More Final Fantasy

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

FF 12 Zodiac Age Uhlans Part 7


None of Archades's equipment was worth the price.  Platinum Helm and Platinum Armor would be obsolete as soon as the next town, and no new Spear was available.  If it sounds like I'm being stingy in this playthrough, that's because Heavy Armor is an extravagance.  Platinum Helm and Platinum Armor cost 9300 and 8500 Gil respectively, compared to the latest Light and Mystic Armor at 7000.  That's money that could go to a supply of X-Potions.


Draklor Laboratory was a pushover with a melee class.  Dr. Cid at Level 40 lost his Curaga and buff support Rooks one by one.  Then the Uhlans poked him directly for up to 1853 per Attack.  A single X-Potion restored 2250 of Balthier's HP thanks to Potion Lore 2.  These passive licenses already gave the Uhlans a defensive lead on the Black Mages, though nothing could match the Red Battlemages' Cura.  Even the Tokamak light mirror cutscene move only seared the team somewhere between 600 and 700 damage.


Be sure to pick up the Holy and Hastega Motes in Dr. Cid's chamber during the fight in your single class variants, since you're warped to Balfonheim Port after the battle.  Reddas's hometown sold Giant's Helmets (38 Magick Resist, 8 Strength), Carabineer Mail (53 Defense, 8 Strength, 2 Magick Power), and a useful if situational weapon.  This was the Trident, imbued with 85 Attack Power and Ice element.  Ice is generally useful near the end of the main story, as many monsters are either neutral or weak to it.  Discarding the Halberds was not an option yet.


Some leveling occurred in Cerobi Steppe, though the Uhlans were really looking for loot to sell in order to buy X-Potions.  Uhlans didn't need to flee from Mirrorknights like the Black Mages, but they had to beware Confuse status from other enemies.  Traps sometimes exploded as soon as the party walked onto a new screen.  What's the point of wearing a Bangle to detect them when they blow up in your face no matter what?!


Rafflesia at Level 42 was a simple boss when its tactic of draining MP was irrelevant.  It happened to spawn with Shell, Haste, and Regen, which were Dispelled with a Mote.  Attacks whacked the weed for up to 1206, and Nectar Volleys were ineffectual.  The worst that came of Rafflesia's signature move was Sap status on Basch.  And Rafflesia put Balthier to Sleep once, but a Prince's Kiss awakened him.  No more than a Phoenix Down or 2 was necessary.  Vaan limped out of the arena with 135/3638, Balthier managed with 1613/3593, and Basch was wounded with 1476/3692 HP. 


Uhlans had the honor of defeating Daedalus on the 1st try, finally proving the worth of Heavy Armor.  Granted, it took many Phoenix Downs and X-Potions as well, but it beat being annihilated with Smite of Rage like the magical classes.  Attacks pierced Daedalus for up to 1232, and diminished to 309 when the boss was at critical HP.


One chest in Giruvegan contained a 2nd Sash.  Extra Speed was always welcome.  Trident's Ice element Attacks gave Tyrant up to 5576 frostbite.  X-Potions undid Piercing Graviga's percentage damage, and Thundagas were more flash than substance.  Vaan survived with 2264/3843, Balthier with 2662/3804, and Basch with 2489/3908.


Great Crystal was uneventful.  I should take notes here for a possible White Mage challenge, since the Holy Rod is inside a treasure chest in Bhrum Pis Avaa.


Shemhazai was the reason the Uhlans kept the Halberds.  Her random elemental absorption gimmick wouldn't work against 3056 pure physical damage, would it?      The reason the damage printout was so high was that I finally bothered to purchase the license that increased physical power if at full HP.  Shemhazai preferred to focus on single targets with melee and spells like Flare and Shock.  X-Potions mitigated the suffering, particularly Shock.  Shemhazai became much hardier when at critical HP and Attacks barely scratched her for 410s.  A Silencega near the end of the battle proved Shemhazai didn't know this was a single class playthrough.  What did she think I would do, cast the -ra spells I didn't buy in Jahara, Eruyt Village, or Mt. Bur-Omisace?


Going into Pharos at Level 45 is probably a mistake.  Expect level grinding soon when Hashmal infects the party with its punches.  "Phials and Philters" from the Bazaar is a one time purchase that gives 8 Serums to cure Disease, but that's no substitute for Remedy Lore 3.



Level 45


Weapon:  Trident
Off-hand:  Nothing
Helm:  Giant's Helmet
Armor:  Carabineer Mail
Accessory:  Bangle OR Sash

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

FF 12 Zodiac Age Uhlans Part 8


Team Uhlan scrounged around Ridorana Cataract for items, and found a Serum, a Cura Mote, and Gillie Boots.  All potentially useful.  Hydro the dragon at Level 45 took 2 attempts to kill due to everyone having Confuse, Disease, Poison, and Sap at once.  Attacking yourself while your max HP is already draining is a sure way to die.  Bowline Sashes were equipped on Take 2 to at least dodge Confuse, and 1796 strength Attacks gradually defeated Hydro.  It took many Phoenix Downs and X-Potions to do so, but it was a victory.


Pandaemonium at Level 46 was immune to Trident and its Ice, so our heroes had to revert to Halberds for up to 2193 per Attack.  Stone Gaze consumed many Remedies when Pandaemonium tried to Petrify the party.  Argyle Amulets prevented Blind from Flash after the initial surprise.  When the turtle became immune to all damage with Perfect Defense, I hit the flee button to try to avoid being mauled at close range.


X-Potions are an expensive habit, so the Uhlans returned to Salikawood and made King Bomb into a dud to open the way to Nabreus Deadlands.  A Gambit with "Attack enemy with lowest max HP" got rid of the Bomb minions before they could Mass-Destruct.  Attacking King Bomb himself dealt up to 1470s.


Cerobi Steppe and Nabreus Deadlands increased the Uhlans' level to 49, along with enough money to buy more X-Potions and Remedies.  Backtracking and killing enough Deidars ("anti" Brainpans) opened a secret bridge to Gungnir, a 95 Attack Power Spear with Fire element and a Disable side effect.  This is also where the Holy spell is found for White Mages.


Black Mages grilled Slyt with Firaga within seconds, but Uhlans fared much worse.  They lacked the sheer damage output of the previous team, with 4073 from Gungnir exploiting a weakness.  Like Pandaemonium, Slyt was immune to Ice so Vaan and Basch had to make do with up to 1632 Halberd strikes.  But Slyt shared a trait with Hashmal and Daedalus:  becoming far stronger at critical HP.  Now the fish was chewing up party members for 1128 per hit. . .and Slyt could bite up to 4 times.  Uhlans couldn't keep up with a boss that ferocious, and were forced to make a "tactical retreat" from Pharos.


Back in Balfonheim, Vaan and Basch bought Holy Lances for 91 Attack Power and Holy element.  They returned to Nabreus Deadlands and fought more monsters until reaching Level 51, when the session ended.  If these fake Dragoons can't beat Slyt, how are they going to beat Hashmal?



Level 51


Weapon:  Holy Lance OR Gungnir
Off-hand:  Nothing
Helm:  Giant's Helmet OR Dragon Helm
Armor:  Carabineer Mail
Accessory:  Bangle OR Sash

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

No major update this time, but the Uhlans have ascended to Level 55 by skewering enemies in Nabreus Deadlands with Embroidered Tippets equipped.  Their quest will probably end on Friday, since I want to play with White Mages.  They'll probably do the sidequest Hunts and bonus dungeons out of spite.  Nothing humiliates enemies more than being tapped on the head with Rods.  4X speed and automation with Gambits would make a White Mage only challenge less annoying than in other FFs where you have to click on the correct option every time.


One possible method of getting White Mages past Garuda involves starting spells for some player characters, regardless of license board.  Motes may work too if they can find enough before Raithwall's Tomb.


The more I play Slay the Spire, the more it feels like an "anti-RPG".  Short playthroughs and high character turnover make it hard for me to get "attached" to any particular one.  RPG runs can also be planned out, unlike Slay the Spire where you're expected to build your deck as you go along.  I generally prefer the RPG design, which is why I keep coming back to FF12 even though I've spent many more hours on it than with Slay the Spire.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

FF 12 Zodiac Age Uhlans Part 9


Another update reconstructed from Switch screenshots is in store.  The Uhlans returned to Pharos at Level 55, and Balthier's damage output with Gungnir had improved to 4450 on a high roll.  Unfortunately, Slyt was immune to Holy Lance's element, so Vaan and Basch were forced to downgrade to Halberds.  A Shock Mote was used at some point late in the fight, and the team ended with the following HP counts:


Vaan-2368/4623
Balthier-2901/4522
Basch-4136/4716


Our Uhlans distinguished themselves by not wimping out and sacrificing Knowledge during the Second Ascent.  Instead they picked Magick.  Not that this stopped Shades of Black from functioning, but by Pharos it had become a novelty Technick at best.  Bunes were unusually hard to kill, and it took a while before I realized that they absorbed Fire from Gungnir.  "Station of Suffering" was an apt name for the floor where they appeared.  Vaan and friends fled from most of them.


The restriction on Magick also applied to the Fenrir battle.  Team Uhlan prepared by equipping Argyle Amulets to dodge Blind.  Of course, Fenrir had to be immune to both Fire and Holy, which meant another occasion for Halberds.  One Attack damage roll was 2052.  Most of the fight was a simple brawl, though Vaan had to be dragged out of the ring unconscious.  Balthier thrived with 4082/4581 HP, and Basch survived with 1758/4783 HP.


Hashmal met the Uhlans on the elevator at Level 56.  I already knew Hashmal was immune to Fire after watching Ardor dissipate in the Red Battlemages playthrough, but the boss had the gall to be invulnerable to Holy as well.  Red Battlemages could at least space themselves out when casting their feeble Aeros, but Uhlans were restricted to Disease punch range.  Their Halberds even had the same Attack Power as the Red Battlemages' Doom Maces, so it felt like playing as a wizard without any spells.


A Level 60 attempt against Hashmal failed too, even with Bubble Motes to increase HP and ward off Disease for 2 characters.  It was time to bulk up to Level 65 in Nabreus Deadlands.  The Uhlans are now at Level 64 thanks to Embroidered Tippet and Bangle swapping to keep everyone at roughly similar experience. 

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

FF 12 Zodiac Age Uhlans Victory


Even at Level 65, Hashmal did not surrender without 1 loss.  Gillie Boots and Sashes were the preferred Accessories for their Speed, and waiting until later in the fight to activate Bubble and Hastega Motes was the proper tactic.  An Aeroga Mote from Basch was the final blow.  Balthier was dead, Vaan had 1318/5135, and Basch had the improper fraction 5508/5229 due to lingering Bubble status.


Fighting Gabranth with Basch in the party prompted a special split-screen conversation.  He was as trivial as always for parties not dependent on magic damage.


Dr. Cid was a minor concern, but his Esper Famfrit was another pesky Holy immune opponent.  Holy Lances were put back into their sheaths, and Vaan and Basch drew out their Halberds.  Dispel Motes removed Cid's Protect + Shell + Haste buffs, but Famfrit's defenses were restored after 1 attempt at removing them.  Famfrit unlocked a useful license for Uhlans compared to most Espers:  Potion Lore 3.  Too bad only 1 character could get it, so Potion Lore 3 was given to Basch.


Gabranth's rematch on the Bahamut was surprisingly hard, mostly because of his combos when at critical HP.  Fighting a boss in FF12 tends to have 2 stages:  the "normal" phase, then the critical HP phase where your party is destroyed unless you act fast.  In this case, it involved a MANUAL Attack from Balthier because otherwise he would have used a Phoenix Down or X-Potion Gambit.


By the time the Uhlans ascended to Vayne's room, they had 80 X-Potions.  Vayne's 1st form was a typical brawl, with 1 character dying at worse per attempt.  Vayne Novus, however, was the "real" final boss of the playthrough.  His Magick Barrier was only a wasted turn compared to the serious threat it was to the Black Mages, and Tree of Sephira was survivable if painful.  It was Limit Break's instant action speed that pulverized the Uhlans.  All I could do was watch whack-a-mole as 1 party member was resurrected with a Phoenix Down, only for another character to drop dead.  


Motes came to the rescue as usual.  Hastega sped up the party, and a Holy and Shock Mote provided just enough damage to end Vayne Novus with Vaan dead but Basch and Balthier alive.  Our heroes stared down The Undying with 61 X-Potions in their inventory.


If you're not a Black Mage with meager HP licenses, The Undying can be easier than Vayne Novus.  It was certainly a less hectic fight for Team Uhlan.  Attacks grazed The Undying for 3475 at best.  Magick Barrier was pointless, but The Undying still had Force Barrier and Perfect Defense to blunt the Spears. 


Shades of Black were freed with mixed results during Force Barrier time.  Many of the spells were pointless ailment inducers like Toxify, Sleep, Sleepga, and Silence.  When they rolled Blizzard and Thunder, damage printouts of 0 appeared.  Some were Aqua, Aero, and more significant Firagas.  Then an almighty laser zapped The Undying for 5314 damage out of nowhere.  It was Scathe!  FF12 must follow the FF6 school of magic:  when it DOES work (i.e. no Reflect/Magick Barrier/Perfect Defense), it's superior to physical attacks barring some specialized setups.


When Perfect Defense was active, Infuse kept up the party's HP somewhat.  The ample HP licenses on the Uhlan license board paid off here, and let the party shrug off Gigaflare Sword and Teraflare, both fatal to the Black Mages.  Domaine Calvados items imbued the Uhlans with Bravery status for extra physical power, and the final Spear thrust was a 1701 Attack.  Team Uhlan won the game at Level 65, behind Team Red Battlemage and ahead of Team Black Mage.


Uhlan plays rather like a crappy Red Battlemage.  Red Battlemage most often attack in melee, and so does Uhlan.  Their non-elemental endgame weapons have the same Attack Power, even.  The downfall of Uhlan is their modest damage output, the lack of Cure spells, and the absence of any method to cure Disease apart from scarce Serums.  Pharos, the last "dungeon" is miserable for Uhlan because major bosses and enemies are  immune to Holy Lance and Gungnir. 


Uhlan can pretend to be a Black Mage with either -ra spells or random Shades of Black rolls.  It's always a pleasure to see Scathe appear, but most of the time you'll try to Silence a boss or something.  And it's not worth rolling the dice against bosses that absorb or are immune to most of the Black Mage spells anyway.


This class does have an advantage with plentiful HP licenses, which are accessible around the time of the Sandsea areas if you're playing somewhat normally.  (i.e. not grinding in Dalmasca Estersand for LP. . .).  This is an advantage at the point between Hi Potions becoming obsolete and the advent of X-Potions, and you won't need to heal at all for some boss encounters.  By Level 65, all Uhlans should have over 5000 health.  For comparison, the most HP a Level 75 Black Mage without Esper-specific licenses is 4325.   Vaan as a Red Battlemage at Level 60 has 4289 HP.


Two-handed weapons like Spears don't seem to have the Attack Power to make up for the lack of Shields.  Shields can provide evasion and elemental resistances, while the most you get from a Spear is 8 Evade.  Guns are comparable with 10 Evade, and they have slower action speed.  


Wonder how White Mages will do.  Can their healing spells play rope-a-dope with Hashmal punches?  Can they beat Trial Mode with their toy Rods?  Can they get past Garuda without a Quickening?




   

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

FF 12 Zodiac Age White Mages Vs The World Part 1


An all-White Mage party is a common challenge in Final Fantasy games, though usually it's only for the most patient players.  FF12 Zodiac Age has two features that make them more tolerable:  4X speed, and Gambits to automate much of combat.


Square Enix must have anticipated a run like this would happen, because White Mage is the "default" job when selecting a license board for each character.  Vaan Rrrratsbane fought Rogue Tomato as usual, then purchased White Mage trappings.  He wasn't going to go through the game with a Dagger when he could instead equip inferior versions of Spears!      Seriously, Rods and Spears use the same Strength/Defense/Level damage formula, Rods give 6 Evade vs. 8 for Spears, and both categories are 2-handed. 


Vaan's initial Rod from Nalbina Fortress added 16 Attack Power and 2 Magick Power.  Cure and Blindna were the starter spells, and Vaan wore the same Mystic Armor as his Red Battlemage and Black Mage predecessors.  Unlike some other mono-class runs, Vaan bothered to fight Thextera the giant wolf Hunt.  He did it solo at Level 6, with 141 Cure healing and 55 Rod whacks.  Thextera bit and Lunged at him for up to 20 damage. Thextera had some companion Wolves that struck for about 11.  Fangs wounded Vaan for 112 near the end, forcing Vaan to quaff a Potion.  It feels dishonorable to use healing items when you're a White Mage, but they are faster than spells.


Vaan dragooned "temporary Penelo" from Giza Plains in a failed attempt to slay Flowering Cactoid.  The plant Parried most Attacks, and when they did connect, they only subtracted around 21 HP.  Blindna came in handy when the miniboss Blinded Vaan.  Penelo died, and judging by Flowering Cactoid's healing, there was no way to win understaffed at such a low level.  Vaan retreated to Rabanastre.


Vaan, Fran, and Balthier formed the party for Garamsythe Waterway.  The 4 Flans were easy at Level 7-8 with 28-32 Attacks, and only 12 damage per enemy strike.  It was only around the 3rd Flan that Cure became necessary. 


Firemane challenged the White Mages at Level 8.  Rod Attacks pounded the blazing horse for 42-54, and Cure healed its targets for 155.  Firemane put more offensive pressure on the party than earlier opponents:  Fire dealt 74, and Bushfire hit the whole party for 85.  Since White Mages have few HP licenses spread far apart from each other on their board, it was unsurprising that Fran and Balthier had to be revived with Phoenix Downs.


Burrough sold no new Rod type in Barheim Passage, but he did have the next tier of Mystic Armor, Argyle Amulets, and the Vox and Poisona spells.  Mimic Queen sparred with the White Mages at Level 10.  Each Rod tapped her for 35-42 damage.  Since there was no way the White Mages could defeat all her minions, they had to contend with Tiny Mimics biting them for 13.  Mimic Queen herself was threatening with 74 Thunders, 82 Ground Shaker cutscenes, and Shockstorm electrocutions for 162.  Vaan and Fran had to be resurrected with Phoenix Downs, but the party did surprisingly well given all the injuries.


The White Mages avenged their loss to Flowering Cactoid at Level 10 with a full party of 3.  Vaan took the 1000 Needles fall, but Fran and Balthier outlasted the Hunt's Potions.  Now Attacks reached 31 strength.  Not much progress, but it was still better than before.


Wraith was the 1st Undead boss, and therefore susceptible to Cure.  Each spell "healed" it for 134-169.  All party members were Doomed near the end of the battle, but Doom in FF12 is a cheap imitation of FF5's Condemn, so they all survived long enough to reach a Save Crystal.  Vaan was the first Doomed character, and his count only reached 3.


Bhujerba still had no new Rod, but the next rank of Mystic Armor and the Protect + Shell spells partially made up for it.  Feeble Attacks from White Mages sunk any chances of defeating Ba'Gamnan and the other Bangaas in Lhusu Mines at Level 11-12.  Silence didn't help either.  Take 2 involved Mote experimentation, but the best the White Mages had was a Dark Mote for 153 at best.  Gravity Mote led only to despair when all Bangaas were immune.


From here on out I rely on Switch screenshots, as there was a thunderstorm at the time.  The White Mages returned at Levels 15-16 to defeat Ba'Gamnan and his cronies.  Turns out Jump DOES exist in FF12, but it's only an enemy skill.  Was it that hard to make it a Technick, Square Enix?     Our heroes' damage output was just high enough to defeat the minions 1 by 1 before humiliating Ba'Gamnan himself.  Fran died at some point and had to be revived.


The Judges and other Archades troops on the Leviathan were too easy to be worth mentioning here.  Tetran the Moogle in the brig sold a significant upgrade for the White Mages:  a Serpent Rod with 25 Attack Power, 2 Magick Power, and Ice element.  Raise the revival spell was another notable purchase.  These improvements were noticeable against Judge Ghis with 96-110 power Attacks.  The most our heroes had to worry about him was a 121 damage Aero.


Dalmasca Westersand's shop sold Cura, a better healing spell that also had a radius effect.  Now the team was more sustainable than ever, so long as they had the MP.  Their passive license Martyr restored some MP when they took damage, allowing them to endure longer fights than they should have.  And Inquisitor yielded meager MP when White Mages dealt damage.


At this point, Basch and Ashe replaced Balthier and Fran thanks to their higher HP.  What's the point of healing with a low HP cap?  At Levels 16-17, the party battled Cluckatrice and the Chickatrices in a Hunt in the Giza Plains.  Cluckatrice had Protect and occasionally Petrified or Slowed White Mages.  But the Serpent Rods bludgeoned the miniboss for 109-114 per hit, and Cura restored up to 675 per cast.


Nidhogg in Lhusu Mines was a slower fight, with 42-56 power Attacks from Serpent Rods.  These printouts decreased to 19 once Nidhogg was at critical HP.  But the real highlight of the battle was Skull Defenders and Steelings joining the brawl.


White Mages cracked Rocktoise's shell for around 109-174 per hit.  Argyle Amulets were equipped to avoid its Blind inducing Flash.  Stone Stomp crushed Ashe for 462, but she had 724 max HP and could be Cura'd.  The message "Rocktoise Vanquished" appeared on the screen, and thus this part ends.



Level 18


Weapon:  Serpent Rod
Off-hand:  Nothing
Helm:  Wizard's Hat
Armor:  Wizard's Robes
Accessory:  Argyle Amulet

[Iainuki]

I don't know if Sullla still follows this (really, really long) thread, but in the hope he does or that someone else knows what's going on, I have an inconsistency I don't understand.  In Sullla's bard report, he talks about defeating NeoExdeath by buffing up with !Sing during the tree form, then using the ridiculous Level/Speed/Magic stats to win in the second phase.  I was playing a solo Four Job Fiesta with bard as one of my jobs, and I was planning to use the same strategy, only to discover that NeoExdeath's physical attacks didn't break !Sing.  My character kept singing until I died (it took awhile because of blocking and regen status).  To make it weirder, I'd successfully used !Sing against Shinryuu, proving that some physical attacks at leat worked as expected.  It isn't just me, either, I was watching someone else playing a bard in the Four Job Fiesta (I forget whose stream, unfortunately) around the same time who also was using bard against NeoExdeath, and he had the same problem.  Recently I was playing another character against NeoExdeath and accidentally Charmed myself, only for NeoExdeath's physical attacks not to break me out of Charm, which is probably related.  I know there are other physical attacks with this property (!SwdSlap for instance), but there's nothing in the Algorithms Guide that says anything is special about tree Exdeath's physical attacks.  My games have all been on the SNES version with the RPGe translation, but there's nothing online about version differences surrounding this, and I believe Sullla's game was also played on the SNES version.  Does anyone know why tree Exdeath would break !Sing in his game but not mine?

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

FF 12 Zodiac Age White Mages Vs The World Part 2


Ogir-Yensa and Nam-Yensa Sandseas were easy as usual, except for one sudden Game Over against an elemental orb.  NEVER fight elemental orbs in FF12, always flee!


All that planning for Garuda became completely pointless when it turned out that Rods affect Flying monsters the same as any other enemy.  These cheap imitations of Spears at least had their reach.  Other than this revelation, Garuda was insignificant.


We all knew there was no way the White Mages could beat the optional Demon Wall 1, but I at least wanted to see how far they could go.  With up to 80 damage per Attack, they failed to reduce its health by even a quarter.  


White Mage had the distinction of being the one class to lose to Demon Wall 2. . .twice.  Each Attack chipped away up to 106 HP.  Demon Wall 2 occasionally struck in melee, but preferred to drain MP with Annul and inflict Blind and Sleep with spells.  Only about 2/3 of the boss's life bar was deleted before our heroes were crushed.


Take 2 against Demon Wall 2 involved a trick learned from the end of Take 1:  trying to activate the torches to stop the boss from advancing temporarily.  The problem was that other torches sped up Demon Wall 2.  The party did no better than before.


For Take 3, the White Mages finally put their Magick Power licenses to work by throwing Motes at Demon Wall 2.  Aero blew for 660s?, Aeroga whooshed for 1272, and Shock had a dramatic 2188 effect.  Telega sent Basch to the X-Zone, but Demon Wall 2 crumbled just before reaching the 3rd set of torches.  This was a rare boss that could NOT be fought defensively.


Belias at Level 24, however, had no time limit.  Firaja appeared at least 5 times during the battle, with 243 damage before the critical HP phase.  Basic attacks and Fires against the party were pathetic.  Cura healed all wounds, enough to make 50-74 power Attacks viable.  White Mage Attacks dropped to 50 at best when Belias was at critical HP.  The fact that FF12 bosses become much tougher at low health will make for intense fights combined with low White Mage damage output by maybe Giruvegan.  Dispel Mote removed Belias's Protect and Shell from Greater Barrier, and Protect and Shell guarded our heroes as well.


At Level 24, Vossler's Imperial Swordsmen fell quickly.  Vossler himself had impressive looking armor, but took more damage than earlier bosses, with 115-156 per Attack.  His sword hacked away 65 HP normally, and 120s at critical health.  The critical HP melee dropped to 92-99 once Protect was applied.  For some reason, Vossler loathed Basch and flailed at him rather than Ashe or Vaan for much of the fight.  Even so, Curas restored his health by 770s per cast.


Now that I knew about Rods hitting Flying enemies, it was time to take on Wyvern Lord in Nam-Yensa Sandsea on a Hunt.  This was a generic miniboss that threw 197 Aero, 74 Ram, and 106 Gust at the White Mages.  Nothing that Cura couldn't restore.  Basch suffered from Sap status by the end, but this was not an ailment that was as concerning to White Mages as to other classes without healing spells.  Wyvern Lord flew so high that I couldn't pan the camera high enough to read the damage reports from Serpent Rod Attacks.     


In the next update, the White Mages will journey to Jahara in hopes of better equipment, and possibly finish a few Hunts too.


EDIT:  I forgot to pick up Dispel in Raithwall's Tomb, so the White Mages returned there to find the treasure chest.  It's easy to miss if you're not looking for it.  Necrohol of Nabudis has some high level White Mage spells, so expect more coverage of that area than in previous playthroughs.




Level 24


Weapon:  Serpent Rod
Off-hand:  Nothing
Helm:  Lambent Hat
Armor:  Chanter's Djellaba
Accessory:  Argyle Amulet

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

FF 12 Zodiac Age White Mages Vs The World Part 3


Another "screenshot notes" update.



Giza Plains's "wet season" was the next "dungeon" for the White Mages.  Other characters dashed for Ozmone Plain and Jahara as soon as possible, but this mono-class party was Hunting a few minibosses.  Gil Snapper was nowhere to be found, as I didn't have a guide at the time.  Croakadile the giant frog was readily available.  Regen's treasure chest was located in the pen in the Nomad Village, but it was never used during this post.


Croakadile started with Shell and Bravery status, and liked to set up Angelsong for Regen whenever a White Mage Dispelled it.  Each Attack only dealt about 70-79 damage, but it was just enough to beat Regen healing.  Croakadile's jaws bit Ashe once for 232, compared to her max health of 1095.  Characters occasionally dozed off in Sleep, but Croakadile was a physical monster and quickly woke them up.


Late in the fight, Croakadile activated Growing Threat to double its level.  Characters started dropping dead, though Raise made them stand up again.  Just when it seemed the White Mages were going to win, Croakadile cast Renew and completely restored its HP.  There was no way they were going to win in melee with Serpent Rods!


But I had a plan.  White Mages, like Time Battlemages, Red Battlemages, and Black Mages, have access to the full set of Green Magick spells.  Green Magick can be purchased from the Clan Centurio merchant in Rabanastre if the player has completed the prerequisite Hunts.  Green Magick 2 had a single spell worth considering for White Mages:  Drain.  I mistook Drain for a fixed damage spell based on the difference between the caster and target's HP until later in this update, including the battle with Croakadile.  But even handicapped with bad assumptions, using a Gambit to cast Drain at below 50% HP was sufficient to make Croakadile croak before it cast Renew.


One easy to miss item in Jahara was a Pheasant Netsuke, an Accessory to increase the power of healing items.  Not useful for White Mages, but worth considering for classes without natural healing. 


Enkelados in Ozmone Plain was another Hunt conducted with the "Drain at below 50% HP" Gambit.  Attacks bludgeoned Enkelados for 77-81 while its stomps retaliated for 240.  Judging by its red color in one screenshot, it must have gone into Berserk status at one point.  One Drain sucked out 709 health from the miniboss. After having to endure a prolonged battle due to Restore healing, Enkelados dropped to the ground.  It must have been shortly after the battle that I realized Drain functioned as a sort of non-elemental "-ra" tier spell rather than fixed damage.  Attempting to use it on random enemies quickly "Drained" their MP pool, so Attack still remained useful.


Eruyt Village had several significant purchases for the White Mage.  Gaia Rods had 43 Attack Power and Earth element, a major improvement over Serpent Rods. Esuna provided a method of curing some status ailments like Sap, but it wasn't as good as Remedy Lore 3 as you will see.



The Clan Rank store in Rabanastre now sold Steel Poleyns, an Accessory meant to nullify traps.  Several playthroughs could have used THOSE boots!  A decent apology for a game design flaw, but not entirely convincing.


Henne Mines was simple with Attack for most monsters and Drain for Jellies.  At Level 29, the White Mages battled Tiamat with 612-775 strength Attacks.  This happened to be one of very few battles where Gaia Rod's element was relevant:  Tiamat was allergic to Earth.  Gaia Rod bashes diminished to 245 when Tiamat was at critical HP, but overall it was easier than for other mage classes.


Elder Wyrm's 2 Treants were a minor obstacle.  Each Gaia Rod smack whacked Elder Wyrm for 317-402.  Sporefall ailments were manageable because they tended to affect 1 character.  But Esuna couldn't cure Slow or Oil.  The latter killed Basch once when an enhanced Fireball scorched him.  Fireballs without Oil status singed characters for 616. 


Mt. Bur-Omisace sold Curaga, which was purchased and then forgotten as it was a single target spell.  Vinuskar in Stilshrine of Miriam was as feeble as always.  Mateus at Level 31-32 was the other battle where Earth element mattered, if only because the Ice Azer minions were immune to it.  Drain eliminated them, and Mateus himself suffered 150-156 Gaia Rod bruises.  Even Blizzajas were endured with Cura.


After the Archades soldiers sacked Mt. Bur-Omisace, the town's merchants sold the Power Rod with 56 Attack Power and 3 Magick Power.  That means White Mage gets a weapon that immediately makes the Sword of Kings obsolete.  White Mage has a better midgame weapon than Machinist.  


Judge Bergan and his subordinates weren't immune to Drain, so the White Mages bled about 852 of his HP at a time.  They didn't care if the enemies Blinded them, when spells ignored accuracy.  Now the trek to Archades beings.  Our heroes may stop to finish a few Hunts in the backlog if possible.  FF12 provides some of these missions long before you're supposed to complete them, including Rank V.
 


Level 31-32


Weapon:  Power Rod
Off-hand:  Nothing
Helm:  Sorcerer's Hat
Armor:  Sorcerer's Habit
Accessory: Nishijin Belt

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

FF 12 Zodiac Age White Mages Vs The World Part 4


More screenshot-based recollections here.


Ring Wyrm was a Hunt in the Dalmasca Westersand.  Mostly typical for a large ground-based dragon, and in fact had a similar appearance to the Shield Wyrms of Cerobi Steppe.  One of its main tricks was Immobilizega, which was undone with Esuna.  Black Belts blocked any more Immobilizega attempts.  The White Mages bashed Ring Wyrm with their Power Rods until it cast Restore.  Our heroes then switched to Drain for its higher damage output, and eventually vanquished their foe.


The White Mages gained a few levels in Golmore Jungle because they couldn't find Vorpal Bunny even after searching everywhere.  No hints from the quest giver were provided other than "It is somewhere in Golmore Jungle".


Feral Retriever in Paramina Rift near Stilshrine of Miriam was an oversized Couerl type Hunt.  It began the battle with Shell and Faith status, suggesting a magical opponent.  Dispel destroyed Feral Retriever's buffs, and then the Power Rod beat-in began for about 672 per hit.  Stona cured Petrify from Stone Gaze.  Feral Retriever had surprisingly low HP for a Rank III Hunt, but made up for it by casting Balance at low health.  Balance is a fixed damage Time spell based on the difference between current and max HP:  certain death when used by a boss.  White Mages would have to defeat Feral Retriever through force rather than endurance.


EDIT:  There was a Drain attempt against Feral Retriever that was no more successful than the Attack version.  White Mages simply don't have the strength to beat anything quickly when cornered, especially if the target is immune to Holy.  They probably can't beat every Hunt, but they may play some with the postgame.


EDIT 2:  Wow, I forgot to mention King Bomb!  In Salikawood, the White Mages tried to defeat the boss guarding Necrohol of Nabudis and Nabreus Deadlands, but even 3 Drains weren't enough to kill the Bomb minions before some started exploding.  A Handkerchief Gambit cured Oil, but not before the Fire element moves overwhelmed the party.


Our heroes ignored any other Hunts, and plotted to take revenge once they retrieved Holy from Pharos.  So they dashed through Mosphoran Highwaste and Phon Coast.  Phon Coast's camp had Empyprean Rods with 60 Attack Power and 2 Magick Power, which were sadly the best Rods available until the Holy Rod.  Looks like Basch will be wielding the Treaty-Blade after Giruvegan.  New armor and the probably worthless Confuse spell were also sold in Phon Coast.


The White Mages rode a Chocobo past the remainder of Phon Coast until the mandatory ??? Hunt quest giver in Tchita Uplands.  Can the White Mages beat Onion Queen and friends in Sochen Cave Palace without having to grind levels?  Will Ahriman die to Raise?  If not, how much HP will Curaga rip away from Ahriman?  Find out in the next update. . .   


Level 35


Weapon:  Empyrean Rod
Off-hand:  Nothing
Helm:  Astrakhan Hat
Armor:  Carmagnole
Accessory: Black Belt