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[R^2]

Ribbit.


They still don't know their blue magic, so we just tear through them.








It's a story about the hero Gaol (naturally) and his sidekick, the brave Mog Knight Lini. Investigating this item unlocks...


...a mission.


Furthermore, the Hero Gaol can be taken with you on missions for an extra benefit I'll talk about when I get it.


Most battles are largely against human jobs, so R2 and Ramses clean up with Steal:Ability. This battle is for Montblanc and Johanes to catch up. Mostly Johanes, since the enemy black mage only has basic magic.






What is it with you and reading stuff from books and then going there? Sheesh.


Cuisine, an animist skill. It fully restores HP to the user or an adjacent target. Animists are awesome.




Montblanc grabs what he can from the time mage.




Johanes clears out the mog knights, one of whom was also trained as a gunner.


I wanted to pick up the rest of the gunner abilities from this last guy, but a counter did him in.




Ayvuir Blue doesn't teach any skills, but has better attack power than most other weapons we have and gives some good boosts to magic and evade, too.

[R^2]

I couldn't take this guy, because for the rest of the LP I'd just be going over and over again.




I took The Hero Gaol with me on the Hungry Ghost mission, and...


Found a secret character! Lini starts as a Mog Knight, so he has stat growth heavily favoring a fighter/defender build.

Mog Knight is an advanced job for moogles, requiring training in... Thief, I think. I never pay them much mind. They have better physical stats than any other moogle class, while keeping the race's general favor for defense and resistance. Their speed growth is surprisingly steady for a fighter class.
Mog Knights fight with blades, like fighters.
Charge abilities somewhat mimic a Fighter's ability set. Mog Rush and Mog
 Attack are just like Beatdown and Rush, while Mog Lance mimics Air Render. The downside is that Moogles don't get a whole lot of Weapon Attack growth in other jobs, so they might not have the muscle available to make direct-damage attacks worthwhile. Mog Knights also suffer from The Paladin Problem: they have only one long-range ability and very poor Move. They do get the Moogle's Ultima ability, though: Ultima Charge.
All in all, Lini will probably be the most effective Mog Knight, since he has a career in it. Others are probably better off in a status-based job.

Oh hey what makes Lini so great anyway

He starts with Ultima Charge. It costs 60 MP to use, but does crazy high damage.


Enough to oneshot a warrior, who have one of the better HP growth rates. For Bangaa. Yeah. I'll be training Lini as a mog knight for a while, then probably switch him to thief and animist. Once he's done with those, he'll be a mog knight -- and a solid frontline fighter -- forevermore.






Also, we liberate another territory.

[R^2]

"I've got a gold-foil Charizard I'm willing to give up for the right price."

We're getting cards after every mission and battle now, and can only hold so many. Cards can either add laws to the list (to shut down your enemies) or remove them (to give you more freedom). But since anyone who's annoying enough to be crippled by laws already has one of those godforsaken medals that makes them immune to arrest, I only horde cards that remove laws.

Ezel magnanimously lets you trade in a bunch of crappy cards for better ones, although his stock is randomly-determined. I can trade in a few cards that prevent me from using Chivalry (the Paladin skillset) or Instruments for an R2 or R3 blanket antilaw.

Anyway.



Metal Hunt is another mission, like Chocobo Help or Swords in Cyril, that comes up once a year during the same month every year. We're up to our eyeballs in Adamantite before we know it.


FINALLY.


She's got one more spell to pick up before she's done with red mage, though.


omg nubs lern2play god


Introducing the Rockbeast (and to its right, just offscreen, is the purple powered-up version, the Blade Biter). They have high HP and defense, but take normal damage from magic. Rockbeasts have an ability that causes disable status, while Blade Biters will quite literally eat your weapon out of your hands.


Rockbeasts also know the blue magic Matra Magic, which switches the target's HP and MP values. Overflow is lost, so a fighter with 300/300 HP and 50/50 MP becomes a fighter with 50/300 MP and 300/50 50/50 MP. It's fun to use with Magic Hammer or on enemies who have Damage -> MP.

[R^2]

rawr!


A lamia, a bomb, an ice flan, and two icewyrms. The flan knows Acid and one of the dragons can use Mighty Guard, but Acid isn't really worth any effort and my beastmaster doesn't know the skill to control dragons.


So we bring the thunder. Or fire, in most cases.






glimmer






It could have been snow, since St. Ivalice is covered in it and you're all for tearing holes in reality to get there.




Yes, that was a plot mission.


It's a volcanic island now.

[R^2]

Lini is two experience levels ahead of everyone else but is sorely lacking in learned abilities, making him perfect for taking on dispatch missions.




It demands a juggler.


The Sport Trophy can be taken on missions as an optional item. If you do, the chances of someone belonging to a status-ailment-inflicting job offering to join your clan after the mission is increased. The jobs in question are Assassin, Sage, Ninja, Morpher, Juggler, Hunter, Sniper, Gadgeteer, Thief, Beastmaster, or Archer.






yay now we control a barren scorching wasteland infested with horse-sized soldier ants

go us




Undine learned Sleep at some point, so


I give her a katana we picked up somewhere along the way. Last Breath costs 32 MP, causing KO status to the target.






Undine demonstrates her new skill.


Dragons in Final Fantasy aren't the cunning evil masterminds you get in some other bodies of D&D-inspired fiction, but they are smart enough to help an ally who absorbs fire attacks with their flame breath.

We kill them all anyway.



We took Elda's Cup as an optional mission item with us on Hot Recipe, and afterwards...


Another secret character! Eldena joins as a red mage, so her stats are well-rounded.


Red mages don't get the Viera race's Ultima ability (assassins do), but Eldena makes her presence worthwhile anyway by starting with Doublecast (and Barrier, the most expensive-in-AP spell for red mages).

Eldena usurps Montblanc's place in the party as my mage-who-is-not-a-Nu-Mou. Montblanc will see very little action henceforth.


This mission requires and consumes Elda's Cup, so I waited until after I got Eldena to take it.


Completing the mission (the screencap didn't take this time for some reason) taught Ramses the last abilities he needed from thief, so I switch him to Ninja.

Ninja are an advanced job for humans, requiring training in thief to unlock. Ninjas have good growth in every area, especially Speed -- they're the fastest Human job around. Their HP suffers a little for a melee job, but their Weapon Attack and Defense and MP growth are all quite sufficient.
Ninja fight with katana.
Ninja Skill works like the Viera's Spirit Magic, do little damage and only occasionally inflict the status ailments they advertise, but have good range and are fine for closing the distance on foes. Double Sword is the best Ninja ability, not only granting additional attack power in combat, but allowing the character to learn two A-abilities from his weapons at a time. Sadly, we don't have the katana to teach Double Sword yet, and Ninja don't get the ability innately like they do in other Final Fantasy games.

Then I decided Ninja without Double Sword is kind of pointless so I switched him back to a Fighter. I've already done the job writeup though, so I'm leaving it.

[R^2]

The screen shakes!
































So here's the deal. There are a bunch of Ultima Crystals. They don't move. They can use basic attacks for a little damage, or Logos to drop attack and magic power, and Charm the target. They prefer Logos, forcing your clan to beat each other to death. With so many crystals and so much Logos, it can be a real pain. This is one battle where you don't want to split the party, and bring people with weak weapon attacks to remove Charm from your allies. (Fighter Tech Blitz, with extra accuracy for reduced damage, helps here).


Alternately, if you picked up a Ruby Earring by increasing some of your clan stats, just equip it and let that guy fight by himself. There's no way to keep your offensive power from dropping, but that only works once, and the Earring makes you immune to Charm status.






God bless 'em, they're trying.




Since I learned Strikeback from the gear I stole a while back, I'm immune to physical attacks and get a free swing in whenever someone tries anyway.


Not that I couldn't take a few hits anyway. Look at that damage estimate!








Nice try, boys, but the only thing this battle challenged was my patience.














It's possible he's a lucky guesser, but I'd say it's more likely that the fantasy world is reacting to him making shit up as he goes along. That would also explain why I get to design the world map.






























He never mentioned he was the prince. Where did you pick that up? Was it his stupid haircut?












"Welp, I'm gonna do it anyway. Suck it, Mewt."




Ultima is indeed the Nu Mou Totema, so that (in this case) Gallahan can spend 10 JP to summon her.

FFTA - Totema Ultima

The attack does MP damage to all opponents on the battlefield.

While Ultima hasn't changed much overall after her appearance was determined for this game:
Final Fantasy XII Ultima Deathblow

...she's still based on the leader of the Lucavi from the first Final Fantasy Tactics, the Bloody Angel who died while possessing St. Ajora and needed her minions to resurrect her.




I put it just northwest of Roda, without screencapping it for some reason.

[R^2]

There aren't more laws to follow now, but the laws themselves are a bit stricter. Holy is harder to avoid than other elements, in no small part because all white magic is Holy-elemental.


This mission is two letters away from being "Morning Wood". hur hur


"Force Rod" is now my favorite penis nickname.


Another mission unlocked by reading The Hero Gaol (and getting Ayvuir Blue).




There's a Malboro here, but since I can't control it yet, learning Bad Breath will be a matter of luck.












This is the last Goblin in the game. No more are spawned after this one. So for completion's sake, I Capture it.

Capture is a Hunter skill, and has a bunch of restrictions that make it a giant pain in the ass (due largely to its accuracy -- based on enemy HP, and never greater than 24%). Once you Capture an enemy, it's removed from the battlefield and taken to the Monster Bank in Cyril.


You also get a Soul of whatever species it was.


Rather than use Bad Breath, the Malboro prefers to swing with its tentacles. This activates Strikeback, and R2 destroys the thing in one hit. Oh well.


Insert lengthy "protagonist is actually a supervillain" essay here.










Simple fight. A couple archers, a fighter, a dragoon, a fencer.


Might as well make the most of things.











We head to Ezel's shop since our inventory is overflowing with cards again.













I think I got the European ROM for this game, which may explain why "gils" is the accepted currency plural, and the item here is called "Phoenix Tail" rather than "Phoenix Down". It's a more accurate translation from the original Japanese, but it's still a little jarring to see it called that. On my cart, played on my actual Game Boy Advance, it's "gil" and "Phoenix Down".

Anyway, these people are willing to trade a common shop-purchased item for an R4 Antilaw, a deal I'm willing to take without a fight.


I also get an R3 Antilaw for completing the mission.


You named your clan after yourself?




Ritz and Shara are guests again, limiting the number of people I can bring. The fight is against two Fairies, two Zombies, and a Juggler. I already have White Wind from another fairy, Zombies don't teach blue magic, and neither species can be Captured. Once I steal a couple backup juggler abilities for Johanes we'll wrap this up.


"Snipers don't get Strikeback, the best I can do is Return Fi-- oh."






Despite everyone reminding us constantly that we're in a Final Fantasy game, the only chocobos you ever see are the ones the judges ride. Fairies get the meteor-dropping attack instead.


I'm gonna take your ball and go home. (Juggler ability, causes Confuse.)


Another, causes Disable.














The black mage has a Circlet, the white mage a White Robe, the red mage a Madu and a Minerva Plate. Even without stealing abilities this battle has a lot of stuff to swipe. (The mages have -ra level magic, but nothing else to write home about. You can't steal Doublecast anyway.)






I tripped and fell and dropped some items Wrong forum never mind



Oh, and in defending Giza Plains again



I don't remember picking this up, but I'll use it.

[Bongo Bill]

My first time through this game, I somehow accidentally discarded The Hero Gaol, and couldn't get another one, so I was locked out of five missions permanently.

[R^2]

Given the number of Chocobo Eggs, Adamantite, and Materite I have in my Mission Inventory, I'm surprised I haven't been prompted to discard anything yet. But yeah, having no way to get back discarded items is a drag.

[R^2]

Heh, heh. Magic wood.


Heh heh heh












Those bastards.








We pick up a Gaia Gear (teaches Auto-Regen to Hunters and Snipers) and this Zwill Straightblade Zorlin Shape. Once you steal the Shape, this guy has a chance of reequipping Cinquedea.

After some quick theft it's a quick matter of beating these guys up.



There were two moogle mages and a viera archer in the fight. What'd you do with them?










Heh heh heh heh heh


We place our next location.

[R^2]

According to GameFAQs:
The reserve missions become available after Magic Wood (#009) through Pale Company (#011). To complete "My Mission" you must link and trade for the mission item you were not provided by your other reserve missions.

The reserve missions are not required for anything else in the game; they do not count toward the 300 numbered missions and they provide no distinct reward. Their only purpose would seem to be to encourage linking and trading.

Each game comes with a set of two reserve missions, and each reserve mission provides a mission item. The last Reserve Mission is simply called "My Mission", and usually calls for an item you can't get in your own game. You have to trade for it.

So we won't be doing My Mission whenever it comes up, but we'll take the gil and AP from the other reserves.








We have to bring Caravan Musk from the "Caravan Guard" mission. We make no scents ourselves.






Does anyone else find it unnerving that my reward for finding a boy who is trying to run away is a rope that locks anything tied in it in time?

[R^2]

And if you find an Emerald Keep it.

















































Anyway, with a couple crystals broken the laws are starting to get pretty bad.  I have fighters in my party who now can't use their go-to weapon, and any white, black, red, or blue magic is forbidden.


I can't help but notice that the enemy party is a bunch of people who don't use blades or color magic, too.


'Scuse me while I whip this out.






As Ezel advertised, it's as easy as that. No laws are in effect for this battle now, and I can use my fighters and magicians as I please.






















This gives some credence to the "Protagonist = Villain" theory. Even if Ivalice is imaginary, the people living here certainly don't think so, and have their own development and history. I mean yes it's fake history created for Mewt's sake, but they don't know that.




Being the royal retainer, Babus has some good stuff to steal.


So does his underling. Cactus Stick doesn't teach any skills, but has a high attack power for a mace.










I'm sure this won't effect the rest of the game at all.


As happened repeatedly in the previous Final Fantasy Tactics game, the boss teleports away.










Mirage Vest teaches Reflex to monks, sages, and fencers, making them immune to the "Fight" command.

[R^2]

So which was it, Lini? Was it rubber or real?!




This is how long it takes to get a Morning Star normally.









Oh hey, I have all three reserve missions. Maybe I have one of those bugged/special games that has all three reserves available so I don't have to trade for items.


Heh heh. Ships ahoy.






If you need help brewing a potion, call an Alchemist.


The Love Potion can be taken as an optional mission item. When you're done with the mission, you're more likely to have a Viera offer to join your clan. (This can be combined with other "likely to recruit" items, so if you take the Love Potion and the Sport Trophy on the same mission you're more likely to get an Assassin, Sniper, or Archer to join you when you're done.)












It's somebody's fetish.


She's an obliging serpent-seductress, she is. Twister halves its targets' HP.




I'm pretty sure Mrs. Awesome isn't a snake in disguise. I've checked every way I know how.














Aw yeah, Lutia Mop-Up.




The battle is super-easy. Apparently it was intended to be unlocked a bit earlier in the game than it is, because the enemies are a bit low-leveled. But one of them has an Angel Ring (protects against almost all status effects, null:Dark element), which is the real prize here. The Sniper has a Hades Bow, too.


So once we have them, we let them go. They'll be back, reequipped, just like Diaghilev Godeye and his thief who knew how to steal weapons.


Meanwhile I've been capturing some monsters. Let's go see how they're doing.


 









"Healing" is another tough law. Any HP restore is forbidden, even if you accidentally hit an enemy with an element it absorbs.


These are clearly not my monsters, as I haven't caught any malboros yet. In fact, they can be Captured and added to your monster list in the bank.


Well, whatever.



After that last mission, though, we got our clan levels up enough to earn a Nosada.



Aw yiss. Guess what job R2 is now.






If you're prepared with a few Fortune or Angel Rings to prevent your allies from falling asleep, Night is pretty great.


As in Snow In Lutia, the targets here are inanimate, magic-absorbing statues in the back.


Why don't we press it an se-- oh.






Intuitively enough, this mission calls for a Gunner.




Nice try.


Another Angel Ring is added to my inventory.

[R^2]

That's what she said.




Surprise!














He did actually call it that, this isn't R2 :hurr:ing again. I just missed the screencap of that line.










Thundrakes, like Goblins, eventually go extinct. So I'm going to Capture that one out from under Adrammalech's semiequine snout.


I'm also going to manipulate the only dragon of the three who has blue magic to teach it to me. Mighty Guard increases defense and magic resistance to one target -- it's not the partywide protect-and-shell effect that makes it "Mighty" in other games.


Adrammelech is such a minor threat overall we end up capturing all his minions. Why not?


Then we stab him.
















"Some incredible energy that can defy the laws of physics and shape the world to a user's whim. But not magic."
































































Adrammelech can be summoned to do HP damage to all enemies, and he's based on Adrammelech from Final Fantasy Tactics, and who cares, he's associated with Bangaa.






Baguba is the moogle hometown, offering a discount on weapons moogles use.

[R^2]

[R^2]

Oh right. That.
















The laws get stricter again. Target Area forbids any ability that targets more than one panel but fewer than all allies/all enemies/whole battlefield. Black magic is right out.

Forbidding katanas sucks too. I just got a ninja, and my assassin is awesome.




If you try to grab the mail, you engage. Let's try to talk him out of it.


:sigh:





Johanes steals Frogsong, an animist ability that causes Toad status.





Anyway, as soon as we enter Jagd Dorsa...

[R^2]

As advertised, there are no laws restricting your actions anytime you battle in a jagd. But if the end of the battle rolls around and one of your units is KOed, that unit is  gone forever guys.




It may give you the creeps, but these guys have some great equipment. Both the assassin and the ninja are carrying a Petalchaser, the ninja has Dark Gear and Genji Armlets, the assassin a Wygar, and the blue mage will reequip with a Tulwar if you steal his crappy saber.


nope.jpg






Kilik Peaks is next.
















































Every time you link to another game to trade or battle or whatever, Nono restocks five mystery items in his shop. You don't know what they are until you buy them, generally for several thousand gil apiece. Most of them are terrible or available in shops normally, but sometimes...


You can get Mythril stuff. The Mythril Sword teaches Combat Combo to soldiers and warriors.

Since I can't link to another game with an emulator, that's all I'll ever get from Nono.


Treasure hunting near Kudik Peaks gives me a Materia Blade.


It's a bit more useful than it was in the first FFT game, teaching moogles and bangaa their Ultima abilities.










Arr, it's Cheney the Hunter, it is.






I caught the thunder flan. I think I learned Acid (one target, lowers defense and resist) from it, too.








Flame Rod teaches Firaga. Guess Gallahan will be a black mage again sooner or later.




If you accept the deal, you spend 3000 gil on a Tiger Skin and fail the mission.




Two hunters, a sniper, two archers, two gunners. If I had a card to ban Missile weapons this would be a snoozer.




Not that it's particularly difficult anyway.


We get a Tiger Skin anyway.






Angel Ring +1








If you combine Adamantite and Mythril, you get Mysidia Alloy. So we needed to get some Mythril before we could do this one.

[Beat Bandit]

Mission: go to mythril mine and find silver.

found mythril.

SUCCESS!

[R^2]

The mission was to find silver for someone else. Presumably we gave it to them and just happened to grab a chunk of mythril ore on the way out.

[R^2]

Sure enough, they're around -- wandering around the world map.


Running into them doesn't even offer a dialog choice.




























One of the most direct shout-outs to the previous game around. "Hey, you're that guy with the bounty on his head! Get 'im, boys!" happened so many times in the first Final Fantasy Tactics I lost count.


Fortune Rings + Night = almost all enemies are put to sleep. And without anything to steal holding me up, an assassin with Last Breath and an alchemist with Death, it's a slaughter.


The royal retainer has run into you, twice, as you looked to destroy the cosmic lynchpins holding the world together. The second time, you had just finished doing exactly that. HABEEB IT