Final Fantasy 4 Walkthrough with Dagger

[Dagger Dias]

Alright, everyone! This thread is back. I had not forgotten about it. For the past month I have been replaying the GBA version in order to give a more in-depth strategy for the areas exclusive to it. I’ll go into more detail on the Cave of Trials, then move on to the Lunar Ruins, and finally an analysis on the different party combinations.

The first big moment of note is right after Kain rejoins to form the canonical final party, they leave for the Moon but at the end of this cut-scene once they exit the Lunar Whale…. Namingway shows up wearing a red a white outfit instead of his normal colors and he tells you something awesome. You can now change your party members in Mysidia!

Cecil must be in the party, he cannot be replaced. You also must have a full party of 5. Palom, Porom, Cid, Yang, and Edward can all replace anyone on the team but Cecil.

You can replace people one at a time by talking to someone and they ask to come with you, this screen is what you'll see next.

There are over 100 different party combinations you can use at this point.

A white mage will come into the tower once you change party members for the first time. She tells the elder that something strange is going on at Mt Ordeals. If you go there, the Cave of Trials will open up for you.

First, you need to get some better equipment for your new people. If you kept the Poison Axe from the Cave of Summoned monsters, give that to Cid. Give any of Yang’s old claws back to him, there should be two extras from the Sylvan Cave as well. Porom can equip FuSoYa’s Kinesis Staff or any of Rosa’s old staves you may have. Palom can equip any of Rydia’s Rods you might still have. Edward can equip Arrows (not recommended) or Knives such as the Dancing Dagger or the Mute Knife from the Sylvan Cave if you no longer have his harps. Once everyone has updated their weapon, begin going back through the towns to see what you can purchase armor-wise for everyone in the alternative party lineup. You won’t be able to bring 1 of the new people. I left Palom behind at first while shopping as he and Porom can equip all the same armor. Work your way backwards through the towns in reverse of the order you visited them. Tomra, Summoned Monsters, Dwarven Castle, Eblan, Agart, Silvera, Toroia, Mist, Baron, Mysidia, Fabul, and finally Damcyan.

When you are ready, head over to Mt Ordeals. The screen will turn a dark blue tint and thunder strikes the wall, opening a new door. This is the Cave of Trials. To make this event more enjoyable, bring an alternative party. Cecil, Yang, Cid, Porom, and Edward is who I used. You may bring anyone from either the canonical or alternative members, but since the canonical group have been playable in every other version, it’s more fun to switch it up now that you have that chance.

Next time we take a more in-depth look at the Cave of Trials, this post was more of just an intro for the strategies to come on the GBA exclusive quests.

 

[Dagger Dias]

The first thing you will want to do is make sure the alternative party members all have updated equipment. Go through shops in the previous towns to get better equipment for Cid, Yang, Edward, Palom, and Porom. I recommend going in this order: Tomra, Summoned Monster town, Dwarven Castle, Eblan, Agart, Mithril, Mist, Toroia, Baron, Mysidia, Fabul, Damcyan. That should ensure you only spend money on the things you need, although you may need to go back to some of the earlier towns. Cid can equip decent armor and the Poison Axe if you still have it. Yang should still have some of his claws, if not buy some. Edward may have to resort to the Dancing Knife from the town of Mist. Plenty of Rods or Staves have been available along the way for the twins. When you are equipped, pick a party. Preferably Cecil (he must go), Cid, Yang, Porom, and either Palom or Edward. The Cave of Trials is more fun if you use the new characters. Plus you must go through it at least twice so every new character can face his/her boss battle for a special weapon meant just for them.


CAVE OF TRIALS
PARTY: Cecil, any 4 from Kain/Rosa/Rydia/Edge/Yang/Cid/Edward/Palom/Porom

When you enter Mt Ordeals the screen turns blue and thunder will strike the mountain, leading to a new door opening. The Cave of Trials is inside. You’ll encounter enemies from the underground monster lairs such as the Sylvan Cave, Summoned Monster Cave, and the Sealed Gate. Have Porom or Rosa cast Float on each floor in case you encounter an Arachnid since they will use Quake on you. From the entrance head up and you will see a chest with an X Potion. There is a hidden path in the wall in between the two rocks to the right. Through that is a chest with a Red Jacket. Give that to Edward. Head back to where you were and then go up the stairs into the next room.

In the second area head left from the stairs and you can find a chest with a Remedy. Follow the path from there but do not go downstairs yet. First, go up from where the staircase leading to the next room was. You’ll find a chest with a Phoenix Down at the north end of the path. There’s a hidden path in the bottom left corner of the room. Take to get a Coronet. Give that to Palom. Now go downstairs into the third area. You cannot get to the chest to the left of you yet. Head down straight south of the stairs and there is a path in the wall to the right. Take this to reach a Cat Hood for Porom. Head back and take the left path which has a Remedy along the way. The wall to the right of you has a hidden path 1 spot north of the rock, take that to reach the Funny Mask for Yang which was in the chest by the stairs you entered this room from. Go back and head downstairs to the next area.

The fourth room has a chest in the bottom left corner. Take the right stairway instead of the left and find the hidden path in the wall to the bottom left, into the part of the room where the chest is to get a Red Cap for Edward. Now head right a few steps and get the Cottage. Rocks block your way so go around the wall and then to the right to find a Siren. Head back the way you went and ignore the stairway for a moment to go right and grab a Courageous Suit for Yang from a chest in the top right corner of the room. Now go upstairs. The fifth room has a Siren far to the left of the stairs you entered through. Follow the path grabbing the Remedy along the way. Two hidden paths at the left of the stairs lead you to two more treasures. Take the one in the upper left wall to get a Lord’s Robe for Porom and the one in the lower left wall to get to a Sage’s Robe for Palom. Now take the stairs to the sixth area.

In the sixth area you will want to follow the path at first. When you get to the upper left corner, take the stairs but then use the hidden path in the top left part of the wall. This path takes you to a Grand Helm for Cid and a Grand Armor which is also for Cid. Now go back and follow the path. Don’t forget the Dry Ether south of the stairs. Now go up into the seventh room. Take the stairs on your left to reach a Megalixer and then use the stairs on the right side to get to a Megalixer. Then take the stairs in the middle through the path surrounded by rocks up into the Boss Room. Edward’s lute song he played during the Dark Elf event plays in here. Even if he is not in the party. You will see weapons on islands surrounded by water. The island in the middle has a save point and a warp tile. Use the warp tile if you MUST leave. I’d suggest going over to the Harp first to get Edward’s boss battle out of the way. Remember, the character who will be using the weapon you are fighting for must be in the party in order to fight the boss and get the item.

I recommend Edward's battle against the Gigas Worm first. That way he will be much more useful against the other bosses. I've already gone into a strategy on these fights in an earlier post but basically be ready for his constant counterattacks. Rosa/Porom should cast Protect. Yang/Cid/Cecil/Edge should attack. Kain should Jump. Rydia/Palom aren't really much help here. Edward should just hide until the fight is over. At the end you'll win the Apollo Harp! Equip it and watch Edward NOT suck anymore!

Next I would go get Cid's Thor Hammer. You'll have to face the Death Mech and he is much easier than the Gigas Worm. Have your fighters fighting and your casters casting. Shell from Rosa/Porom helps, heal if needed. Cid's attack skyrockets when he equips his new weapon, making him all the more useful. This weapon also casts Thundaga when used as an item!

Now let's get Porom's Seraphim Mace. You will fight the T-Rex for it. This is the easiest boss fight in here. Cast Float on everyone first, then fight him. Use the same strategy you did against the Death Mech after that. Now if only the other bosses in here were as easy....

Yang's Hand of the gods is up for grabs and you'll want to get that now. This is actually tougher than I remembered when I was writing up the previously posted strategy. You may want to go replace Edward with Palom if you were using the alternative party that I recommended. You'll need him for the last boss fight in here anyway. The Storm Dragon has a weakness to exploit, Ice! Equip Yang with two Ice Claws. Now have him charge up his attacks to further exploit the weakness while Palom (or Rydia if you brought her) casts Blizaga and your fighters attack. Porom (or Rosa if you brought her) must be ready to heal constantly, and cast Shell while you're at it.

Last but not least we have the toughest of the boss fights in here. Palom faces Master Flan in order to win the Triton Knife. This boss has Reflect status so you will not be able to cast offensive spells on him other than Rydia's summons. Palom needs to cast spells like Thundaga on the four slimes underlings of the boss while your fighters attack the boss himself. Do not let all four slimes die until the boss has, otherwise he revives them. Kill all but one, then focus on him, then kill the last slime. Porom should heal. Once three slimes have been defeated have Palom defend until the boss is gone, then have him finish off the last slime.

That is the end of the Cave of Trials. Your next challenge is to clear the Lunar Subterrane using every single party member. Once you have, the Lunar Ruins will become available. You'll need to defeat Zemus at least 3 times since Cecil must go and there are 10 total characters to defeat him with. You can do 1 time with the cannonical party, then twice with two different alternative groups, or simply do 3 alternative groups. That choice is up to you. One thing is for certain though, getting to use the alternative party members in the final palace is really awesome. Especially if you have their gear from the Cave of Trials first.

Next will be the Lunar Ruins. It might be a while as I'm in no hurry to go through the final quest and last boss 3 times in a row, but I promise it will come.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Finally back and now we will begin the strange yet difficult Lunar Ruins side quest. By now you should have defeated the final boss using every single party member at least once. You’ll have seen a rock on the moon that appears to have a face on it moving to reveal a staircase. This was in the original version, but despite countless players’ suspicions, this rock with a face never did anything. Now it is home to the Lunar Ruins. If you cannot find it, it is located to the right a few spaces and south a few spaces from the Hummingway Home. I recommend bringing Yang because each character will face a trial and his is the first one.

LUNAR RUINS
PARTY: Cecil, 4 others

This place is extremely strange. Each party member will undergo a trial that they must be in the party for, so you will have to warp out several times in order to complete it. Other than the trial floors, there are rooms that look like the Lunar Subterrane, puzzle rooms, and rooms resembling monster lairs from earlier in the game. I’ll discuss some as I come across them. The first room just has a stairway for you to go down. You’ll eventually find the first trial which is Yang’s. His hometown of Fabul’s music plays in the background. Use the save point if you need to, but do not warp out using the tile at the right unless you have to. Go inside (assuming Yang is in your party).

Inside is a training ground. The Lunar Titan calls out to Yang saying he needs to prove his strength. You are attacked by a group of monks.

BOSS BATTLE: Soldier Monk (8)

PARTY: Cecil, Yang, three others

DIFFICULTY: Easy

This looks a whole lot worse than it actually is. There are only 8 actual targets. Each target is 3 monks at once and if you do enough damage 1 or 2 of the monks in the graphic will die, like Octomammoth’s tentacles did. Yang’s Hand of the gods claw from the Lunar Ruins comes in handy here, he should be able to finish off a lot of them. Have Cecil and any other fighter attacking as well. Edward can attack from the back row if he is with you. Palom or Rydia can cast spells hitting multiple targets, but it’s easy enough that you will not need them. Rosa or Porom should heal if needed.



Then you are attacked by a group of Super Monks, an identical strategy can be used there.

BOSS BATTLE: Super Monk (8)

PARTY: Cecil, Yang, three others

DIFFICULTY: Easy

See strategy for previous fight.


Then a battle against Drillmasters.

BOSS BATTLE: Drillmaster (8)

PARTY: Cecil, Yang, three others

DIFFICULTY: Medium

Similar to the previous two fights, but these guys hit harder. Rosa or Porom should cast Protect and then be healing the party. Rydia or Palom if available should now be casting spells hitting multiple targets. Keep having the fighters attacking.


After several rounds against the three types of monks, Lunar Titan shows up and attacks you.

BOSS BATTLE: Lunar Titan

Party: Cecil, Yang, 3 others

DIFFICULTY: Hard

Have Rosa or Porom cast Float on their first turn. Protect might not be a bad idea, either. After that have the fighters attacking while Palom/Rydia casts their strongest spells. He can use Crush, like the Evil Wall did, to instantly kill someone. He can also create Earthquakes, which is why you needed Float.


Once it’s over you get the Discipline Armlet for Yang. It makes his Power command turn into Deadly, it triples his attack strength rather than doubling it and it increases his stats some too. Use the warp tile to exit so you can return to Mysidia and bring Edward. Unless he’s already in your active party, then save and continue.

Edward’s trial will be next.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Edward’s trial begins with a frozen Damcyan Castle. You’ll find a Requiem Harp. Equip if it you want, but you will not be able to leave with it.

Then a scene plays out showing that you’ll need to have Edward sing with this harp equipped in order to truly finish off the specters, otherwise they always come back to life. The good news is Yang can defeat them in one hit if he’s with you and then Edward can finish them off with Singing a Requiem . The bad news is you get no EXP for it and there are lots of them…. That’s frustrating. The party finds cold air coming from a hole in the wall, go downstairs from here.

You’re now in a moat type area under the castle and it too is frozen. Defeat all of the specters in there using the same method.

You’ll then be able to head into the next area where the Requiem Harp is broken by Lunar Shiva, she attacks you.

BOSS BATTLE: Lunar Shiva

PARTY: Cecil, Edward, 3 others

DIFFICULTY: Very Hard

Wow, this is one tough fight! She can use an Ice attack that hits everyone for thousands of damage and can heal herself by casting Blizzaga on herself. There is a weakness for you to exploit, fire. Yang should be equipped with the Fire Claw if he is with you. Palom and Rydia should cast Firaga if they are with you. Cecil, Cid, and Kain should all be attacking. Rosa or Porom MUST be healing each round. Beginning with casting Shell is not a bad idea. She will change in appearance to the one seen in the screenshot when she is about to use her strongest attack, Edward should Hide if she is about to use it, then come back and attack with Apollo’s Harp from the back row once she returns to her normal appearance. It's an extremely hard fight, but you can do it. If not, level up a bit and try again.

You receive a Harmonius Ring for Edward. It turns his Sing into Chant. He will cast Shell and Safe on the party when this is used! That is way better than Sing ever was, that ability was nearly useless. Now either move on if Rydia is with you or head back to Mysidia to bring her into the party.

Rydia's trial is next.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Rydia’s trial begins with you entering a fog filled cavern.

Rydia rushes in to see what kind of place it is. She is suddenly turned back into her child self from the very beginning of the game! She also no longer has some of her summons: Ifrit, Shiva, Ramuh, and Titan. She does regain some very basic White magic spells she had at the very beginning of the game. You will have to regain your pacts with the missing summons.

The enemies in here are Mist counterparts of other monsters you have faced before like Eagles, Summoners, etc. Head through the lower right path once the room opens up to a large open space, at the end of that path is Shiva.

BOSS BATTLE: Shiva

PARTY: Cecil, Rydia, 3 others

DIFFICULTY: Medium

Compared to Lunar Shiva, this is easy. She has an Ice ability that does a large amount of damage to everyone, but does not use it much. Exploit her weakness to fire by equipping Yang with the Fire Claw. Have Palom and/or Rydia cast Firaga. Rosa/Porom should be healing. Cid/Kain/Cecil/Edge should all be attacking. She has a lot of health but is not too bad.

Go back the way you came and take the lower left path, you will find Ifrit at the end.

BOSS BATTLE: Ifrit

PARTY: Cecil, Rydia, 3 others

DIFFICULTY: Easy

He’s easier than Shiva. A similar strategy can be used, only with Ice as the weakness to exploit. He has a Flame move he can use that hits everyone, but it isn’t as bad as Shiva’s Ice move was.

Go back the way you came and take the upper left path to find Titan. Cast Float before challenging him.

BOSS BATTLE: Titan

PARTY: Cecil, Rydia, 3 others

DIFFICULTY: Medium

He can create an earthquake that does a lot of damage, so that is why you should have cast Float before the fight. Other than that, this is not too bad. There is no weakness to exploit so just have your fighters attacking, Rydia summoning Bahamut, Palom casting Flare, while Porom/Rosa heal.

Go back the way you came and take the upper right path, at the end you’ll find Ramuh.

BOSS BATTLE: Ramuh

PARTY: Cecil, Rydia, 3 others

DIFFICULTY: Easy

Similar strategy can be applied from the Titan fight, only you do not need the Float spell. He has no weakness and other than his Lightning ability that hits the whole party, there really isn’t much to worry about.

You should now have all four of the summons you lost back. Return the way you came and head north through the mist filled path.

You will be attacked by the Lunar Dragon!

BOSS BATTLE: Lunar Dragon

PARTY: Cecil, Rydia, 3 others

DIFFICULY: Easy

This is the easiest of the Lunar Summon bosses. He can turn into mist just like the Mist Dragon during the very first monster lair of the game, which is annoying, but other than that this is ridiculously easy when compared to Lunar Titan or Lunar Shiva. He can poison you and heal himself. Just have your fighters attacking, your casters casting, and your healers healing. A simple strategy for a simple fight.

After the battle Rydia regains her normal form, loses her basic White magic spells that she temporarily got back for this event, and you get the Mist Ring. Equip Rydia with that so that her stats increase and her summons will become more powerful.

Next will be Cecil.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Cecil's trial is different than most of the other party members'. Your actions as a Paladin determine the outcome and the weapon that you receive before you fight Lunar Odin at the end. There's 13 possible events randomly determined and you will go through 5 of them. Most of them are simple enough but others may trick you into making a mistake.

One room has an old man looking for a Golden Apple he lost. It is the shiny object in the storage area. Be sure to give it back to the old man, like an honorable paladin would.

Another room has soldiers who run up to you asking you for help. You end up having to fight three Giant Warriors if you agreed to help fight. Not a big deal at all at this point. Once you have fought all of them you can leave having completed this room fully.

Another room has an old man who wants to tell you a story. He mentions a Golden Frying Pan that he has locked safely in a chest in the room, then he falls asleep. Leave without trying to take it, as the old men faked sleeping to test you.

Another room has an old man who places a Megalixir on a grave. Simply leave the room without trying to take it.

One of the rooms has guards who will ask you to fill in for them. One of them has a wife who is about to have their child. Offer to take their place. All you have to do is stand there. Do not move or else you fail this room. A chocobo will show up and drop something, stay still. A boy will get chased by bombs multiple times, this is the tricky part. You still have to stay still even though he supposedly gets blown up by the bomb monsters. The guard comes back and thanks you, saying he will name his son after Cecil.

One of the rooms has children teasing a pig. No, seriously. Go talk to each of the bullies and then they eventually leave. The pig thanks you.

One of the rooms has a robber bragging about how he just robbed the place. If you decide to turn him in you will have to fight him, he is very easy to defeat.

One of the rooms has a town that seems empty. There's movement in the water though, if you go inspect it you'll have saved a kid's life!

One of the rooms has a monster in a cave. You enter a battle once you talk to the monster but it begs for you to not kill it, it's cursed. Sure enough the curse wears off if you wait long enough and he thanks you once he is human again then leaves.

One of the rooms has a vase in there. Inspect it, this will break it and a man comes in asking if you broke it. Tell the truth. He'll know you are lying if you lie.

One of the rooms has a girl looking for her lost chocobos. They are all in the left portion of the room, just talk to them and they will go back in their cage. She thanks you once you have found each of the chocobos.

If you passed all 5 of the trials then you will get the Lightbringer Sword! This boosts Cecil's attack all the way up to 255, it should max it out. The sword also casts Holy sometimes when it attacks. You'll fight Lunar Odin now.

BOSS BATTLE: Lunar Odin

PARTY: Cecil, 4 others

DIFFICULTY: Very Hard

He can use Zantetsuken like the original Odin did, but he is able to use it more often and it hits everyone for A LOT of damage. Have Rosa/Porom cast Protect then healing as needed or casting Holy. Cecil should attack with the Lightbringer Sword. Any other fighter should also attack. Palom/Rydia should cast Flare. If you're struggling, warp out of the ruins and battle your way back up to this fight. That should level you up a bit. Then try again.


Next up will be Rosa's!

 

[Dagger Dias]

Rosa’s trial begins with you entering a town that resembles Kaipo a little bit. Lunar Asura shows up immediately afterward and places a curse on the townspeople.

Some are injured while the others are turned into frogs/pigs, made tiny, or turned to stone. Your task is to save as many of them as possible before Lunar Asura attacks you. Some of them are monsters in disguise called Metamorphas who will attack you. If you are able to save all 14 of the townspeople then you get a White Ring for Rosa. I will point out who is a monster and who to save.

Start with the soldier to your left, then the pig to the left of him. Ignore the pig north of the pig you just saved. That’s a monster.

Keep going north and you see another wounded soldier, help him. Then help the little girl north of him. Go up and to the right to save another pig. Further north is an old man turned to stone. Head to the right and you’ll find a little boy who needs saving. Ignore the pig south of that boy, he’s a monster.

So is the old lady turned to stone south of that.

Head right then north to save an injured soldier, and south of the soldier is a frog needing saving. South of the frog is a pig for you to save. There’s a frog in the water but do not go in the water yet. Go left after saving the pig. There will be an injured soldier, a little girl who is a monster in disguise, and an old lady turned to stone to save.

There is a frog north of those three, but he is a monster so ignore him.

Now go back into the water. Save the frog by the ladder. Now go all the way to the top of the map in the water and save the frog at the end. Hurry! You have limited time before Lunar Asura launches an attack. If she attacks you and you have not saved everyone, try again. The White Ring is worth it. Oh, here is what the monsters looked like:

When you are finished (or ran out of time) the boss battle begins.

BOSS BATTLE: Lunar Asura

PARTY: Cecil, Rosa, three others

DIFFICULTY: Medium

This actually isn’t too bad. She can heal herself like the original Asura did when her human face comes up. Reflect is not necessary if your level is high enough though. Her red face can inflict status effects such as Toad or Pig on you. Her blue face can cast spells like Firaga or Blizzaga on you. Have Rosa and Porom (if she is with you) healing and/or using Esuna to remove negative status effects. Cecil can assist with Esuna too if needed. All fighters (other than perhaps Cecil if you chose to have him assist with Esuna on some rounds) should be attacking nonstop. Rydia or Palom should be casting offensive spells. It will be over soon enough.

After the fight Rosa wins the White Ring if you saved all of the people. If you didn’t, you still can get some nice items but this item is worth it. Her Prayer command turns into Miracle which is much more powerful than Prayer was.

Next will be Edge’s. His is very frustrating, so I’m not all too excited about it, but we will get it out of the way next.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Alright, so out of all the Lunar Ruins areas, this one is the only one that I dislike. It's extremely frustrating. Edge has a long annoying puzzle we have to go through before facing the boss at the end.

If only it were actually as fun as Edge thinks it will be. Let's get this over with.

After Edge finishes talking to Cecil, follow him. Go through the doorway and enter the door on the left. In here you have two buttons that you can press. Hitting the switch under the torch opens a door to the next room. The other switch triggers a fight against a Palace Guard. You'll want to fight a few of these because they drop Keys that can be used on some of the locked doors in here. In the next room there are 3 switches. You need to hit the one under the shield, unless you want to fight a few more battles. You'll find a jar to the left that restores your MP, I recommend it from all the healing or offensive spell casting you may have had to do so far. Go upstairs once you are done with that. Go up to the throne room and talk to the king. After Edge speaks, the king opens a trap door and you fall down into the room where the switches were. Make your way back the way you came, but now fire blocks the way to the king. Go through the wall, a crack in the floor makes you fall into a hole.

You'll find a red switch in the room you fell into, step on the switch to open the red doors. Go through the door, up, around, and then down to the paper on the wall which reads "Down 1, Right 2, Down 2, Right 1". Follow those directions which lead you to a similar note. That one reads "Right 3, Up 4, Left 4, Up 8, Right 5". Follow those instructions, you'll find the blue switch so step on it. Head south and through the door, but now you need to head back in the room you just left. This has triggered the cracks in the floor to become small, you can walk over them again. Go through the blue door to find the green switch, step on it. You fall through the floor from the cracks into a basement that resembles the Summoned Monsters Cave. Much like in that cave, the lava hurts you so have Rosa or Porom cast Float. Find the warp panel to return to the castle.

Work your way back to the room where the green switch was, now go through the green door in the upper right corner. Go down the stairs. There will be a hidden path in the hall below where you are, look for the hidden door in the middle of the walled area. You'll want to go through a lightning bolt shaped hall to your left, find the hidden path in there, which gives you a choice of fighting battles to get Keys if you step on the tile or going further by hitting the switch above this path. I would fight for about 5 more keys, you need some more in order to get through the last part of this awful puzzle. Now go down some and follow the invisible path to the door to use a Key on it. There is a hidden path taking you to the left past two pillars. Now go up to the top of the room resembling a throne room. Go through the hidden hole in the wall, use a Key on the door. Now use the hidden path at your left until you are at the end of it, head toward the top of the middle wall and head through the final hidden path back to the throne room.

I never thought I'd be so happy to see this guy again. It turns out to be Lunar Ifrit though and he attacks you.

BOSS BATTLE: Lunar Ifrit

PARTY: Cecil, Edge, 3 others

DIFFICULTY: Easy

It's almost as if this fight's lower difficulty setting is a reward from the developers for making it through this awful puzzle. Lunar Ifrit is probably the easiest of the Lunar summon bosses. He uses a fire based attack that hits the whole party, but compared to Lunar Shiva or even Lunar Asura he is much easier to defeat. Have Rosa/Porom healing as needed, the fighters fighting, Edge throwing Ninja Stars, and Rydia/Palom casting powerful spells. The fight will be over before you know it.

Your prize for completing the worst Lunar Ruins event is the Hanzo Gloves for Edge. They turn his absolutely useless Steal command into Plunder. He can now attack when he attempts to steal, but it's still likely to miss and you now take more damage if/when you fail to steal. This is disappointing. I would much rather have received a stronger Boomerang or two for Edge. His defense stat is so much lower than the other fighters, getting to fight with a ranged weapon would benefit him more than an item that makes a 100% useless command only slightly less useless.

Next up is Kain's trial. While Edge's is the worst, Kain's is one you need to be careful with. It is possible to completely mess up on it and should that happen you will not be allowed back inside to re-attempt it. No worries though, I will explain how to avoid that in the next post as we go through Kain's trial.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Kain’s trial starts with him entering by himself. This is the most severe trial in the Lunar Ruins. It is the only one that you can completely fail in a way other than being defeated by the boss monster. I'll warn you when the moment comes when you are in danger of failing. You do NOT get a second chance if you fail.

You end up in the town of Baron. Cecil and Rosa are there too. You find out that there has been an attack. Talk to everyone in the center of town. Cecil will not let you go anywhere else.

Go rest at the inn once Cecil and Rosa go into Rosa’s house. When you wake up the next morning there is a lance in the corner of the hotel room. Go outside to find out another attack has taken place. Take the lance, speak to Cecil, and then show it to the soldier next to the victim.

Cecil stays at the inn with you that evening. Cecil is gone in the morning but you’ll find him right outside the hotel. Rosa is missing. Speak to everyone in town and then go down into the training room in the basement of the building where you could warp to Mysidia in the real Baron town. The lance is down there with a group of soldiers and an old man. Speak to each of them.

Go back to the hotel to sleep. Kain wakes up in the middle of the night. Go outside and Cecil asks you to help him find Rosa. She is in the upper right corner of town by the waterfall. Cecil takes her back to her house. Go back to sleep now. When you wake up go speak to Rosa and Cecil in Rosa’s house. They suggest you search for more clues where Rosa was found the night before. A thing resembling a star will be where Rosa was. Inspect the thing (for lack of knowing what that is actually supposed to be) to make Kain realize that there was a wound made by a lance. The lance is missing from the training room. The lance is in the hotel room. Soldiers come into the room. They will not let you leave. Go to sleep, when you wake up the guard by the door is dead. A monster goes inside Rosa’s house.

Follow him and he will run out into town. It was a soldier in disguise with the lance. The guards thank you for catching him.

However the lance is back in your hotel room once you try to go to sleep. Head outside and follow Cecil into the training room building, then onto the warp panel. You find yourself in a crystal tiled room with Cecil unconscious, Rosa tied up, and the monster who reveals that he is you.

WARNING!!!!
The game offers you to fight Cecil. If you do, you fail this trial and will NOT be allowed in. Do NOT do that if you wish to complete the trial.

If you do not choose to fight Cecil, Kain will be attacked by Dark Kain.

BOSS BATTLE: DARK KAIN

PARTY: Kain

DIFFICULTY: N/A

This lasts for only a few seconds. He turns into Lunar Bahamut following a huge explosion.

This could have been a cool fight if it actually was Kain VS Dark Kain. What I don't get is why they did not have Kain fight his dark self, then have the rest of the party rejoin you for the Lunar Bahamut fight. Oh well.

BOSS BATTLE: LUNAR BAHAMUT

PARTY: KAIN

DIFFICULTY: Hard

The first thing you have to do is move to the back row. Lunar Bahamut counterattacks if you attack him, so now the damage will be less. Next use a Lunar Curtain immediately so that his Mega Flare attack will reflect onto him. Now use your jump attacks constantly. After 5 rounds of his Mega Flare being reflected onto him plus the Jump attacks he was defeated. The Lunar Curtain will wear off eventually so finish him off as soon as you can. For some strange reason the regular battle music plays here.

Your prizes for winning (yep, that’s right, you get more than one) are the Dragoon Gloves which make the Jump attack even more powerful and the Abel’s Lance which will skyrocket Kain’s attack stat. Abel's Lance was the same lance you kept seeing during the trial, but with the victory against your dark self it is no longer cursed. Congratulations on completing the most severe trial in here. So Kain gets two prizes that are awesome and Edge's was rather useless. THAT's fair.

Next will be Cid’s.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Cid’s trial begins with you being on an island with an airship on it.

You are going to basically be a taxi service in this trial. It is the easiest of all the trials.

Once you get on the airship some random guy is already onboard. He wants you to take him to Mysidia, but here is the catch…. He wants you to do it in 1 minute 30 seconds, apparently he is in a hurry. Nothing bad happens if you fail to get them there fast enough like in Kain’s trial. However if you do get everyone to their destination in the time they ask, you will get a new Hammer for Cid! You are currently south of Fabul so fly south past the town of Silvera/Mithril until you reach Mt Ordeals, now fly to the left a bit and you will find Mysidia. Walk inside to get the guy to where he needs to go. He had said he was starving and thirsty when he needed a ride, when you reach Mysidia he seems completely fine. Weird.

Your next customer is a white mage who has to get to Troia in under 60 seconds. This is a little tougher. Fly left until you see a mountain range just to the south of you. That’s the Eblan region. Now fly north until you find Troia’s familiar forested area. You will have to land right next to the town, it will be a little bit to your left if you followed these directions. The white mage had stated she needed to deliver medicine but when you reach Troia she says she is late for a date. Odd.

Your next customer is a monk who has to get to Fabul in under 40 seconds. Fly to the right of Troia past Damcyan’s desert until you see a smaller desert south of a forest. Fly north and you will be at Fabul, which for some strange reason has the town music playing in it instead of Fabul’s theme. The monk had needed to help in an accident at the castle but when you get there he goes to check on his train collection. Strange.

Your next customer is an old man with a yellow beard who has to get to Kaipo for his daughter’s wedding in less than 35 seconds. Fly left until you see Damcyan, then fly south until you get to Kaipo. You cannot land in the desert so simply keep going to the left until you find a grassy field. Now hurry into Kaipo. When you get there the man starts trying to make small talk.

Your next customer is a boy who needs to go to Agart in under 30 seconds. This is the hardest one. It depends on where you left your airship around Kaipo. Head there quickly then fly to the left a bit to where the town of Mist is. Fly south past Baron and Agart will be just south of there. When you get there Cid is sad because the boy called him grandpa which hurts his feelings as he does not think he is old.

When you get back on the airship Lunar Ramuh attacks.

BOSS BATTLE: LUNAR RAMUH

PARTY: Cecil, Cid, 3 others

DIFFICULTY: Medium

This isn’t too bad. A similar strategy can be used from Lunar Ifrit. He uses Thundaga and a Lightning ability that hits everybody. Have Rosa/Porom ready to heal while your fighters fight and Rydia/Palom cast their best spells. He can do some good amounts of damage with his thunder spells but he is probably the easiest of the Lunar summons other than Lunar Ifrit.

When you win you get Cid’s Fiery Hammer! It should increase his attack stat quite a bit.

The last trial left is Palom & Porom’s, they have one together. Then there’s a couple of optional boss fights within the Lunar Ruins and then the event is over.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Palom & Porom’s trial begins with a dead end that you cannot get through.

You find that there are two paths. One to the left, and one to the right. There are small holes that only the two twins can fit into. Palom goes through the path on the left while Porom goes through the one on the right. You can press L & R to switch between the two twins. You’ll have to clear puzzles during the paths helping each other out.

Porom goes through a pink hallway.

Palom goes through a blue hallway.

The monsters in here upon your first encounter or two might seem disappointingly weak at first, but this is so for a reason. You might find yourself stuck with a random encounter with only Palom or only Porom while under Frog/Pig/Small status. Now it should make sense. Pig isn't as bad as pigs can still use their weapons (for some reason) but frogs can ONLY cast Toad. Porom under frog status is unable to do anything but use items or a useless melee attack. Let's get started.

There is a switch in Palom’s first room that seems to do nothing but it had an effect in Porom’s room. Switch to her. She has a similar switch, flip it which should open the door Palom could not get through. Go into the door and the Calcobrena’s theme plays in the next room. Step on the yellow tile to get turned into a smaller version of yourself. Step on it again to remove the effect. There is a blue tile you can step on further down to make yourself float. You need this in order to get past the tiles with cracks to flip the next switch. It opens a door for Palom. Switch to him now since you cannot get further yet.

As Palom you go into a room where the twins’ theme plays. A frog goes into a hole. A green tile further down can turn you into a frog to follow him into the hole with. Inside is a switch that opens a door for Porom. Go back through the hole and step on the green tile again to remove the frog status. Through the door is a pink tile that turns you into a pig. As with the other tiles, step on it again to remove the status. Switch to Porom when you get to a door that’s not opened yet.

As Porom you find a hole that you are too large to go through, head back to the yellow tile that could make you small. Now you can fit into that hole. Through the hole is a pink tile that can turn you into a pig and another yellow tile to remove the small status. Flip the switch to open a door for Palom. Also be sure to step on the switch on the floor, now switch to Palom.

As Palom you can go through the door but there is a hole you need to be small to go through. A path should be available if you stepped on the floor switch as Porom, to allow you to reach a yellow tile that makes you small. Go through the small hole. Flip the switch inside. There is a yellow tile that can remove the small status. Switch to Porom since you cannot open the door at the end of that tunnel yet.

As Porom you might not be able to go through the small hole but you can reach the yellow tile to get small again by using the pink tile to turn into a pig which somehow opens the door that had shut. Or you can cast Mini on yourself. Go through the small hole and through the door inside. Turn into a pig to get through the door if it shuts. Calcobrena’s music plays in the next area. More cracked tiles, step on the blue tile to float over them. You’ll find yourself at two dead ends. Rocks block one path while toad holes block the other. Switch to Palom.

As Palom you will be at a dead end you need to be a pig in order to get through the door. Through that door you find a locked door and some cracked tiles, step on the blue tile to float over the cracked tiles. Make sure to step on the green tile by the blue tile to get turned into a frog too. There’s a frog hole beyond the cracked tiles. Step on the floor tile in here. Now go through the hole. Go back into the previous area to make sure you are small. There is a green floor switch in there. Switch back to Porom.

As Porom go where the rock was blocking the path, it is not anymore. Flip the switch and go through the door to find a green frog tile. Now go through the frog hole. The twins must step on the green floor tiles simultaneously and they figure this out once you try to step on each. This clears the two paths and you find yourself back where Cecil was waiting with the rest of the party.

Go up through the newly opened path. Once you reach this guy, you're at the end. He ends up being Lunar Leviathan.

BOSS BATTLE: LUNAR LEVIATHAN

PARTY: Cecil, Palom, Porom, 2 others

DIFFICULTY: Very Hard

Alright this guy is rather tough. I would rank him as the most difficult Lunar summon other than Lunar Shiva and possibly Lunar Odin. He can use Tidal Wave, Blizzaga, and Maelstrom. Porom (or Rosa if she is with you) should cast Shell but be prepared to heal constantly. Cecil should attack each round or assist with healing if needed. As for the others if they are with you.... Cid should attack. Kain should Jump (hopefully he has his upgraded Jump from his trial). Edge should throw Shurikens from the back row if he is with you. Edward should attack with his harp from the back row if you brought him. His upgraded ability could be helpful though, it casts Shell and Protect on the party while Rosa/Porom could focus completely on healing. Rydia should summon Bahamut if she is with you or cast Flare which is what Palom should do every round. Yang should use his upgraded Deadly skill to inflict three times as much damage, hopefully you have that. I save this fight for last for a reason, he is tough even if everyone but the twins has their upgraded abilities. A relentless offense alongside Rosa and/or Porom healing should win you the battle.


Your prizes for winning are Twin Stars for each twin. If they both have this equipped and use their Twin cast ability, they will cast Double Meteor! Rydia and Rosa still outclass the twins in their respective schools of magic, but this still makes them more useful.

Next will be the optional fight against the dreaded evil dragon, Brachioraidos, the toughest fight in this version of the game.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Now we will take on the most challenging monster in the GBA version of FF4. The dreaded evil dragon, Brachioraidos.

Towards the end of the Lunar Ruins you might find yourself in a room similar to the Sylvan Cave. It does not always appear, so if you end up in a room resembling where you fought Zeromus then you have reached the end and must warp out. You can fight the boss in that room if you wish, but I'll save him for my next post. Brachioraidos is first. He's actually MUCH much harder than that boss though. So anyway the room does not always show up but it is after the twins' trial and before the final room in one of the randomly generated rooms. You'll see an old man who warns you to run out quickly and not fight the dragon. Yeah, as if we're going to listen to him though right?

So walk past him and you might see a gigantic dragon who has a character graphic 4 times the size of yours or any NPC. Laugh at the dragon's graphic all you want, but you will probably be killed. He's a 10 out of 10 difficulty and I really wish they had kept him for the DS remake. Make sure you are on a level above 75, equipped with your new items from the trials, and brought a balanced party. Cecil of course has to go. Kain is highly recommended. Yang or Cid are the next most powerful fighters although Edge can be great here too if he is placed in the back row. Rosa and Rydia are more powerful than the twins so I recommend bringing them as your casters. Ok, now go fight him.

BOSS BATTLE: Brachioraidos

PARTY: Cecil, 4 others

DIFFICULTY: Very Hard

This fight will be a disaster that ends within 4 turns or less if you are not prepared. He can use Glare to kill a character in one shot unless they happen to have more than 9,000 health. He can restore himself for 9,999 points for a turn if he so chooses. Later on he begins a countdown. If he is attacked during this countdown he will use Globe 199 on one of your characters, killing the victim no matter how much health they have. AFTER the countdown he begins casting three spells in a row on you, killing up to 3 people per round. Scared yet? Cecil should be attacking unless Rosa needs help with the healing. He can also use the Grimoires you have received from the Lunar Summon bosses to summon one of them for thousands of damage! Kain should double Jump every round, he is all but guaranteed to do 9,999 damage if he has Abel's Lance equipped. Yang should charge up with his Deadly command to do roughly as much damage as Kain. Rosa should heal EVERY SINGLE ROUND. Rydia should summon Bahamut or use the Lunar Summons' items. Cid should attack with his Fiery Hammer. Edge should throw the Knife if for whatever reason you still have it, otherwise have him throw your most powerful weapons available and then his Ninja Stars. Palom should cast Flare. Porom should heal nonstop just as Rosa is. Edward should initially use his new command that allows him to cast Shell and Protect on everyone, then attack with Loki's Lute or Apollo's Harp from the back row. That covers basically everyone's strategy. GOOD LUCK!!!!


Your prize for winning is a Hero's Shield which can absorb all elemental spells. Brachioraidos comes back to life each time you leave the Lunar Ruins so you can theoretically fight him enough times for several party members to receive a shield. Do you seriously want to put yourself through the torture of THAT fight again? I sure don't. Once per play-through of the game is enough for me. This dragon is a nightmare!

Alright that just leaves the last optional boss who is lurking on the bottom floor of the Lunar Ruins. That will be my next post and then we will finish up with an analysis on the dozens of party combinations before I ultimately end this thread and move on to the next game.

 

[Dagger Dias]

The final chamber in the Lunar Ruins will resemble the room where you fought Zeromus during the main story. There is a save point and a warp tile if you wish to leave. You'll find a being who resembles Zeromus, he is Zeromus EG who challenges you to a fight.

BOSS BATTLE: Zeromus EG

PARTY: Cecil, 4 others

DIFFICULTY: EASY OR HARD (SEE BELOW)

This is tougher than the original Zeromus battle, depending on how many of the trials you completed. You should have received a Grimoire from the Lunar summon bosses. You can use these in battle (not this one) to inflict thousands of damage to the enemies. In this fight something different happens. Each one will inflict a negative status effect on Zeromus EG. By the time all 9 have been used, the fight will be extremely easy. If you do not use any of them, it is still hard but nothing you cannot handle at this point. Cecil and your fighters should attack while Rosa or Porom heals and Rydia/Palom casts their best spells. It will be over soon. Just do not underestimate him. He can use Flare, Meteor, Big Bang (without shaking to warn you) and inflict negative status such as Pig on you. Come prepared by giving a Ribbon to your healer(s) so she/they can fix any issues that come up.

Your prize for winning? Bragging rights. The thought of satisfaction from having completed the Lunar Ruins (and at this point, likely everything you can possibly do in this version of the game). That ends the walkthrough portion of the GBA version.

Next we'll do some analysis on the various party combinations that are possible in the GBA version. There are dozens, so this thread won't be ending just yet.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #1: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Kain, Edge

This is the canonical final party. It's an extremely balanced and useful party. While it's not THE best possible combination, it works and can easily get the job done. The one and only downside to it is Edge's low defense stat. In the GBA version he gets better ranged weapons during the Lunar Ruins, so there's that.

Recommended Formation
The best way to set this group up is to have Cecil and Kain in the front row while Edge is placed in the back row with Rydia and Rosa. Edge's defense stat becomes a problem during the final palace, so he is honestly better off being placed in the back row if possible.

Overall Thoughts
Very Good.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #2: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Kain, Yang

This is my favorite party combination. It is playable in the main story during the Tower of Bab-il. It's balanced as far as the ratio of fighters to casters is concerned. You also have the two potentially most damaging fighters alongside the two more powerful casters. It's the best party combination in my opinion.

Recommended Formation
Cecil, Kain, and Yang in the front row. Rosa and Rydia in the back row. Kain can fight in the back row using his Jump command but his regular attack would do less damage, keep him in the front in this group.

Over Thoughts
Very Good.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #3: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Kain, Cid

My 2nd favorite party combination, and another excellent choice. The only thing making it worse than Cecil/Rosa/Rydia/Kain/Yang is that Yang is able to potentially do more damage with a fully charged Deadly attack when equipped with his ultimate weapons than Cid's attack with his own ultimate weapon. Cid can equip better armor, so if you prefer having a fighter who can take more damage (Cid) than a fighter who can deal more damage (Yang) to further protect the casters then this is the group for you.

Recommended Formation
Cecil, Kain, and Cid in the front row. Rosa and Rydia in the back row. You have the three characters who can withstand more damage than any other, which creates the best line of defense for the two best casters.

Overall Thoughts
Very Good.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #4: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Kain, Edward

A fairly balanced group. Edward can deal more damage than he is given credit for, but he should never be in the front row. It can work well for those who wish to use it, but there are better groups available.

Recommended Formation
Cecil and Kain in the front row. Rosa, Edward, and Rydia in the back row. Keep Edward in the back row with the casters. He's in even more danger than they are if he's in the front row.

Overall Thoughts
Good.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #5: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Kain, Palom

This is a more caster-oriented group. I personally prefer the balanced groups or having more fighters than casters. That being said, this group has a ton of damage potential with Rosa in there to heal when needed and even she can join in on the offensive fun with Holy.

Recommended Formation
Cecil and Kain in the front row. Rosa, Palom, and Rydia in the back row. That is the ONLY way that this group can work. Casters should never be in the front row. Ever.

Overall Thoughts
Good.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #6: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Kain, Porom

Another caster-oriented group. It is very similar to Cecil/Rosa/Rydia/Kain/Palom only it has two restorative casters rather than two offensive casters. You'll pretty much never have to worry about healing as you have both of the characters with access to Full-Life and Curaga.

Recommended Formation
Cecil and Kain in the front row. Rosa, Porom, and Rydia in the back row. Groups like this one can work but only if the casters are in the back row, never put them in the front row.

Overall Thoughts
Good.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #7: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Edge, Yang

This is a fun team lineup and it offers a couple of more options as far as the formation, but it is not as recommended. Yang cannot take as much damage as Kain, but he is more than capable of dealing just as much damage. Edge has his low defense stat to consider. Rosa and Rydia are still protected in this group within the right formation. It's a group worth trying if you can get past the absence of the two best defenders (Cid and Kain) that you might have fun playing as.

Recommended Formation
Cecil and Yang in the front row. Rosa, Edge and Rydia in the back row. Your three fighters can provide a good line of defense for the casters, but Edge is better off in the back row when possible. Cecil and Yang have to be in the front row and since Yang cannot take as much damage as Cid or Kain, your line of defense is smaller.

Overall Thoughts
Good.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #8: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Edge, Cid

This is an ok group. It offers some more options for the formation like Cecil/Rosa/Rydia/Edge/Yang did, and with Cid's better armor the front row will be able to withstand more damage even though they cannot inflict as much due to the absence of both Kain and Yang. There are better groups out there but it's another one worth trying out.

Recommended Formation
Cecil and Cid in the front row. Rosa, Edge, and Rydia in the back row. Cecil and Cid should be able to handle the front row fighting by themselves, that way Edge can be in the back with the casters.

Overall Thoughts
Good.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #9: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Edge, Edward

This group is not recommended. You have too many characters with a low defense. Edge and Cecil cannot handle being on the front line alone and you certainly don't want Edward or the casters up there. It would be a challenge to play as this team

Recommended Formation
Cecil and Edge in the front row. Rosa, Edward, and Rydia in the back row. Edge has no choice but to be in the front row in this group, his low defense stat will be a problem but he can take more damage than Edward and far more than Rosa or Rydia.

Overall Thoughts
Bad.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #10: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Edge, Palom

Both of the offensive casters are in the party, so the damage potential is above average. The downside is that the casters need more protection than this group can offer. Not one I'd recommend.

Recommended Formation
Cecil and Edge in the front row. Rosa, Palom, and Rydia in the back row. That is the only way this group can effectively be set up and still stand a chance.

Overall Thoughts
Bad.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #11: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Edge, Porom

This group comes up short in terms of defense but that is made up for by having both of the restorative casters. Rosa and Porom will be working non-stop to keep the rest of the team at a healthy status. It will be a challenge, but this group may be worth a try for those who prefer casters to fighters.

Recommended Formation
Cecil and Edge in the front row. Rosa, Porom, and Rydia in the back row. You have no chance otherwise.

Overall Thoughts
Average.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Party combination #12: Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Yang, Cid

This is a cool party combination. It does not have Kain, but Yang and Cid are the two next best fighters. The group provides good protection for the two casters and has rather great damage potential. Groups with Kain are recommended over this one, but it's a good alternative that can get the job done.

Recommended Formation
Cecil, Yang, and Cid in the front row. Rosa and Rydia in the back row. There's no reason to put either Yang or Cid in the back.

Overall Thoughts
Very Good.