Final Fantasy 6 Walkthrough with Dagger

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Inferno, Striker, Rough

This guy is a lot like Number 128 from the Magitek Facility but with more dangerous abilities. The arms can be revived if defeated. Inferno is weak against thunder so casting Thundaga will be your best strategy. Having two casters in this party is not a bad idea so one can cast Thundaga and the other can heal since Inferno can use some strong attacks such as Atomic Ray, Shrapnel, Meteor, or even using its own weakness Thundaga on you. I had Strago healing with Pearl Wind while Relm cast Thundaga. Setzer attacked with his Fixed Dice, Mog jumped while equipped with the Dragoon Boots and Dragon Horn. If Inferno is left alone he might cast a barrier on himself, just like the one the Crane monsters in Vector used. The barrier gives the boss Reflect status and increases his physical attack resistance. If all three are on the battlefield the boss might use a Delta attack that turns a party member to stone. He's not too bad though, easier than Atma was. You get nothing for winning.



HARD MODE:

This is a bit tougher due to Setzer being alone here. Make sure that all three parts are NOT together since they might use a Delta attack to turn you to stone. You can rely on the Quick spell to allow you to get two consecutive Thundagas onto the boss, or attack away with the Fixed Dice and Dice. The Offering and Genji Glove gets you 8 rolls, this is likely what Setzer in-character would want you to do anyway. ​

 

[Dagger Dias]

KEFKA'S TOWER - PARTY C - CONTINUED
My Party: Mog, Setzer, Relm, Strago

Follow the past where Inferno was. A chest to your right has a Megalixir! Save this for an emergency, such as during the final boss battle. There's a chest with a red star on it. Inspect that to open up a blocked path that one of the other parties (Edgar's) would not have been able to proceed past otherwise. Take the conveyor belt north to a chest with Relm's Rainbow Brush! If she had the Gradeus Knife you can now give that to Strago or Gogo. Ride the conveyor belt further north and go back to the chest with the red star, enter the door next to that. Inside that room you will find a red stairway leading up to.... another dragon! Boss time!



KEFKA'S TOWER - PARTY C - CONTINUED (HARD)
My Party: Setzer

The Megalixir that you find should be saved for the final boss battle. You won't need the Rainbow Brush. Inspect the chest that has the red star, and proceed just as the Normal strategy says. You do not have to fight the Skull Dragon unless you wish to do so.

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Skull Dragon

If you have been following the walkthrough then this is the final legendary dragon. The Skull Dragon will use a number of different negative status effects in its Disaster attack. You might recognize that from the Brachiosaur battles earlier. So you will want to have characters equipped with a Ribbon, the Memento Ring if Shadow/Relm are with you, or the Safety Bit. I gave Relm the Memento Ring, and Strago the Safety Bit. You can cast Firaga or Holy to exploit elemental weaknesses on the dragon or you can cast Rasp and Osmose to deplete its MP. You may want to practice using MP depletion as there is an optional boss in the new content who you MUST defeat this way, just to point that out. Rasp is really effective. I ended the battle after casting Rasp a few times.



HARD MODE:

This is tricky. You have no relics to prevent Instant Death so it is a race against time. You can either hope you roll high enough with the Fixed Dice and Dice to one shot the boss, or you deplete his MP. Cast Quick, then Rasp twice. Hurry and cast Rasp a third time. This defeated him for me.


Your prize for winning is a Muscle Belt. That relic could be good for someone who needs an HP boost. Also, if this was the last dragon then you will have unlocked the Crusader esper. Keep following the path for a bit and you will be stuck. Time to switch back to Edgar's party.​

 

[Dagger Dias]

ESPER SPOTLIGHT: CRUSADER

Summon: Cleansing / Purifier (96 MP)
Does tons of non-elemental magical damage to everyone INCLUDING YOU!

Spells Taught:
Meteor x10
Merton x1

Level up bonus while equipped: MP + 50%

Our last Esper spotlight for the main quest! One more remains but more on him later. Crusader teaches Meteor much faster than Odin does, it is also the only esper that can teach Merton. I was never a big fan of Merton. It damages everything on the battlefield, including your characters. If you equip everyone with Flame Shields then Merton can heal you, but if you needed healing then you're better off casting Curaga. Crusader's good for learning Meteor faster but that's it really unless you're a completionist. Strago and other casters may benefit from the MP boost upon levelling, so keep that in mind. Under no circumstance, however, should you EVER summon Crusader. It damages everything on the battlefield INCLUDING YOUR WHOLE PARTY for tons of damage. It's not worth it as an attack.

As has been stated many times in the walkthrough, Crusader is NOT available in the Hard Mode challenge.

​

 

[Dagger Dias]

KEFKA'S TOWER - PARTY A - CONTINUED
My Party: Edgar, Terra, Sabin, Locke

Finally back to Edgar's party again. Leave the room and follow the path. More areas that resemble the Magitek Facility follow. Keep going through the path and you will find the path that the chest with the red star opened up, unless you never hit that switch then you'll have to go back to Setzer's party and go inspect the switch. Move forward. There's a chest to your left with a Tack Star for Shadow to Throw. The next door takes you to the path where the other two parties are stuck. Go through the middle door once each of the other two parties has stepped on a switch on their side.

Alright this next part is important if you want to get Strago's final Lore. (If you have followed this guide you're only missing one at this point). Edgar's party should be in a room with three switches in it now. Strago should be in the party that is on the right side of the previous room if you followed my suggestions. Whichever party Strago is in, needs to end up on the left portion of this hall. If necessary you may need to backtrack to the start of the tower, hop on the airship, and re-group to where Strago is in the third party so you can follow this next step exactly. If you want that Lore then Strago MUST fight the boss on the left side of the hall, that is the only monster who uses that Lore.

Have Edgar's party proceed to the right side. A barrier shows up preventing you from going back to the other two switches. Go south to see an anvil you can push down onto the switch where Setzer's party is. Move both Celes' and Setzer's parties out of the way because you will see the platform on the left has an avil too. Have Edgar's party push the anvil down onto the switch on the right. This causes a barrier to come up on the left side of the center platform but not on the right, so Setzer's party can go inside. Switch over to them. Note that when you push the anvil it makes your party's frontman do their "angry" sprite. If you do not move and change the formation, you can view everyone in that party's "angry" sprite. Those "angry" sprites contain some of the game's best sprites, Celes in particular has arguably the coolest looking sprite in the game for her "angry" one.


NO SMASHING ALLIES!

No, the game will not let you push the anvils down onto your other parties. So no trying to be mean. The game stops you by showing a generic "Hey, watch out!" message intended to be the party pushing the anvil calling out to the party on the lower floor.



KEFKA'S TOWER - PARTY A - CONTINUED (HARD)
My Party: Edgar

This part doesn't change much other than it not mattering which party faces which statue. It only mattered in the Normal strategy due to a Lore for Strago. See the Normal strategy on what to do here.

 

[Dagger Dias]

KEFKA'S TOWER - PARTY C - CONTINUED
My Party: Mog, Setzer, Strago, Relm

Switch over to Setzer's party (which should have Strago if you followed my suggestions) and have them go inside the door on the central walkway. Have them go LEFT. This is important. The puzzle sticks them on the path to the wrong boss otherwise. Head south through the doorway and you will see the other anvil, above Celes' party. Push the anvil down onto the switch, now Celes' party can go inside through the central path. Switch over to them, they are about to enter a boss battle.


KEFKA'S TOWER - PARTY C - CONTINUED (HARD)
My Party: Setzer

I went ahead and had Setzer going left to the path leading to the Doom statue. This makes it to where Celes will face the Poltergeist statue and Edgar will face the Goddess statue. Celes will face the Guardian next, so switch over to her.

 

[Dagger Dias]

KEFKA'S TOWER - PARTY B - CONTINUED
My Party: Celes, Cyan, Shadow, Gau

Move inside through the large doorway. See the three switches? Have each of the three parties standing on one. The two groups that pushed anvils just need to go straight back the way they came and stand on the switch on their side of the room. This changes the room a little. Celes' party can now go south through another doorway higher up, which has a switch. Step on it. This makes doors appear on both of the platforms where the anvils were. These doors lead to a boss battle each of the other two parties will endure. You're not done with this party yet though. You have one more standard boss, then all three teams will each battle a statue from the warring triad. Move Celes' party north. You will bump into an old rival. The Guardian! He's not invincible anymore, luckily for you. Time to get revenge for the times in Vector and Thamasa when you could not win! He's the last "regular" boss battle in the main story, and that's actually quite fitting given he was unbeatable before and is now your final obstacle before the warring triad and Kefka.


KEFKA'S TOWER - PARTY B - CONTINUED (HARD)
My Party: Celes

Strategy here remains unchanged. Go fight the Guardian!

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Guardian

This is the last time you'll hear the regular boss music in the main part of the game. The remaining three bosses, disregarding an optional one this walkthrough has held off on until later, are the statues which all have the battle music Atma Weapon did, and Kefka of course. Anyway, this can be a dangerous battle. The Guardian has battle programs that make it act like a few old bosses from the first world such a Ultros, Air Force, Dadaluma, or even Atma Weapon. Under the Ultros program he can use a tentacle attack on everyone. It is ten times as strong as Ultros' version of it. He can use Ink under this program too. If he switches to Dadaluma's program he can throw knives at a party member which may defeat them in one shot, and he might use a number of potions on himself. Under Air Force's program he can use Diffuser and the dangerous Wave Cannon. Atma Weapon's program is the most dangerous of all. He can cast a powerful Flare spell on one character or Flare Star on everyone.

So how to best go about this? Being mechanical, the Guardian's weakness is lightning. You could have your caster(s) using Thundaga although if you need healing then they should focus on restoring Health Points with Cura or Curaga. I had Celes healing while Cyan did Quadra Slice, Shadow was Throwing Ninja Stars, and Gau was under the Stray Cat Rage. So have your main caster be healing, any secondary casters use Thundaga or help heal, and your fighters should use their best abilities available or simply attack. Victory will soon be yours.



HARD MODE:

Thundaga is your key to success. It took Celes casting 7 of them, but it led to a victory.



After you win a save point will appear, so you might want to save now. Each party will face one of the statues from the warring triad now. Let's battle Doom first. Switch over to Setzer's party.
​

 

[Dagger Dias]

KEFKA'S TOWER - DOOM STATUE
My Party: Mog, Setzer, Relm, Strago

Go through the door that appeared on the platform where the anvil was and follow the path north. You will see one of the warring triad statues, that is Doom. Do NOT approach Doom unless you are ready for battle. Strago should have the Economizer so his Lores will not be as expensive. Mog should have the Dragoon Boots and Dragon Horn. Relm needs to be at full MP. Setzer should have his Fixed Dice equipped. Ready?


KEFKA'S TOWER - DOOM STATUE (HARD)
My Party: Setzer

Unless for some reason you changed his equipment, Setzer doesn't need further preparation. Fixed Dice, another Dice, Offering, and Genji Glove here. Make sure he's at full health too.

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Doom


Begin by casting Mighty Guard once it is Strago's turn. The boss can use N Cross to try to freeze party members Make sure your caster(s) can unfreeze them with a Fire spell. He'll primarily rely on ice attacks at first including Blizzaga and Absolute Zero. His weakness is Holy so have your casters cast Holy/Pearl. You will need to do around 30,000 points of damage to Doom before he begins casting Force Field. He will flash at this point and a message says his aura is shaking. Once he has used Force Field, begin trying to end the battle. He is harder to hit now and has reflect status. Mog Jumped with the Dragoon Boots and Dragon Horn. Setzer attacked with his Fixed Dice. Strago healed with Pearl Wind and Relm cast Ultima to bypass the reflect barrier. If Doom uses Reverse Polarity you will need to have everyone spend a turn adjusting their Row in battle unless you want melee attacks to do less damage from the rear row and weaker characters to take more damage in the front row.



HARD MODE:

Just keep attacking with your dice. Unlike the Normal strategy, you're not looking for a Lore exclusive to this boss so do not waste any time. If you get weak, cast Cura, then go back to attacking. For an easier time use Quick. This way you could heal as needed and then attack on your extra turn. Or attack on both! You have no use for the Sky Render Katana that you get for winning since you don't have Cyan. Oh well. Setzer's done! Switch to Edgar.



After the battle you win the Sky Render Katana, Cyan's ultimate weapon in the main story. You also find a save point. Save there, then proceed north to find a switch. Step on it. This party is all done now.
​

 

[Dagger Dias]

KEFKA'S PARTY - GODDESS STATUE
My Party: Edgar, Terra, Sabin, Locke

Proceed through the door that appeared where the anvil was, and go north. Follow the path and you're gonna find the Goddess statue. Just as with Doom, do NOT approach her unless you are ready for battle. Edgar needs the Dragoon Boots and Dragon Horn. Sabin should have a Black Belt Relic so he can counterattack. Terra should have the Economizer Relic. I gave Locke the Genji Glove and Offering while equipped with the Atma Weapon and Valiant Knife.


KEFKA'S PARTY - GODDESS STATUE (HARD)
My Party: Edgar

Make certain that Edgar has the Dragoon Boots and Dragon Horn equipped. You don't want Edgar to have anything that is Holy elemental. So give him the Falchion. Also make sure he is at maximum health before starting the fight. Ready?

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Goddess Statue

This is really tough! With the exception of (in my opinion) Wrexsoul, this is potentially the hardest boss battle you will encounter in the main portion of the game. The key to winning is defeating the Goddess Statue as quickly as possible. She has an ability that can make one of your characters take damage for her. This move is what she counters a regular attack with so try to steer clear of the Fight command unless you have someone equipped with the Offering and Genji Glove. She can charm your characters to hypnotize them and make them fall asleep. She'll cast poweful spells like Thundaga, Flash Rain, and Quasar. If you attack her 8 times she uses a highly dangerous ability that makes it to where anyone who loses all their Health Points will instantly become a zombie, and to make matters worse she inflicts a Doom Countdown on multiple characters at this time, so finish her off immediately if she casts this spell! This is where Edgar having the Dragoon Boots and Dragon Horn equipped comes in handy. The same goes with Locke if you followed my Atma Weapon and Valiant Knife strategy. He'll do excellent damage no matter what his health is, and might even take her down in one round if you're powerful enough. Sabin should use Bum Rush. Terra must heal every round at all costs. The Goddess Statue has higher magic resistance so it may be better to rely on the fighters' abilities unless you know Ultima. Last but not least, she absorbs Holy elementals, so if Edgar's going to Jump then make sure he doesn't have the Pearl Lance. If you had a party different than mine, you can still use a similar strategy. Rely on special abilities of the fighters and have your caster(s) healing non-stop.



HARD MODE:

Fighting this boss with only one character is extremely dangerous and tough so make your primary strategy to JUMP! You will evade some of the Goddess Statue's spells this way. Dragon Horn of course makes you hit more than once. I defeated her in two turns thanks to this. Give Celes the Excalibur Sword that you win, and switch back to her for the third statue.


Your prize for winning this battle is the Excalibur. Give it to Celes along with the Paladin Shield, which is a winning combination. Terra, Locke, and Edgar can also equip the sword so give it to whoever you prefer. Terra has Morph, Locke has the Valiant Knife, and Edgar can Jump with his Spears so Celes benefits from the sword the most. Proceed north and step on the switch. This party is all done! Switch back to Celes' party.
​

 

[Dagger Dias]

KEFKA'S TOWER - POLTERGEIST STATUE
My Party: Celes, Cyan, Shadow, Gau

Unlike the other two statues that were each in a chamber, the Poltergeist is fought outdoors. Follow the path beyond where the Guardian was and you will find the statue. Do NOT approach it unless you are ready. I gave Celes the Economizer Relic. Cyan and Shadow both had Black Belt relics.


KEFKA'S TOWER - POLTERGEIST STATUE (HARD)
My Party: Celes

Celes needs the Economizer and Relic, which she should still have if you were following along. Heal her to maximum health if needed. Give her the Excalibur Sword too. Approach the statue once you are ready to enter battle.

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Poltergeist


The Poltergeist is weak against poison so your caster(s) will want to be casting Bio if they do not know more advanced spells like Flare or Ultima yet. Your fighters melee abilities should work fine though if you'd rather rely on them while the caster heals. He'll use strong attacks like Shrapnel. When he has taken around 26,000 damage he begins using more skills including Flare Star, Meteo, S Cross, and Wave Cannon. It's more about keeping everyone alive and surviving at this point. He's the easiest of the three statues.


HARD MODE:

Bio may be his weakness, but Flare will be what does the most damage. Heal when needed with Cura and watch out for Blaster! The Minerva Buster should protect you from any of the elemental attacks he does. Keep casting Flare and it will be over soon. Give Edgar the Aura Lance you get from winning this battle.


Your prize for winning is the Aura Lance! Give it to either Edgar or Mog. I prefer giving it to Edgar. Beyond where the Poltergeist was is a door leading to the final switch that takes you to Kefka. If you have any reason to turn around NOW is the chance to cast Warp and get out of here! We have a couple of things that can still be taken care of before the final boss, so let's go!
​

 

[Dagger Dias]

FANATICS TOWER
My Party: Celes, Terra, Relm, Umaro

If you wish to avoid the random encounters, bring Mog and equip him with the Moogle Charm. If you want the true challenge of this tower, then do not bring Mog. Have the entire spellbook learned for an easier time. Cura, Curaga, Life 2, Life 3, Esuna, Ultima, Osmose, and Rasp are all HIGHLY recommended. The further up you climb, the more dangerous levels of enemy magicians you will encounter. There are 9 different enemy magician types you can encounter. For the most part, they increase in level of threat as the numbers in their names increase when listed out. For the easiest time bring the three girls and Umaro. The girls have the highest magic base stat and Umaro can still attack as a Berserker within the tower. For the most difficult time bring Cyan, Sabin, Edgar, and Locke. They have the four lowest magic base stats. I'll discuss the types of magician enemies in the tower in a moment. After you get to the top, you'll fight the Mage Master, a notoriously difficult optional boss who can potentially obliterate your party if you're not prepared. I had the entire spellbook learned for all three of the girls before I tried this sidequest.

Once you get to the top floor there is a little room on the top of the tower. Go inside and open the chest to get a Gem Box. Give that to whoever your active party's most skilled caster is. They can now cast Magic twice in a row! Pair this relic up with the Economizer to make your primary caster do two spells in a row for 2 MP! Terra is a great option, so are Celes and Relm. Going down the list after that I would prioritize it as Strago, Mog, Setzer, Shadow, Gau, Locke, Edgar, Sabin, Cyan, Gogo, Umaro (he can't cast anyway). Make sure you opened the chest. Be careful, the boss fight is triggered to start if you as much as stand in front of the chest even if you do not open it. Un-Equip your Reflect Rings now because you will want to be able to heal your party during the boss battle.


HARD MODE NOTE:

Strago is here. You don't get to do this event because the party will see Strago, whether he can be re-recruited or not. Sorry. You can still do this challenge here technically, but not on a run where you are legitimately following the Hard Mode Challenge. Load up a normal run in the game and then simply do the tower with Edgar/Celes/Setzer as the only 3 in the active party without using ANY of the following spells: Curaga (Cure 3), Life 2, Life 3, Holy, Quartr (Graviga), X-Zone, Ultima, Quake, W Wind (Tornado), Merton, Flood, Gravija, or Valor.

 

[Dagger Dias]

ENEMY SPOTLIGHT: FANATICS TOWER MAGICIANS​

These guys get their own spotlight. I'll provide a little info on each....


Level 10 Magic

Uses basic Fire, Ice, and Thunder spells. They counter with Hase, Slow, or Stop. Use Fira to get rid of them quickly.

Level 20 Magic

These guys have a reflect barrier so use spells that ignore reflect such as Ultima, or have a reflect barrier of your own and bounce off Firaga or Flare to hit them. They can cast Rasp which damages your MP and they also know X-Zone. Yeah, this is the 2nd weakest type. It only gets worse.

Level 30 Magic

They like to cast Fira, Blizzara, and Thundara. They might use Reflect, Osmose, or Imp as counterattacks. Use Bio to exploit their elemental weakness.

Level 40 Magic

They like to inflict status such as Silence or Sleep. Use Thundara on them to exploit their elemental weakness.

Level 50 Magic

It might cast Death on you if it doesn't use Dispel or Esuna. A bit odd, but they are undead and may end up healing themselves by casting Death on a character who has reflect so that Death will hit the Level 50 Magic to heal it due to being undead.

Level 60 Magic

Now is where it really starts getting hard. These can cast Quake, Holy, and W Wind. They counterattack with Osmose or Slowga. Cast Firaga immediately on them to eliminate them from battle as quickly as you can.

Level 70 Magic

They like to cast Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga. They counterattack with Rasp and Sleep. To make matters worse they have a reflect barrier so you'll want to use spells that ignore reflect or try casting Blizzaga on one of your own characters with reflect status to bounce it off onto the Level 70 Magic. In the GBA and PC versions you can cast Flood which will ignore the reflect barrier. On the SNES version you won't have that as an option.

Level 80 Magic

These are really smart. They know to use reflect barriers to their advantage to heal their allies by casting Cura or Curaga on you if you have reflect status. If one of their allies has a reflect barrier then the Level 80 Magic might bounce Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, or even Holy off of the other enemy to hit you. Use Bio to exploit their weakness.

Level 90 Magic

As expected, these are the worst of all. They love to cast Meteor, Flare, and Merton. Occassionally they'll use Dispel, but then go back to Meteor/Flare/Merton. They counterattack with Thundaga or Reraise and they have a reflect barrier. Cast Ultima if you see one of these guys and get rid of them as quickly as you can. When they team up with a Level 60 Magic or Level 80 Magic, they are noteably even more dangerous. A team of Level 60 Magic and Level 90 Magic is the worst encounter you can find in the tower and could take out an entire party in one round potentially.

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Magi Master

You better be prepared, or else this guy will completely destroy you. Cast Life 3 on everyone once the battle begins. Now your next problem is the barrier the boss keeps changing, to alter his elemental weakness each time he is attacked. You can ignore this by casting Ultima, or you can render him unable to change his weaknesses. Cast Berserk on him. No more barrier changing for you! Now you can unload several Ultima's in a row. Watch out, as this boss has a lethal trick up his sleeve, that he is notoriously known for and feared for. If he has died, his final action is to cast Ultima on YOU! It will do thousands of points of damage to your party, so if you had cast Life 3 on at least one person, you'll survive because they will automatically be brought back to life if the Ultima attack defeats you.

Want an even more ingenious method? This may be more beneficial for some. It takes forever, but it ensures that you will win this battle without Life 3. The only two spells you will need are Berserk and Rasp, you won't need a single offensive spell. What you want to do is begin the battle the same by first berserking the boss. Then cast Rasp. Keep casting Rasp until you have depleted his entire Magic Point count. He has 50,000 MP so it will take a while, but if his MP is zero then he cannot cast Ultima when he dies! When he runs out of MP he automatically dies, tries to cast Ultima but is unable to, and just dies. It takes a really long time but is worth it if you do not have Life 3. Had this boss been available in Hard Mode then this strategy would be your only shot of survival, as Life 3 isn't an option.

Now for the fun part.... you get to climb back down again! Put those Reflect Rings back on and make sure someone has your new Gem Box equipped. It's going to be a long climb down.... At least the fights get increasingly easier on the way this time.
​

 

[Dagger Dias]

RETAINER RAGE & SNOW MUFFLERS (OPTIONAL)
My Party: Celes, Terra, Relm, Gau

If you wanted a chance to have Gau (or Gogo) use Leo's Shock ability then if you encountered a Retainer enemy then go to the Veldt with Gau. You'll want to fight around until you find one so Gau can Leap it and get its Rage. While you're there, look for some Behemoth Kings so you can get 4 Behemoth Suits. Strago and Relm will equip one each while you need a third to obtain Mog's ultimate armor the Snow Muffler. If you are up for it, grab a 4th one. Gau can equip the Snow Muffler too.



HARD MODE NOTE:

Pointless in this challenge since no one can equip the Snow Muffler or use the Retainer Rage.



IMP EQUIPMENT (OPTIONAL)
My Party: Edgar, Terra, Celes, Locke

The Impartisan, Tortoise Shield, Saucer, and Reed Cloak are a set of equipment that are best utilized by someone inflicted with the Imp status. In the original SNES version, they were called the Imp Halberd, Tortoise Shield, Titanium, and Imp Armor. You can win the Imp Halberd from Tyrannosaurs, but you will need Locke to Steal to get the rest. Steal Reed Cloaks from Tyrannosaurs which can then be bet at the Coliseum for a Tortoise Shield. You can then either bet a Tortoise Shield at the Coliseum for a Saucer or steal it from a Tumbleweed.

Equip someone while an Imp with the full set of Imp equipment to make them a great fighter.... at the cost of not being able to cast any spells (except Imp) and not being able to use any Special abilities such as Blitz or Tools. You can Jump, and the Imp Halberd is a Spear.... The equipment sucks when used by someone in their normal human form though.

Most characters are better off using their special abilities. Cyan is probably the best for this, as I would much rather have an Imp fighter than have to wait for SwdTech to charge up. The rest should be casting or use their special abilities. Relm, if you taught her no magic, is another good candidate for an Imp fighter.



HARD MODE NOTE:

Pointless in this challenge since you cannot get the defensive equipment without Locke, only the Imp Halberd.

 

[Dagger Dias]

FINAL CHECK BEFORE THE LAST BOSS!

Make your way back through Kefka's Tower up to the save point beyond where the Poltergeist Statue was. This is the final list of how I had the characters set up before the final boss in the main game. It is similar to the list at the start of the tower, but here we go:



LOCKE
Atma Weapon
Valiant Knife
Dark Hood
Crystal Mail
Genji Glove
Offering

TERRA
Scimitar
Genji Shield
Oath Veil
Genji Armor
Earrings
Earrings
**** All spells

EDGAR
Aura Lance
Crystal Shield
Crystal Helm
Crystal Mail
Dragoon Boots
Dragon Horn
**** All Tools

SABIN
Tiger Fangs
Dragon Claw
Regal Crown
Red Jacket
Black Belt
Genji Glove
**** All Blitzes

CELES
Excalibur
Paladin Shield
Oath Veil
Minerva
Economizer
Gem Box
**** All spells

CYAN
Sky Render
Crystal Shield
Diamond Helm
Crystal Mail
Black Belt
True Knight
**** All SwdTech

SHADOW
Stunner Knife
Mithril Shield
Dark Hood
Dark Gear
Black Belt
Memento Ring

GAU
Unarmed
Mithril Shield
Dark Hood
Snow Muffler
Cure Ring
Sprint Shoes
**** Stray Cat Rage and all initial Rages

SETZER
Fixed Cide
Crystal Shield
Genji Helmet
Crystal Mail
Sprint Shoes
Coin Toss

MOG
Partisan Spear
Aegis Shield
Dark Hood
Snow Muffler
Dragoon Boots
Moogle Charm
**** All Dances

STRAGO
Gradeus Knife
Mithril Shield
Circlet Helmet
Behemoth Suit
Gold Hairpin
Sprint Shoes
**** All Lores

RELM
Magus Rod
Mithril Shield
Oath Veil
Behemoth Suit
Fake Mustache
Ribbon
**** All spells


Granted these aren't PERFECT final character listings, but you have a good shot at survival in the final battle now. So in the final battle you will pick an order for the 3 to 12 characters you brought. The first 4 will begin the first battle and if someone is unconscious when a stage of the final battle ends, they will be replaced in the active party by the next person in the list. Odds are you will lose at least one person. Put your characters with top priority first and then go down the list from there, to the bottom being the lowest priority. You likely will not use anyone from 8 to 12 at all in the final battle.



FINAL CHECKLIST (HARD MODE)

Same idea, but only 3 people.



EDGAR
Aura Lance
Crystal Shield
Crystal Helm
Red Jacket
Dragon Horn
Dragoon Boots

CELES
Excalibur
Crystal Shield
Oath Veil
Minerva
Ribbon
Economizer

SETZER
Fixed Dice
Dice
Genji Helmet
Genji Armor
Genjo Glove
Offering


You only get the 3 of them so picking an order really does not matter. What DOES matter a whole lot though is making sure everyone survives all the way to the final stage of the battle. You're going to lose one person to the instant death counter that one part of the third tier has, so you only have 2 people in the last battle. Even worse, if the third tier's Rest monster uses it twice then you only have 1 character to face Kefka all by himself/herself! It has happened to me before. This was why it was so important to teach all 3 of them every spell you had available.

 

[Dagger Dias]

PARTY DIALOGUE - FINAL CONFRONTATION

The party will confront Kefka at the final chamber of the tower. A talking scene plays out and each playable character shouts out a line about what hope they have for the future. Gogo and Umaro do not speak here, so in order for the full scene to play out you need to leave Gogo and Umaro on the airship while bringing everyone else. You must leave 2 people behind if you have all 14 anyway. So here are the lines, without spoiling the rest of the scene.

TERRA: I know what love is....!

LOCKE: And I have learned to celebrate life.... and the living.

CYAN: My family lives on inside of me.

SHADOW: I know what friendship is.... and family....

EDGAR: It is my dream to build a kingdom in which I can guarantee freedom, and dignity.

SABIN: I have come to experience anew the love of my brother!

CELES: I've met someone who can accept me for what I am.

STRAGO: I have a special little Granddaughter!

RELM: And I have a brave Grandpa who'll stand by me through it all.

SETZER: My friend's airship.... and her love!

MOG: I have my friends here!

GAU: You my friends! Me uwaooo all of you!

Kefka then gets angry, another scene plays out, and the final battle begins.



HARD MODE NOTE:

Here Terra will show up. Even if you went out of your way to never enter Mobliz in the second world. She will not participate in the final battle if you never re-recruited her. She just randomly Morphs and flies into the tower right before the final battle starts.

 

[Dagger Dias]

WHO GOES TO THE FINAL BATTLE?

So, the game makes you pick an order from first to last (3 being the lowest and 12 being the highest, depending on the size of the party you brought to the tower) a priority order on who fights the final battle. 1 through 4 start the battle then if someone is unconscious when a stage of the final battle ends, they get replaced with whoever is next on the priority list. Say you had Edgar/Terra/Celes/Locke as your first group of four and Celes is unconscious when stage one ends. Say your 5th priority in the list was Relm. Your party for stage two would then be Edgar/Terra/Locke/Relm. This repeats for the transition to stage 3, and then once more for the final stage which is Kefka himself. Naturally you will want your four best to start. Unless you want a challenge, then by all means throw out your four weakest first. So as the heading of this section says, who goes? Well, that depends. Are you playing through normally or are you playing a challenge? Did you teach everyone every spell? Let's look at each character here and I will show my list, from a file where I only taught magic to those who canonically should know how (Terra/Celes/Relm/Strago).

#1 - EDGAR
No final battle strategy for any RPG is complete without a primary fighter. Edgar starts out the battle for me as my top pick for the fighters. He is equipped with Dragoon Boots, Dragon Horn, the Aura Lance, and excellent defensive gear. Your best fighter archetype when you look at equipment proficiency and offense/defense/Health stats together. He likely won't even need any spells as he'll be too busy Jumping, but if you must stop to have him help with healing or reviving, it couldn't hurt if you taught him those spells. I had him Jump the whole fight.

#2 - TERRA
All spells learned, great equipment, and the Morph command. Terra definitely needs to start the battle. Morph when combined with the Quick Spell and the Economizer makes Terra very dangerous for the final bosses.

#3 - CELES
Same as Terra but without the Morph command. Celes should be your primary healer and also needs to start the battle. I had her learn the full spellbook as well.

#4 - LOCKE
Locke is my "true" #1, I placed him at the 4th slot so that Edgar/Terra/Celes will get attacked more frequently due to their better defensive gear. He's here for the Offering + Genji Glove setup. He has an Atma Weapon equipped and will be stealing from both of the bosses of the third tier. If Locke makes it through the full fight up to Kefka with two Atma Weapons, Kefka has reasons to be afraid. You'll want Locke starting or as one of your first backups to ensure he has a chance to Steal the 2nd Atma Weapon and a Ragnarok Sword. He's better off fighting instead of casting in the first two tiers and against Kefka. In tier 3 he's crucial.

#5 - RELM
I had her learn the full spellbook too and she has that great magic stat. So, she was my backup in case I lost either of the two better casters. Make sure you taught her magic though. Had she been relying fully on Control or Sketch, she'd be in the bottom 3 in this listing.

#6 - STRAGO
The Lores will come in handy. Mighty Guard and Grand Train are all Strago needs in the final battle if he gets to participate. Great backup caster even if he is my least favorite character.

#7 - SHADOW
Got enough Ninja Stars to spare? Good, because that's what Shadow brings to the table if you brought him. Good all around backup for fighters or for casting if you taught him magic.

#8 - SABIN
Most would probably rank him higher, but I'd rather use things other than Blitz. Edgar's Jumping and Locke with two Atma Weapons are better than Bum Rush. Not that Sabin's a bad choice to bring, he's not. Make him a backup fighter, NOT a backup caster.

#9 - MOG
Edgar's the better Dragoon and Dance sucks for the final battle. Odds are you're not going to get this far down the list anyway though. Good backup for either a fighter or a caster if you taught him spells, it's just that you have better options on both sides.

#10 - SETZER
Fixed Dice and Dice are unpredictable, but good. I'd rather rely on the other fighters. Whether you taught him some spells or not, he is in a similar situation to Mog in his usefulness in the final battle. There's better options across the board for both fighting and casting. GP Rain is outclassed for area of effect skills by your casters using Ultima, even if you had the Gil/GP to spare.

#11 - CYAN
Another potential pick for a backup fighter. SwdTech is a pain to charge up to get that Quadra Slice ability at the 7th point of the bar. There's better fighters than him and he's a HORRIBLE caster so that's why he got ranked low on the priority listing.

#12 - GAU
The last thing I want to rely on in the final battle is Rage. Gau's also outclassed in casting by the girls as well as by half the guys, so why put him anywhere but last? By this point in the game Stray Cat's Rage is outclassed by your fighters. Sorry Gau, you're sitting this one out.

WHAT ABOUT UMARO AND GOGO?
Glad you asked. Had you brought them, they would be as follows.... Umaro above Setzer.... Gogo above Strago (potentially). Umaro's constant attacking makes him good for a backup fighter in this fight, the downside of course being you cannot make him use items or do stuff other than being berserked. Gogo depends on how you set him/her up. If he/she has Blitz, Magic, and Lore, then Gogo is potentially your best backup character. Gogo can also be a second chance at Stealing the 2nd Atma Weapon and the Ragnarok Sword from the bosses in tier 3 if you lost Locke earlier on in the fight. You may even want to have Gogo start the fight as one of your first four! That is up to you.



HARD MODE NOTE:

You only have Edgar, Celes, and Setzer. Ranking them serves no purpose. All three will participate and you will NEED all three.

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: FIRST TIER (Long Arm, Short Arm, Visage)

Long Arm is the one on your left. It will use Shockwave primarily. Short Arm is on your right and the weakest target in this tier, it mainly just attacks. Visage is the target that looks like the monster's face. Visage might use Reverse Polarity, if he does then just have everyone select the Row command to move back where you were. When Visage is below 10,000 Health he begins trying to petrify you. Eliminate Visage first! If eliminated last, Visage might use Quake so you want to avoid that. A good strategy here is to begin by having your casters cast Haste 2, Life 3 on everyone (just in case), and Mighty Guard if you have Strago/Gogo. Fighters should use their best abilities while casters attack with Firaga on Visage.

Trivial note.... these bosses are in the background and thus have no official battlefield sprites that disappear once the bosses are defeated. Same goes for tier 2 and tier 3.


HARD MODE:

See the above strategy, only you won't have Life 3 or Mighty Guard. Edgar Jumps while Celes heals/casts and Setzer helps her if needed or attacks with his dice. Get used to this strategy. It won't change. Much.​

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: SECOND TIER (Tiger, Magic, Machine, Power)

Some consider the second tier to be the toughest part of the final battle. It has the most targets, so it is certainly dangerous. Tiger, as its name implies, is the monster head at the bottom on your right. Tiger likes to use Southern Cross, Flare Star, and try to freeze you with Northern Cross. When his health falls below 11,000 he begins trying to zombify you with Zombie Fang. Cast Firaga or Blizzaga on Tiger and eliminate him first as he is the biggest threat. Magic is the guy in the back on the left, he casts a lot of spells but if you cast Silence on him it leaves him as the least dangerous. Machine is the mechanical looking part next to "Magic". Machine likes to use Diffuser a lot. It can also use other robotic attacks as its name implies such as Magitek Laser, Missile, and Atomic Rays. Power is the blue guy above "Tiger". All Power does is physical attacks so if you cast Protect or Mighty Guard then he's not as much of a threat, although he does get to attack your party ten times in a row with 10 Hit right before he dies.

Begin with Haste 2 and Life 3 on anyone who does not have them applied yet. Protect (or Mighty Guard) should follow for your casters. Next have any casters use Firaga or Blizzaga on Tiger, then Silence on "Magic". Your fighters should use their strongest abilities on this tier again just like against the first tier. Make sure Locke is still in the active party and that he survives, he will be Stealing in the third tier. The right strategy here will see you though this rather intimidating tier without too many problems. The main thing to look out for is Power's 10 Hit, which may defeat anyone who is low on Health.


HARD MODE:

Ok, this is a bit tougher. You should already have Haste from the first tier so begin with Protect on everyone. Then have Edgar Jump and Setzer cast Firaga or Blizzaga while Celes heals. Do NOT let anyone die. You need all three for the full fight and to not be "removed" in between tiers.​

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: THIRD TIER (Rest, Lady)

The names are easy to decipher here, unlike the second tier. Lady is by far weaker than Rest, but she must be eliminated first. She can revive Rest if he gets defeated first and she can heal with Pearl Wind. Rest is dangerous. He can use Trine (exclusive to Rest and Kefka in the original version) to inflict Silence and Blind. He can cast Merton which you will definitely want to heal from if hit by it. This heals Lady as she absorbs all elemental attacks. Rest is hurt by it, although if Lady is still present she will heal him with Pearl Wind. You will want to have Locke (or maybe Gogo) Steal from both targets. Rest has an Atma Weapon and Lady has a Ragnarok Sword. If you're playing the GBA or PC versions this is how you obtain Ragnarok's Sword despite having picked the esper, and of course who wouldn't want two Atma Weapons?

Once you have stolen both swords, begin attacking. Go after Lady first. Have your fighters using their best abilities. Locke at maximum health with two Atma Weapons will do excellent here. Make sure everyone has Life 3 cast on them BEFORE you begin targeting Rest. He has a trick up his sleeve, an instant death ability called Calmness (Repose in newer versions) that he uses as soon as he dies, which means whoever is hit by it will be "removed" when you transition on to Kefka. Life 3 will activate just in time to keep them in the active party. You'd then need to cast Life 3 again as well as Mighty Guard, Haste, etc, on said party member when Kefka's fight begins.



HARD MODE:

This is the worst tier in this challenge. You have no access to Life 3, so Rest will eliminate a party member no matter what you do. There is no getting out of it. The good news is no one can Steal so you can begin fighting right away. Edgar Jumping, while Celes heals as needed. Setzer should help with the healing if necessary or attack with his Dice. Say farewell to whoever Calmness hits and next is the last stage which is Kefka himself.​

 

[Dagger Dias]

FINAL BOSS: Kefka

Time to show no mercy like ever before! Your biggest problem is Fallen One, which reduces everyone's Health Points to 1. For your ENTIRE party!!!! HEAL IMMEDIATELY!!!! Your dragoon(s) can go ahead and Jump right off the bat but you may want to get them healed too. Curaga once or twice on everyone should get you back to a healthy condition. Kefka can be defeated in two turns if your powerful enough. Locke at full health with two Atma Weapons (Offering and Genji Glove) attacking, followed by Edgar doing a Dragon Horn powered Jump attack that hits 4 times will get the job done. Your casters will want to focus on healing. Revive anyone who dies, heal to maximum with Curaga if everyone's still standing. Cast Life 3 again if anyone gets brought back. Fighters should use their strongest ability. If you have four casters in this stage of the battle you should have them cast Ultima while one or two focus on healing and reviving. Watch out for Trine where Kefka might try to inflict Blind and Silence on you. He also uses Havoc Wing which can do a lot of damage, and his attack called Goner (Forsaken in other versions) which has a scary looking animation. Goner is intended to be his ultimate attack, but Fallen One is truly the biggest obstacle you face in the fight.


HARD MODE:

You're in for a fight here. If you lost Edgar to Calmness in the third tier fight's end, then Setzer is your main attacker (Fixed Dice) while Celes heals. If you lost Setzer then Celes has no backup in the healing department, have her using Cura EVERY TURN or revive Edgar if needed. If you lost Celes, then Setzer is your healer and he needs to be healing with Cura constantly as Edgar Jumps. Edgar's Jumping if he's present. No matter what. As long as someone is attacking and someone else is healing each round, you will eventually win. Not gonna lie, it's tough. That was the whole point of this challenge though! Enjoy!​