Game Quirks, Lore, And Commandments
Go here if you still prefer items, gear, spells, and stats unintended for the early and mid games.
The Deal with Ultima: centuries before the game's time, thousands of monsters entered the human realm from the underworld. The Mysidian Sages crafted their "Ultima" spell, using it to banish the horde's most hostile troops. Fearing their power however, the mages sealed away the spell. In the following generations, the mystics moved their HQ to the far south. In a cataclysmic time like this war, true heroes must remove this seal to get the spell. Everything we endure until then is a test to see if we deserve that power. The exception is the Famicom, where a bug makes Ultima worthless. Otherwise, the spell grows in power with it's caster and can be taught to anyone. It's Accuracy is 50% and it's Power is 100. This makes it the game's strongest spell, and it gets better from there. Use these guides for the advanced quirks.
https://guides.gamercorner.net/ffii/walkthrough/game-systems
WARNING: the Gamer Corner Guide only applies for the original Famicom. Therefore, the Ripper Knife, Magic, and Duo-Wield Bugs don't apply elsewhere. The Party Row and Monster Flee Bugs don't apply to Pixel either. Nevertheless, this guide is useful for understanding the basics.
https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Ultima_(Final_Fantasy_II)
The deal with getting tougher: obviously, reaching the final two dungeons without grinding requires you to see foes that FIGHT LIKE MEN. Sadly, a bug with Enemy Fear Calculation made the three weakest foes RUN LIKE SISSIES, making it near impossible to just progress. This made pre-Pixel versions unstable enough to be unfun, if not outright unplayable. Thank goodness the developers caught sight and changed the mechanic to factor story progress, making weaker foes stand and fight until later and stronger non-boss foes able to run after that.
Otherwise, here's how it's SUPPOSED to work. Goblins, Hornets, and Leg Eaters will be used for this example. All three foes have a Base Fear Score of 10%. Getting a new Key Term of the 15 in the game adds ~14% to the Flee Try odds according to my math and experience. Per this, they'll fight the three orphans in most cases when you start off. Their odds are not a problem until you get Mindu, who has Fear (hint: that spell increases enemy Fear by 20 marks per successful hit). After that, they'll consider trying to flee. This assumes you can raise the enemy's Fear Mark to 50%. At that point, DEFINITELY run to save resources for more worthwhile foes.
The deal with what one should focus on and when: Each melee "hit" does damage equal to hitter's Attack * 1-2 - defender's Defense, making Attack and Defense more important than Accuracy and Evasion during most of the quest. Again, you can get lucky with the dice rolls but in the long run its better to keep upgrading your weapons and armor. If you can't get better weapons, then Strength comes into play since one-eighth to one-half of a hero's Strength is added to their Attack when they have a weapon equipped (Unarmed fighting works a bit differently, as explained here). [Accuracy and Evasion rolls wok similarly. For heroes, Strength is added to Melee Accuracy until 99% while Evasion is slightly more complex but otherwise works in a similar manner.]
https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Unarmed_(weapon)#Final_Fantasy_II
https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_II_stats#:~:text=The%20following%20is%20a%20list%20of%20%EE%80%80stats%EE%80%81%20in,HP%20that%20is%20lost%20in%20the%20battle%20
IMPORTANT: Added Effects of melee attacks ignore HP and Defense calculations, making Evasion and Accuracy more important in that instance.
Unlike with attacking the foe yourself, Armor is the only way to get Defense so the only other way to withstand raw damage is to have more HP. (For enemies, these values are fixed.)
Magic damage works similarly but the formulas are complex enough to warrant the need for more articles to explain all the crucial stuff.
https://guides.gamercorner.net/ffii/armors/
https://guides.gamercorner.net/ffii/weapons/
IMPORTANT: only the Magic Defense for each piece of armor is in need of being updated. Shields now have a slight bonus to Defense instead of the equivalent Attack bonus normally provided. As always, the Ripper Knife's "20*Hits" Damage bonus now actually works, making it a better weapon for some of the more stressful situations. Weapons' and Shields' Base Evasion Scores need slight updating too. Beyond that, these guides have few enough errors to make them good for knowing the core game mechanics and lore.
IMPORTANT: Magic Penalties per gear piece have made a full comeback in Pixel Remaster but no other information has been concisely disclosed. Therefore, this guide will assume Famicom values for Magic Penalties are used. Individual spells also have Base Accuracy Scores as listed here.
https://guides.gamercorner.net/ffii/spells/
Final Fantasy II's 12 Commandments
1. Thou shalt not farm Flame Bows.
2. Thou shalt not go to Mysidia early.
3. Thou shalt prioritize magic over items.
4. Thou shalt not abuse weapons with added effects.
5. Thou shalt not pout over thine encounter rate.
6. Thou shalt only flee monsters that ain't worth fighting.
7. Thou shalt take thine long way across the map if thine monsters are worth fighting.
8. Thou shalt not "grind".
9. Thou shalt only buy thine gear thee recommends.
10. Thou shalt use thine recommended number of PCs (Playable Characters).
11. Thou shalt not complain about thine difficulty.
12. Thou shalt not cram negative reviews down thee's throat!
Game Mechanics And Lore, Part 2
The deal with this game's story: as a Renaissance-era rehash of Star Wars, Final Fantasy II retells the epoch-long struggle between the "hostile empire" and the rebel resistance. I will spare the gory details of the Emperor's thirst for blood. However, you can use the links below if you're not convinced.
Sources...
https://lparchive.org/Final-Fantasy-II-(by-Mega64)/Update%2019/
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/920240-final-fantasy-i-and-ii-dawn-of-souls/51129400#:~:text=Last%20appearance%20of%20Enemies%20that%20can%20be%20permanently,~Land%20between%20Fynn%20%26%20Palamecia%20Desert%20%3D%3E%2011%3APhorusracos.
The deal with Mythril: also centuries before the game's events, Mythril was mined from the Semmit Falls. It was meant to form the basis for enhanced magic and equipment. This prompted Palamecia to use the men of Salamand as slave labor to mine the stuff. The exception was Josef, who did not initially take the bait. This forced the imperials to abduct his daughter, Nelly, to blackmail & bribe him into silence. Only by rescuing her, Paul, and the other civilians will Josef accept the orphan trio as the chosen ones.
Fighting Styles And Their Dis/advantages
Magic...
Advantages...
Gamer Corner Guides AND I QUOTE! "A damage spell's base damage ranges from its level times its adjusted power to four times that number." - END QUOTE.
In other words, Magic Defense and Elemental Resistance only negate BONUS (not core) damage!!
Also, use Magic to increase your MP, Spirit, Intellect, and Mana so you can adapt to any situation.
Disadvantages: melee gear and/or a # of heroes below the recommendation. (Disadvantage #2 is the big one. Stop disobeying QA's intent because of ♥♥♥♥ you don't like!)
Melee Bruising...
Advantages: can use without needing to restore or improve MP. Strength increases by "attacking" a set number of times (usually between one and 45). Keep doing that, and Strength will eventually be high enough for Accuracy to not matter.
Disadvantages: too little early Strength for the rest to matter. Against high Magic Defense, added effects with the exception of HP Drain and Ripper are unlikely to connect. Against high Defense foes (i.e., the Final Boss), you must use Berserk to have enough Attack to pierce their defenses directly. Again, not all hits will be Critical Hits.
Types of melee fighting and their advantages and disadvantages...
Bows: can be used from the rear at full power and removed if you must switch to magic. Cheap to buy; for improvement over its predecessors, the Flame Bow is the game's strongest weapon. On ultimate weapon terms, Yoichi's Bow is best in this regard. Being two-handed, Bows give double the wielder's Strength to Base Damage. No Shield allowed however, so expect less Evasion and Defense. You always start with a Bow and Leila and Leon have modest skill with them by default.
Lances: for an early Flame Bow alternative, the Tropical Island's Demon Spear is the game's best weapon to that point, making it a viable choice for Firion until Deist's Wing Sword. Ricard has good Polearm Skill and he and Gordon start with them equipped. Four lances also have a useful Element or Family. Yet, the Holy Lance is the weakest ultimate weapon, with a Monster Family held by the Excalibur Sword and barely reinforcing its Diamond Mace/Yoichi's Bow Base Power. It's Item Ability is worthless, held by Holy Tomes, and can destroy the weapon.
Unarmed: cheap and viable alternative to non-reward gear. Its unique power formula and lack of a magic penalty make it a strong fighting style throughout the game. Josef is best fighting this way and the orphans can use it too. You're not supposed to use it with a Shield, however, so only use light armor (unless you want to destroy your evasion and magic).
Axes: you start with one. The Mythril, Ogrekiller, Poison, and Rune Axes are godly powerful in one way or another (upgrade, how to get, weakness, ailment, alternative, and/or raw power). Only the Demon Axe is average at best. Yet, the Demon Spear is better for Firion so give this axe to Guy. Axes are Leon's best default skill and Firion needs the best Sword. Therefore, give Leon a Rune Axe if you found extras from Palamecia's Generals until you find the Masamune Sword itself.
Swords: you start with two. Leon and Leila each start with one. Leila, Ricard, and Leon are skilled with using them. It's impossible to deny how good most Swords are. Deist's Ogre Chiefs may drop a second Wing Sword if you're lucky. This means two strong weapons before Fynn Sewers, one for Leila and another for Firion. And once you beat the story, Firion or Leon can use the Excalibur and another the Masamune. Ouch! Except for melee fighting's usual disadvantages, I can't think of any drawback to Swords.
Staves: a staff with free healing? Sign me up! Mindu starts with a Staff thanks to their low magical potency penalties. On the other hand, most Staves have too low power for their added effects and overall utility to save them from being sold. The only exception is the Diamond Mace.
Knives: Leila starts with one and is skilled in them. A few have weak spots or other effects. All have low mage penalties. Their raw power, however, is atrocious. Even the Cat Claw's improvement to it's predecessors doesn't save them, with a weakness held by the Rune Axe and Excalibur Sword (and the latter has lots more). Mind you, both weapons are better.
Major Characters And Gear Types
The Four Orphans...
Firion: the playable group's leader. His average starting stats let you build him however you want.
Maria: the "brains" of the group. It's always been suggested to make her a straight Black Mage.
Guy: the group's "brawn". It's been suggested to make him a Paladin (i.e., defensive attacker).
Leon: abducted during the intro to be the empire's third-in-command, but rejoins the resistance the moment he sees how evil the Emperor (really) is. Make him a mage if you want, but leave him a tank/bruiser until after the game concludes to preserve the challenge.
Guest Playable Characters (in a sense, these guys are the overarching protagonists)...
Mindu: Fynn's Court Sage, later the Soul of Rebirth's protagonist. Sacrifices himself to let the orphans get Ultima, the strongest magic.
Josef: Salamand's Monk, later a Soul of Rebirth tritagonist. He sacrifices himself to stop Borghen's trap after the latter revealed his crimes were a feint.
Gordon: the younger prince of Kashuan turned Prince of Fynn after the King dies. Like Firion, you can make him whatever you'd like. Yet, little time to experiment leaves him as a pure tank/bruiser.
Leila: Paloom's Pirate Captain, made a rebel general after helping retake their castle and city.
Ricard: the last Dragoon and an obvious tank/bruiser. Sacrifices himself to save the orphans from the revived Emperor's bloodlust. He is the second Soul of Rebirth tritagonist.
Other guest characters...
Scott: Kashuan's older prince who sacrificed himself to let his fellow rebels get Hilda and the three orphans to safety. He is the Soul of Rebirth's deuteragonist.
Cid: former Knight of Fynn who left his post to run Poft's Airship Ferry Service, but was mortally wounded when the Cyclone struck Paloom (his Airship was too heavy to be evacuated). In the Soul of Rebirth, he runs Machanon's Pub and questions whether innocents go to the Underworld.
Hilda: Fynn's Princess, turned Queen at the story's conclusion. She fills in for her unnamed father when the latter is mortally wounded trying to escape Fynn.
King of Fynn: Fynn's unnamed former ruler who was mortally wounded trying to escape the city.
Leila's Crew: Leila initially orders them to beat up the orphans and steal their belongings, but the orphans easily do the pirate crew in. Leila then unconditionally surrenders. Yet, the orphans let her join them anyway, leading her to become a lieutenant for the resistance.
Nelly: Josef's orphaned daughter who gets a job as Fynn's Janitor after the game's conclusion.
Paul: Fynn's top Thief. He likes to rob the Empire in hopes of finding the latter's weak point.
Tobul: one of Fynn's head stewards and their finest armory blacksmith. He has started coming of age however, and needs Mythril to get back into business. He is later murdered by the Emperor's Cyclone and reincarnated in the Soul of Rebirth at Machanon's Weapon Shop.
Fire, Ice, and Thunder Gigantes: leftover monsters from the initial Jade spillover. One of each kin is battled in the Mysidian Tower as a boss guardian of the forbidden Ultima Tome. They are also seen in Pandemonium as normal encounters en route to the final battle with the Emperor.
The Empire...
Emperor Mateus: the final boss and primary villain.
Borghen: the secondary antagonist, an imperial general until the Snow Cave. He is later seen in his undead form in Pandemonium Tower guarding the almighty Genji Gloves.
Gottos: the tertiary antagonist and a major boss, assigned to head the imperials in occupied Fynn. His clones are fought in Palamecia as normal encounters and in Mysidia Tower as the guardians of a Flare Tome on the dungeon's highest floors slightly off the primary route.
The Dark Knight: the quaternary villain turned second tritagonist upon revealing his true identity.
Lamia Queens: powerful supporting antagonists. One is assigned to lure the rebels into a trap.
Behemoth: minor antagonist and the Emperor's pet dog. Reincarnated as King Behemoth in Jade and Pandemonium and as Dark Behemoth in the Soul of Rebirth.
Wood and Stone Golems: strong foes acting as bodyguards for the Emperor and the Dark Knight. They are reborn as Mythril Golems in Pandemonium and as Gold Golems in the Soul of Rebirth.
Black Knights and Royal Guards: imperial cavalry units also serving as the Emperor's and Dark Knight's bodyguards. Four of them massacre the party during the game's intro battle, which isn't (supposed to be) won. They are later reincarnated in Pandemonium as Death Riders and in the Soul of Rebirth as Chaos Riders.
Gear...
The orphans start with hunting weapons and normal clothes. These provide little protection at all but other gear can soon be found. Listed below are some general rules of thumb for each.
Don't bother...
1. Clothes
2. Bronze Armor
3. Mythril Armor
All purpose...
1. Leather Armor
2. All Cuirasses
3. Leather Cap
Spell casting...
1. Ribbon
2. Mage Robes
3. Protect Ring
Melee fighting...
1. All Shields
2. Power Wear
3. All Flames
4. Twist Headband
5. All Gloves
6. Other Diamonds
7. All Giants/Knights
8. Both Dragons
9. Any Genji/Aegis
10. Other Golds
11. Black Garb
12. All Ices
Intro And Chapter 1: Revival And Reunion
Intro battle: unwinnable w/o Augmented Reality or cheats. Press More Commands, Defend, and Speed Up until your party falls to the Black Knights.
Altair: Give the Axe to Firion, the Bow to Guy, and a Broadsword and Leon's Leather Armor and Buckler to Maria. Sell the extra Broadsword and Maria's Clothes. Buy three Leather Caps and equip one to each character. Purchase the Blizzard spell for as many characters as possible. Fire is found in the first dungeon and Thunder has no weak foes until later. Grab the free Potion in the Rebel Hideout and the Wild Rose Password from Hilda. Move Guy to the rear and Maria to the front. We recommend using Cursor Memory under Configuration. Continue Auto-Battle and Volume Adjustment are optional. Gatrea is northwest of this town. Fight all foes along the way. Swap physical attacks and magic to increase Strength and Intellect more consistently.
Gatrea: purchase two more Bows. Equip one each to Firion and Maria. Sell the Axe, the Bucklers and the last Broadsword. Skip the Inn unless you're at HP Critical to save money. Move Firion and Maria to the rear. Don't buy any items. Just leave the town and keep going.
Fynn City: go all the way around the lake without going too far north. Once you finish reading the city entrance dialog, go to the outside portion of the city walls. Move along the walls until you reach the Pub. Head to the northeast corner and use Wild Rose to make the landlord leave. Use it on the dying soldier inside and grab the three Potions. Leave the city. Avoid the guards unless you want to lose.
Scott's Ring: return to Altair and prove your worthiness to Hilda. Learn and ask about Mythril to begin the next chapter. Once again, don't go too far north unless you want to be destroyed.
END OF CHAPTER 1
Chapter 2: Mythic Metal Silver
Mindu (Minwu): talk to Fynn Sage Mindu, the man next to Hilda. He'll give the orphans his Canoe and join them on their quest. Talk to Hilda again to learn and ask about the Dreadnought to learn about Airships. Leave town to get a Bow and Leather Cap in Gatrea for Mindu then head east for Paloom.
Paloom: get a boat ride to Poft. Give Mindu's Copper Cuirass to Maria and her Leather Armor to him.
Poft: only use this town as an Inn point. Story elements will come into play later, and we can't afford magic at this time. Don't even get an airship ride. Just keep on walking to Salamand.
Salamand: same case as Poft. Sell anything you found or bought along the way you no longer need.
Semitt Falls: grab all treasures if you want 100%. Otherwise, just get through. Use physical attacks to save MP.
Sergeant and Land Turtle: unlike most normal foes, the first two bosses are nearly immune to melee attacks. Therefore, use magic. The Land Turtle is weak to Blizzard, but patience and luck are the only things you can count on versus the Sergeant. Remove the Bows to improve Magic Potency and keep everyone in the rear (including Mindu) to dampen the Sergeant's and Land Turtle's attacks. Get back out once the boss/es go/es down and/or you have all of the treasure. To save resources, only use the Teleport spell if it's urgent. Return to Salamand to restore MP then rent the ferry from Poft to Paloom and get the Mythril to Altair's Weapon Shop's Blacksmith (man with a white beard).
Bafsk: head east from Poft for a bit once you return. Upon reaching the city, head to the southwest of the town and ignore the fake soldier's speech. Just reach the talk options and tell him Dreadnought to make him move. Buy Silver Curiasses, Mythril Helmets, Mythril Shields, and Mythril Gloves for the orphans and a Mythril Sword for Firion, a Mythril Mace for Maria, and a Mythril Axe for Guy.
Bafsk Sewers: grab the Longsword and cut through the fake wall to reach the Longbow quickly. Head for the imperial soldier at the end to chat with him. This activates the next chapter.
END OF CHAPTER 2
Hint: you can use Fists (which Josef is better off using anyway) if you must save money on weapons and armor. Just remember to use light armor to maximize Evasion.
Chapter 3: "Invincible"(?) Dreadnought
Poft: walk back out to get more money and skip the Pass. Come back for it later if you want 100% or can't kill the Captain guarding the Dreadnought Station. Once you return to Poft, enter the Pub near the harbor and talk to Cid (guy with the white hair) and tell him Airships to learn about Sunfire. Rent the ferry back to Paloom and Altair (again). Purchase magic for the orphans if you can afford to do so.
Altair: remove all of Mindu's equipment and speak to Hilda in the Hideout's War Room. Go to the sick room in the east. Ask the King (man resting in bed) about the Sunfire to learn of the Goddess's Bell then head back to Paloom for the ferry back to Poft (again).
Salamand: walk here from Poft to save money (again). Enter the house in the northeast part of the town and it's western bedroom. Speak with Josef (the bald man). Ask him about the Goddess's Bell to make him join. Head back to Semitt and interact near the blue rock close to the entrance. Grab the Snowmobile in the next room and get out.
Snow Cave: head for the far north. Sail through the snow to reach the cave. Use weapons and/or fists to save MP as always. Be careful practicing spells (at least 15 White Magic casts or more are needed to raise Spirit, with 25 or more Black Magic spell casts needed to raise Intellect). I hope you remembered to purchase at least one Life Tome (more if you could afford it). I will link to an online source if you still need help getting through the dungeons without strutting into empty rooms.
Adamantoise: move everyone to the back and use only light armor and no weapons. Have Josef use the Antarctic Wind and Blizzard Tome on the boss. Have the three orphans use Blizzard on the creature as he is nigh immune to melee assaults.
Borghen: remove all of Josef's gear as Borghen will kill him out of spite for his defeat. You do not have much to worry about beyond that. Borghen can heal himself, but it won't save him. (This guy is much easier than the Adamantoise as a whole.)
Kashuan: return to Salamand and rest. Hopefully you gained MP, Intellect, and Spirit on the way. Battles with Grenades should have (hopefully) improved your HP and Stamina if you survived. Purchase the leftover spells in Poft, Salamand, and Bafsk and sell your junk. Take the walk from Bafsk to Kashuan in the deep south. Yes, it's long, but you'll need the money. The empire will abduct Hilda and Cid the moment you get the Sunfire anyway, so it'll barely matter. Round out those last few Life Tomes before coming here at all because you'll need them to beat this place.
Mines: even stronger than the Grenades, a large pack of these guys will guard the Golden Armor. Weak foes guard the Golden Shield. Mines reappear later as a normal encounter. The Land Turtles and the Adamantoises are found here and in later sections as normal encounters too. Sergeants & Goblin Princes can be found here also, but they're quite rare, meaning you may have to search for quite a bit if you want 100%. Grab as much treasure as you can then head for the Red Soul.
Red Soul: absorbs all elements and not supposed to have non-elemental spells so soon (Ultima is totally unavailable), so physical attacks are your only chance. Defend the first several rounds if you want some HP, Stamina, and Magic Defense Points. After that, use the Ancient Sword to inflict the Curse ailment on him. If it lands, his Defense will be halved, making this otherwise long and brutal fight much easier. After the Red Soul falls, grab Egil's Torch then head for the outside world to grab the Sunfire. Hint: grab Ethers and a Cottage if you can afford them to maximize magical efficiency.
Dreadnought: grab a Chocobo and head back to Bafsk to sell any junk and rest. Round out your supplies with the last few spells and some Ethers and Cottages. Head back to Poft for a ferry ride back to Paloom. Pre-Dreadnought map foes are no longer worth fighting at all, so run if you can. Head north of Gatrea then Fynn to loop around the map and reach the Dreadnought Station. Tell the Captain Wild Rose to fight him and get stronger or bribe him with the Pass to make him move.
Captain: move the top three heroes to to the back row and have them spam Protect and Blink to dampen this guy's attacks. If you can Curse him with the Ancient Sword, his reduced Power and Defense will make him less of a threat. Once he falls or you bribe him, you can free Hilda and Cid and grab some treasure. After that, head for the engine room and toss in the Sunfire to make the Dreadnought self-destruct and get a free ride back to Altair. Level up your characters with care.
Next chapter: remove Gordon's gear and return to the King's bedroom to begin the next chapter.
END OF CHAPTER 3
Chapter 4: Of Dragoons And Pirates
The King's death: if you missed an enemy or two and want 100%, best to go back and get them now because this is the last time the trio of orphans is alone on the world map. Helpful because enemies are less afraid of only three heroes, unlike when four of them are around. Once that is done, sell your junk and rest at the Inn to recover your MP. After that, round out your inventory for more Ethers and Cottages. Then head back to Paloom (again). Talk to the female pirate standing near the harbor. Go back outside the city and board her ship.
Leila's Pirates: like the Pirates in the previous game, these guys are a joke. If you want, you can move everyone to the back and switch to light armor then start spamming attack spells to decrease her men's sheer numbers. Practice some defensive spells if you'd like even. Once her crew goes down, Leila will surrender and wait for the party to execute her. (Instead, they let her join, to which she agrees.)
Tropical Island: come here first to gain the power needed to tackle Deist. Grab as much treasure as possible, equip what's useful, and sell what's now. Plan your moves carefully.
Tropical Island Village: Buy everyone a Ruby Cuirass (it lacks Gold Armor's Poison protection, but has the same Defense and is much lighter) and equip it. Buy a Demon Spear for Firion and Demon Axe for Guy and equip those too. Use your leftover money to buy more Ethers, of course.
Big Horns: must battle four here regardless. They can tolerate serious punishment and strike back nearly as hard. So either adapt or perish. As a reward, grab the Black Mask and use the teleporter to return to your ship quickly if you are low on resources.
Deist: despite my best efforts, I was strong enough to make some foes run outright. So I'll link to my favorite map guide here: https://sabay-web.com/ff2pr-walkthrough/
Deist Castle: ignore the freaked-out kid. Just get the treasure then get back out. Give the spells to the orphans accordingly and equip Firion with the Wing Sword. Its less accurate than the Demon Spear but the difference is not enough to matter. Also, Swords are a patently better weapon overall.
Deist Cave First Time: make a beeline for the Pendant and get back out. Run from undead hordes (their monster rank is so low, they are not worth fighting), chop Yellow Souls to bits, and handle the other foes however you'd like. Hill Gigases can be good for improving your physical might if you act carefully, especially if you get two of them at once.
Wyvern: ask the creature about its kind to receive its last Egg then leave again.
Deist Cave Second Time: be careful going for treasure since most of these foes are tough. Smash and zap with caution. Use your Ethers wisely too.
Chimeras: similar to the Big Horns, except they can also breathe fire on you. Any Ice Shields you have found can help protect you from the scalding heat and the Ancient Sword's Curse effect will cool these guys off. Again, however, it's just like the old saying goes: an adaptive strategy is your best offense and defense. So plan your every move carefully if you're intent on victory.
Lamia Queen: drop the Wyvern Egg in the Spring and get back out of the cave. Return to Bafsk to sell your junk, fit more Ethers, and rest. Head back for Altair (again) and return to the Rebel Base. This time, go to the far southeast part of the building. After the cutscene, the fake Hilda will show its real form. This fight will be tougher than anything you've faced so far. Have your magic on standby as one Blink will make weapons nigh useless. If you're lucky, you'll get a Ribbon, a Protect Ring, a Diamond Cuirass, or another Gold Hairpin. She can also drop a Sage's Wisdom but that is not as good as the armor she drops.
Coliseum: Leila will take off her equipment automatically after the Lamia Queen goes down on this version. Hand the Demon Spear plus hand-me-down armor parts to Gordon and stronger armors to the other three heroes. Sail along the southeastern edge of the continent to reach the Great Desert. The Coliseum is conveniently situated in the forested oasis north of where the Dreadnought stood.
Behemoth: the Emperor's pet dog, whom you must fight once you enter the Coliseum. Unlike the other bosses though, there's not much to worry about. He's physically strong but your party is now fully capable of withstanding a normal physical assault. He also has no other gimmicks unlike most of the prior bosses. In other words, fight him however you want.
Coliseum Dungeon: shortly after getting thrown into prison, Paul will bust you out. Grab some more loot and get out. Remove Gordon's armaments before rescuing Hilda. After that, exit the Coliseum and return to the pirate ship. Travel back to Gatrea, sell your junk, and rest up for the next chapter.
END OF CHAPTER 4
Chapter 5: No Place Like Home
Retaking Fynn: visit the rebel camp for 100% since visiting all map locations (including temporary and optional places) is required for the Adventurous Wayfarer achievement. Once you enter the exposed castle, walk up to Leila to have her rejoin. Reequip her good stuff and loot the treasure to strengthen yourself from the enemies. Head to the throne room once you're done.
Gottos: aside from making himself stronger, he's little different from foes we have faced before this. So do whatever you'd like. Once he's gone, you can get some neat stuff, but nothing you'd keep for the duration. With the imperial commander now dead, his armies must retreat and the Fynn people can retake their land.
Fynn Catacombs, Freed Village, and Locked Vaults: Buy gear, items and spells, sell junk, and raid treasure, etc. Don't forget to grab thet White Mask! You'll need it to progress beyond this point.
Mysidia: at this point, simply beating things up isn't an option. First of all, you must place the White Mask on the statue below the city. Otherwise, doppelgangers of the orphans will block your path forward. After that, sell your leftover junk, equip Leila with the best stuff, the other three with what's light enough to let them use magic, move them to the rear, buy any spells and items you can, and rest up for the next dungeon.
Mysidian Cave: Grab only the Black Garb and another Gold Hairpin first. If you remembered to give the White Mask to the Mysidian Goddess Statue, the Doppelgangers will fade. Use the Black Mask to move on. Go straight for the Crystal Rod first. Open all three chests once you're there and equip the new spells accordingly. After that, grab the other treasures then get out. Enemies will obviously get harder as you go down. So have your Elixirs ready to restore your MP if it gets low. Equip the new weapons and armor parts with care.
END OF CHAPTER 5
Chapter 6: The Ultimate Super-weapons
Leviathan: remove Leila's gear before sailing into the Mysidian Reef. Walk through the acid to avoid enemy encounters if possible (The latter is more damaging than the former). Grab the treasure and use the Crystal Rod on Ricard to make him join. Give him the Headband, Black Garb, and Power Armlet. He needs the Attack, Resistances, and Defense. Other gear can go to whoever. Just Attack everything and get to the Ship at the end otherwise.
Mysidian Tower...
WARNING: If you want 100%, then do NOT, I REPEAT, do NOT advance beyond THIS point before checking your Bestiary and Treasures! Because once you get Ultima, the Emperor will summon the Cyclone and change the map's forms. This will make Altair's free Potion and several foes totally unavailable for collecting/fighting. Bafsk will be spared, but it's best to grab the Pass now if you didn't do so earlier. That way, you can run from foes on the way there and back (they are not worth fighting any longer). After you get whatever you missed before, quickly return to Fynn and save the game.
Entering the Tower: if you still didn't take the time to get whatever you missed, grab the loot to Floor 2 (Floor 1 if you use PAL Blueprints) and get out. You can't leave without Warp or Teleport once you venture deep into Floor 3 (PAL, Floor 2). See the sections on the game mechanics and lore if you'd like more information.
Fire and Ice Floors: floors and bosses are direct opposites of one another so expect treasures and monsters found to be similar. Ricard alone should handle melee attacks while the other three use magic.
Thunder Floors: last of the elemental floors are also the toughest, same with the boss. You might have to move Ricard to the back and give him lighter armor so he can use the Wizard's Staff as an item. If so, you should also remove his weapon.
Final Floors: grab the last few treasures and the stat-boosting crystals before grabbing Ultima. After you get Ultima, use the teleporter to return to your ship then head back to Fynn and rest. Teach the Ultima spell to whoever doesn't have Flare or Haste and remember to use it plus their other spells.
END OF CHAPTER 6
Chapter 7: "THE END!"'s Pre-meme Days
Cyclone Preparations: talk to Hilda to Learn of Cyclones from her. Go to Paul's House and tell him of the Cyclone. Check the wall near his bed and raid his stuff. Sell the Cuirasses and Thief's Gloves but keep everything else. Go back to Fynn Castle and head upstairs from the southwest. Keep going to the top and north. Use the Pendant on the Gigantic Mirror to summon the last baby Wyvern. Stay at the Inn, buy Elixirs and Ethers in orderly fashion, then go back outside the village to save your game.
Cyclone: walk up the Cyclone and interact with it. Once you're inside, raid as much treasure as you can then head straight for the Emperor. Beat up him and his guards to trigger the next major death.
Cid's Death: talk to Hilda and learn Palamecia from her then leave. Go to Paul's House and let Cid give away his Airship. Head to Poft (or at least what's left of it) via your Ship. Get the Airship to fly it directly over Palamecia.
Palamecia: land directly on top of the fortress, raid more treasure, beat up more foes, and find Leon.
Ricard's Death: once you reach Leon, strip down Ricard and make sure you have the treasure you want first. Talk to Leon and watch hopelessly as the Emperor proves how he manipulated everything you went through by as much as possible. After that, you'll be flown out as Ricard vainly tries to stop him from enlarging his castle to make it invulnerable to aerial assaults.
END OF CHAPTER 7
Chapter 8: Return Of The Knight
Video proof
Jade Passage: negotiate with Hilda and learn of the Jade Passage from her. Leave the castle and fly back to Deist. Head upstairs and ask the woman about the Dragoons. She and her son will leave the ruined kingdom for good, but not before handing you the almighty Excalibur Sword. Grind Leon to a Level 7 Shield before attempting Jade. Keep following my instructions, and this is the only grinding you'll have to do before the final boss. Start by fighting enemies on land. Once you get to Level 5, fight enemies on the ocean. Once you're Level 6, fly to Mysidia and fight enemies there until you hit Level 7. It may be advised to raid the top five floors of Jade for rare and powerful items and equipment, but purchase Teleport first. Once you grab the loot, give Teleport to Leon and have him transport you back to your Airship. Fly back to Mysidia and sell your junk and rest up at the Inn for the final assault on the pits of Hell. Use spells and your equipment with care.
Pandemonium: this it, the final dungeon of your quest. Some marvelous treasure is found here but you must fight the Emperor's strongest minions to get it. Just keep adapting to your situation and persevering to the balcony and the Emperor's throne. Once the random battles cease, Quick Save and prepare your party for the fight to decide their fate of their war-torn world.
Recommended stats for your final battle with the Emperor...
HP: 4,000
MP: 500
Power: 256*1-22 + Spellcaster/Demon and Absorb HP(?)
Accuracy: 99%
Defense: 130*1-6
Evasion: 99%
Resistance: 99%*hopefully enough to negate Dispel
Immunity: All Elements
Spells: Level 5 or higher
Compared to the Emperor of Hell...
Rank: 255
Family: Spellcaster/Demon
HP: 14,992
MP: 999
Power: 180*1-16
Melee Effect: Absorb HP
Accuracy: 100%
Defense: 210*1-2
Evasion: 80%
Resistance: 1-16*70%
Weak (technically): Blood Sword
Immune/Absorb: All Elements
Fear: -210%
Skills: Attack (~40%), Flare 16 (~35%), Starfall 10 (~5%), Slow 16 (~5%), Curse 16 (~5%), Dispel 16 (~5%), Blind 16 (~5%)
Strategy: like Chaos in the previous game, of course the Emperor of Hell isn't supposed to be easy! His physical alone does 1500+ damage and heals him too. Blink and Protect can help, but only expect them to get so far. He prefers Flare and his melee assault, but his status spells are worse. Again, this is no Famicom, so Dispel is ACTUALLY DANGEROUS. Luckily, you should've equipped gear that resists his other statuses beyond that. Non-elemental spells ignore Blind and Slow, but Curse is often deadly if it connects. Yes, the Blood Sword is effective regardless, but the best strategy is an adaptive and flexible one. One mistake during this fight and you may have to reset/reload and try again. One shopping mistake before this fight and "grinding" may be unavoidable unless you reset your save from Altair, not exaggerating. For once, I actually felt beating the Hell Emperor accomplished a purpose. And for that, I applaud the Pixel Remaster's Quality Assurance and Development staff. (Again, Blind and Slow end your offensive unless you have non-elemental magic and/or an adequately leveled Esuna, so please stop rambling to me about how much you love the Blood Sword/s. [Again, Dispel actually works on Pixel Remaster. Stop "asking" about it.])
Also thanks to Strategy-Wiki and other random folks on the internet for the images used. They own the pictures, not me. This guide is 100% non-profit, meaning I use the images legally. They own the other rights, not me.
Epilogue: Humanity's New Beginning Lifetime Achievement
Epilogue: if you have been doing this the way I suggested, you'll have only three empty slots in your Bestiary, and all three are still obtainable. The Sand Worm is a common foe near Kashuan and in the Great Desert after you get Ultima. The Mantis King spawns in the Mysidia region, but he's a bit rare so you may have to search for a bit. Only the elusive Iron Giant is a pain to find. As a WarMech tribute, finding an Iron Giant's nigh impossible. They're found on the final dungeon's 5th Floor and 4th Floor East and West Treasures, all as a once per 64th encounter foe. Even less likely is them dropping a piece of Aegis or Genji equipment or another Excalibur Sword. Yeah, the odds aren't good. Unlike WarMech, however, an Iron Giant falls quickly if you know how to fight. Use the Blood Sword if needed. Win the fight to fill the Bestiary with only the Weapons Tactics (Level 16 in Shields, Fists or a Weapon on anyone) and Magic Tactics (any spell gets to Level 16 on anyone) achievements left. Master of II only triggers once it fully registers the others.
What's left (if you want it): firstly, it took me ~90 minutes to find the Iron Giant. Crazier still, he lost a Genji Helm upon collapsing, increasing my Defense another twofold. You can expect to take high damage, but keeping sharp lets you win. This leaves just two collectibles: the Dragon Shield and the Confuse Spell. The Shield is won directly from Blue and Red Dragons, each as a one in 10 Drop. Red Dragons are only found every one in 64 encounters at Pandemonium's highest floor or one per five in the Masamune room. Blue Dragon is a one in 5-10 encounter on the Hell Tower's highest levels and once per tenth in the Masamune Room. In other words, the Blue Dragon is slightly more reliable as a whole for getting your prize. Even then, expect to need multiple tries to get it. They may drop a couple of Dragon Armors too (also one in 10 Drops). Equip them to your tanks/bruisers. Confuse is won from the Fire and Thunder Gigases, each as one in 20 drops. The Fire Gigas is slightly more common, found first on Pandemonium Fourth Floor's Main Path and in the Masamune Room. The Thunder Gigantes appear slightly later, in the Masamune Room and on the fifth floor. Expect to need a LOT of tries to get your final prize. Teleport or walk out once you're done. Equip Confuse to the hero with the highest Intellect and the Dragon Shield to a tank/bruiser. Finally, rest at Fynn and save the game.
All collectibles (if you truly want a "perfect" 100%): first of all, getting a Dragon Shield took me only about 30 minutes, even with a second one on my trip for Confuse. Confuse itself took 'bout an hour for me to find. After finishing that RNG grind fest, return to Bafsk or Semmit Falls. Whoever has the Confuse spell will cast it on the enemies over and over again to make them destroy each other. The other heroes will Defend EVERY. SINGLE. TURN. I know, it sounds boring. But making foes waste their turns hitting each other is FUN. At least they do not use it attacking you, since weak monsters give you NOTHING ELSE at this point. Once Confuse hits Level 2, fight map enemies on land with this process. Once it hits Level 5, return to Poft's ruins. Grab the Pirate Ship and spam the same process with the ocean monsters. Once you hit Level 6, leave the Pirate Ship to return to Mysidia. Repeat the process on the enemies found there. Once it's Level 7, dive back into Jade and spam it on foes down there, If any of them try to run, just finish the fight and move up to Pandemonium itself. Repeat the process in there for Levels 8 and beyond. Also do this to level other spells and gain MP, Mana, Intellect, and Spirit.
Weapon Tactics Update: it took me weeks of planning and trips back to the Masamune Room to get this Achievement. But yes, I finally did it. That leaves only Magic Tactics. :)
Reinforcing/refuting Popular Strategies
Keeping the Clothes: Initial Gear Challenge aside, I know of no one who does this to themselves. Other armors' disadvantages ain't valid as Clothes are no better. Yeah, consider a hero naked. Get rid of ASAP if you know what's good for you.
Early OP: inherently viable in FF2 thanks to it's openness and often unfair bosses. Sadly, it goes to die at Mysidia Cave where all gear and most spells are found for free in dungeons or from monsters. By then, the difficulty increases so much so fast it won't matter. Again, the Emperor gives Chaos a run for his money if you follow my hardcore commandments.
Early Mysidia: see early OP
Using heavy armor: with a Shield? Good! You'll need the Evasion and Defense to keep up with the no grinding commandment. But with-OUT one!?! Are you CRAZY?! Again, you'll be PRAYING you never see foes whose melees have added effects. This makes the "no grinding" rule IMPOSSIBLE to obey without the Blood Sword. Even then, first-time success ISN'T guaranteed. Not to mention heavy armor leaves magic out of the question. In short, you MUST attack high Defense foes in hopes the Ancient Sword's Curse effect works. Thus, you can win w/o needing enough Critical Hits before Party Wipe. High Magic Defense makes the Blood Sword your ONLY hope, but most high-Defense foes are non-Undead (thankfully).
Final Review
For improvement over previous versions, Final Fantasy II is the best Pixel Remaster. Without any of its predecessors' game-ruining bugs or the prior game's nonsensical story or black-and-white characters, this is the Pixel Remaster worth the cost if you must purchase only one. This assumes you follow the rest of this guide on getting through the game without "grinding".
Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2914472553
More FINAL FANTASY II guilds
- All Guilds
- Adventurous Warfarer - Revisiting places no longer accessible.
- FF2: Printable Monster Checklist
- How to OP early and get the firebow
- FINAL FANTASY II
- FINAL FANTASY II Guide 100
- A comprehensive leveling guide: raising stats and skills through regular gameplay
- FFII - Simplified Bestiary
- FF2: Complete Modding Guide and Index
- 100% Achievements: A Comprehensive Guide