites, you should take the Dagonites first before they use their Rush attacks on you.
Go left when the path forks (right leads back to the central round hub). Jump down the ledge and follow the path forward. Go straight the fork (left leads to an elevator, which we'll return to in a moment). Jump to the ledge ahead and follow the path to the left to a Tetradic Crown. Go back to that elevator you passed now and ride it down to the next area.
Use the save point ahead, set your active paradigm to Protection, and go right at the fork. When you face an Aquila Velocycle and three Dagonites, use the Protection paradigm so Hope casts Haste and Protect on the party. Take out the Dagonites one by one, and shift to Combat Clinic to heal as necessary (which will be often). After you win, head to the end of this dead-end to find 6 Starblossom Seeds.
Return to the fork and go right, jumping down. Go right at the fork ahead and descend the ramp. Go left at the next fork, jumping down, then going left at the corner to reach a sphere containing 8 Black Myceliums. Head back, jump back up to the ledge, and go left. Go straight forward past the ledges to the right (we'll be back to them momentarily) until you can turn left to a dead-end with a Rhodochrosite at the end of it.
Go back to the ledges you passed and jump down. Follow this path toward the waypoint marker, where you'll find a save point. There, set your active paradigm to Evened Odds and save your game.
Now activate the nearby statue to trigger a boss battle. Once you activate it, you can't return to this section of the Tesseracts.

Boss: Jabberwocky & Bandersnatch Jabberwocky - HP: 678,000 Bandersnatch - HP: 254,250 Both of these brutes have massive defenses: the Jabberwocky is immune to magic and physical damage against it is halved, and the Bandersnatch is immune to physical attacks and cuts magic damage to a tenth. You'll want to take out the Jabberwocky first. In the Evened Odds paradigm, wait for Fang to cast Deprotect on Jabberwocky, shift to Combat Clinic to heal if necessary, then shift to Delta Attack to build up its Chain Gauge. Shift to Mystic Tower to Stagger it, then shift to Delta Attack once you do. Keep an eye on the Jabberwocky's Deprotect debuff, and recast it when it fades. After the third Stagger, the Jabberwocky should fall, leaving only the Bandersnatch. Shift paradigms to Evened Odds to cast debuffs. Once Deshell is in place, shift to Relentless Assault to bring about its swift demise.

The Tesseracts, Part 3

Use the save point here, then head forward to reach a ring of six hexagonal platforms. You could just move around the rings to head immediately to the waypoint, but then you'd be missing out on some treasure!
Head to the center point of the rings off the first platform to face an Immortal that, unfortunately, you can't get a preemptive strike on. The Immortal will summon a Centaurion Blade to the battle, so you'll want to work quickly. Hit the Immortal with debuffs before it forges the Blade, then shift to Protection to protect the party while Hope casts buffs. Attack only the Immortal; ignore the Blade. Shift to Combat Clinic to heal when necessary, and recast Haste when it fades. Once you defeat the Immortal, the Centaurion Blade will perish.
Step through the gate to reach the first of two secret platforms. Open the two spheres here for a Weirding Glyph and an Adamant Bangle. Warp to the next secret platform and open the two spheres for a Scarletite and an Elixir. Use the warp there to return to the beginning of the six hexagon platforms. Make your way around to the other side, and follow the passage to a save point.
Set your active paradigm to Protection, and spend all your CP. Save your game, then head up to face another boss, Wladislaus.

Boss: Wladislaus HP: 734,500 When the battle begins, allow Hope to cast several buffs on the party, then shift to Delta Attack. Lay on the attacks, but watch for the boss to use its Mounting Contempt ability. This inflicts Deprotect and/or Deshell, then hits a character with a powerful blow that can very possibly kill them. When you see that Wladislaus is about to use this attack, shift paradigms to Protection so Hope can recast the buffs while Lightning heals. Return to your attacks and you should defeat the boss after you get the Chain Bonus past the 200% mark.

The Tesseracts, Part 4

Getting tired of the Tesseracts? Lucky for you, this is the last section of them you'll have to worry about.
Use the save point here and move forward for a cutscene. Ignore the elevators in the back corners and head up the ramp to the right. There you'll run into a Wladislaus and a Sanctum Templar. All strategies from the previous boss fight apply here, though you should kill the Templar first. Afterward, open the sphere for 3,000 gil.
There's a Jabberwocky and a Bandersnatch at the top of the ramp. Defeating them earns you 32,000 CP, though you can certain just avoid them. Open the sphere for 5,000 gil, then press on. Turn right at the fork. When you face the three Sanctum Templars, use the Evened Odds paradigm to first apply buffs and debuffs, then shift to Relentless Assault to take them down quickly. Use Combat Clinic when you need to heal.
Use the save point ahead on the left, set your active paradigm to Protection, then head up to the waypoint to face the Tiamat Eliminator.

Boss: Tiamat Eliminator HP: 3,825,000 The Tiamat Eliminator doesn't start out that threatening. It has two forms (aerial and earthbound), beginning with the aerial version, and will usually switch forms after a Stagger period. Begin in the Protection paradigm and let Hope cast Haste on himself and Lightning, then shift to Delta Attack. Build up the boss's Chain Gauge, then shift to Mystic Tower to Stagger it. After the Stagger period, the Tiamat Eliminator will use Descent to become its earthbound form. Its attack will now remove status enhancements you've placed on your characters. Make sure to shift to Combat Clinic when you need to heal, especially after the boss's Photon Blaster attack. Try to Stagger the earthbound form before it goes aerial again: if you manage it, you can Launch the boss, then hammer it with Relentless Assault. Keep up with these simple strategies--shifting to Combat Clinic to heal--and the Tiamat Eliminator should fall after the fourth or fifth Stagger.

WikiCheats Tip After you defeat the Tiamat Eliminator, we highly suggest you take at least an hour to grind here in the Tesseracts. Defeat the Wladislaus, Jabberwocky, and Bandersnatch enemies for 32,000 CP a battle, then return to the save point on the lower platform to respawn them.

The warp gate here will take you to the Narthex and Nascent Throne areas, the final zones in the game. Once you enter that area, there's no turning back.
The warp gate behind you takes you back to the start of Orphan's Cradle, where you can warp to Eden or Gran Pulse, if you feel like going there.
Create a separate save file here so that you can return to this point if you find the game's final challenges to be too daunting.

The Narthex/Nascent Throne

Head up to the game's final save point and open up the shopping menu. Head to B&W Outfitters and buy at least a couple Cherub's Crowns, but don't equip them yet. Also, buy some Phoenix Downs: you'll want half a dozen for the upcoming battles, just in case. If you want to do any item upgrading, now's a great time to do it.
When you're ready to move on, set Protection as your active paradigm, save your game, then head up to face the Barthandelus again.

Boss: Barthandelus HP: 5,227,500 Barthandelus has three attacks. The first, and the one you probably don't need to worry about, is a light laser attack that will hit Fang for light damage. The second is Ultima, which in an area-of-effect spell that deals decent damage; shift to Combat Clinic to heal after every one of these. Finally, its Thanatosian Laughter damages all party members with huge blows to their HP. As soon as you see that Barthandelus is about to use this attack, shift to Combat Clinic. At the start of the battle, wait until all party members are buffed with Bravery and Faith, then shift paradigms to Delta Attack to start building up the boss's Chain Gauge. You'll notice you're not dealing a lot of damage, but what's important is that you fill the Chain Gauge. Shift to Mystic Tower when you've filled it halfway until you Stagger it, then shift immediately to Relentless Assault to lay down the heat. You'll slowly rack up the damage needed to whittle down his five million-plus HP.

Boss: Orphan (first form) HP: 6,780,000 When the battle starts, pause the game and select "Retry," as you want to do some adjusting for this fight. However many Cherub's Crowns you have, equip Lightning with all of them. Swap out the Protection paradigm with Aggression (Commando/Commando/Ravager), and set Combat Clinic as your active paradigm. Now you're ready! Orphan has two forms: Consummate Light and Consummate Darkness. When it shifts between the two forms it uses its Merciless Judgment attack, with affects the whole party with a huge drain to their HP. Whenever you see the caption for this attack appear, shift paradigms immediately to Combat Clinic. When you've healed up from a Merciless Judgment attack, shift paradigms to Evened Odds. Wait for Hope to buff everyone with six status enhancements while Fang hits Orphan with several status ailments, namely Slow. Once those buffs/debuffs are in place, shift paradigms to Relentless Assault and start beating this boss down! Shift to Combat Clinic whenever anyone's HP drops to 50% or below. Once you Stagger Orphan, shift paradigms to Evened Odds to reapply your buffs and debuffs if you need to, as well as remove status ailments and heal, then go on an all and out Relentless Assault. As you near the end of the first Stagger period, shift to Combat Clinic, as Orphan is about to hit you with Merciless Judgment again. Orphan's attacks in Consummate Darkness mode can hit you with status ailments, but you should stick with Relentless Assault and focus on building up its Chain Gauge again, and only heal with Combat Clinic when necessary. As the battle wages on, Orphan will start using Merciless Judgment more often, which means you'll need to be quick to shift to Combat Clinic before the boss begins that attack. Orphan will also start using Progenitorial Wrath, which hits a character for an instant kill. Since you buffed Lightning up with Cherbu's Crowns, hopefully she won't kick the bucket if she's struck by the attack. If Fang or Hope gets hit by it, use a Phoenix Down to revive them. Keep up the offensive (healing whenever necessary, of course) until you've Staggered Orphan a third time. At that point, attack it until the Chain Combo reaches 999%, then shift paradigms to Aggression to really lay on the damage. Don't get too cocky when Orphan falls, though, because it's ain't dead yet...

Final Boss: Orphan (second form) HP: 3,390,000 You've got a Doom counter on you, so there's no time for fooling around! Shift to Relentless Assault and immediately start pounding away on Orphan. The final boss will take no damage until you Stagger it, which is why you want to go on an all-out offensive. Use Lightning's Army of One ability to build up the Chain Gauge quickly. Orphan won't take this abuse lying down, though, so shift to Combat Clinic whenever you need to heal. Orphan loves to slap you around with her silky black tentacle, which knocks off thousands of HP per hit. Once you Stagger Orphan, your Commando should Launch it. Stick with Relentless Assault to build the Chain Combo to 999%. Once it reaches that mark, shift paradigms to Aggression to keep Orphan juggled in the air. Once the Stagger period ends, shift paradigms to Evened Odds, as you'll need Fang to remove any status ailments from your party while you rebuff. Once you're clean, go back on the assault to Stagger Orphan again. Using these strategies, you should destroy Orphan at some point in the third Stagger.

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Nice work! You have just defeated Final Fantasy XIII's final boss, but the game is far from over! Watch the game's closing cinematics, then save your game when prompted. Reload the file and you'll be at the save point in the game's final area. The final level of the Crystarium is now unlocked. Turn around now and head through the warp gate to return to the hub of the Tesseracts. You can now use the two warp gates here to travel to Vallis Media on Gran Pulse or Eden. This is the best time to complete all those Stone Missions, so get to it!