Building the Team¶

A step-by-step path from a Chapter 1 starter team to three Impale Machina. The starter team wins the early cups and the Mascot Dressphere. Almighty Shinra and Mushroom Cloud clear the late cups. Then they farm the Iron Dukes that make the Machina the strongest team in the arena.

Chapter 1: the starter team¶

Step 1: Trap the starter three¶

Trapping is done from Shinra's Creature Creator menu on the Celsius: pick a location from the list and a pod, then Round Up. You don't have to be anywhere near the location. Use a Trap Pod S for each of these. The walkthrough covers pods and the free-pod trick.

• Chocobo: you need one in the party to enter the Chocobo Cup. Players report it learns Auto-Haste at level 40, and it can learn Choco Meteor.
• Tonberry: players report it has Death Strike from the start.
• Red Elemental: a pure caster. Players report it learns an MP-saving ability at high levels.
• Flame Dragon: set your Trap Pod L at Besaid Island. It's only on Besaid's list in Chapters 1 to 4, and it's one of the eight Fayth fragment creatures the Aeon Cup needs. Once you have it, just keep it in your roster until it's ready to release.

Step 2: Collect White Mage and the Chapter 1 grids¶

Creatures get their abilities from their Garment Grid, so a better grid helps more than a few levels. You start with First Steps (Cure, and +5 to Strength, Defense, Magic and Magic Defense) and Shinra's tutorial gives Vanguard (Armor Break, Strength +10, Magic +10). Pick these up next:

White Mage and Protection Halo (Besaid)¶

Pick Besaid Island from the Celsius. The "Where's Wakka?" mission starts after a few village scenes, which also count toward 100%:

1. Walk north from the Save Sphere into Besaid Village. The reunion with Wakka plays as you arrive.
2. Go into Wakka and Lulu's hut (the middle door on the east side) and talk to Lulu. Yuna and Lulu head up to the Promontory in a scene, then come back.
3. Talk to Lulu again. When she asks if you're staying the night, choose "Yes, I'd love to."
4. In the morning, talk to Lulu outside the hut. Wakka has gone off to the cave, and the mission starts. Skip the Besaid Key at the shop (900,000 gil); it's for a door that waits until Chapter 3.
5. Collect the four ciphers that open the cave. They change every game, but the minimap marks them, and the cave door shows them once you have all four. In order of the areas:
   • Cipher 1, Promontory: on the stone structure to the right.
   • Cipher 2, the next area: climb up onto the structure on the right before you walk under it.
   • Waterfall Way has no cipher, but drop off the back of the wooden bridge to the riverbed for 2 Chocobo Wings, a start on Hastega. The cave door is on the left of the next path; pass it for now.
   • Cipher 3, Beach: follow the child left and climb the ruins. It's at the top (chests with a Hi-Potion and 1,000 gil around the back).
   • Cipher 4, Beach: up the cliff at the far southwest end of the beach. Then go back to the cave door and enter the code.
6. In the cave, talk to Wakka and ignore the second locked door. Equip the Red Ring, save, and touch the sphere on the pedestal.
7. Boss: Flame Dragon (980 HP, weak to ice, absorbs fire). Flame Breath hits everyone for 150 to 200, which the Red Ring cuts down. Its normal attack always targets whoever has the most HP. Blizzard from a Black Mage does the most damage.
8. Winning gives the White Mage Dressphere. Show Wakka the sphere afterwards for the Protection Halo Garment Grid.

Level and steal on the way. Besaid's enemies are levels 2 to 7 (Coeurl in the cave is 12), so it's a good place to get the creatures to level 10 (step 4). Put them in your party while you hunt ciphers, and leave Coeurl until they're close to 10. Have Rikku or Paine steal from these as you go:

Iron Giant's Budget Grenades aren't worth feeding.

Helios Guard (Moonflow)¶

The grid is only for a perfect run of "Shave the Hypello?".

1. Warp to the Moonflow from the Celsius. Walking in from Djose can start the mission before you meet Tobli.
2. Go east to the South Bank and talk to Tobli first.
3. Talk to the Hypello on the South Bank Road and escort the wagon. Bandits attack three times: one bandit, then two from the front, then one from the front and one from the back.
4. Don't let any bandit escape with a box. If one does, reload your save and try again.
5. A perfect run gets you the Helios Guard Garment Grid and a Circlet from Tobli, along with the Gun Mage Dressphere you get either way.

Level and steal on the way. Moonflow's enemies are levels 4 to 16, a step up from Besaid once the creatures are near 10. The exception is Shell Shocker (level 24, 4,700 HP): escape from it. Worth stealing:

The bandits' grenades aren't worth feeding. The Circlet (Magic and Magic Defense +10) is a good accessory for Red Elemental.

Unerring Path (Macalania Woods)¶

1. Head into Macalania Woods. The Amorphous Gels here can hit everyone with magic, so escape them if they're giving you trouble.
2. Take the Lake Road toward Lake Macalania and find the Spring off it.
3. Talk to Tromell there four times. He gives the Unerring Path Garment Grid and Paine's Full Throttle Special Dressphere.

Do this in Chapter 1. Full Throttle can still be had in Chapter 2, but the completion percent for it can't.

Level and steal on the way. Macalania is the best Chapter 1 spot to teach Red Elemental its elemental spells, and the enemies (levels 9 to 20) suit creatures at 10 or more. Amorphous Gel (level 28) can hit everyone with magic; escape it unless you're stealing its White Ring. Grab the Turbo Ether chest on the sparkling path in Central, one of the three you need for Vigor.

Step 3: Equip and feed them¶

A creature's Dressphere adds that Dressphere's abilities on top of the ones it already has. Thief on the attackers gives them Mug, which steals while it hits, and stolen items are what you feed them.

Once you win the Standard Cup you also have Psychic, and any number of creatures can wear it. Its Telekinesis is an instant kill that works more often the further above the enemy's level you are. Put it on Chocobo: it's the fastest of the three, so it gets the most tries, and its Magic and MP suit a spell. Tonberry stays in Thief for Mug, and Red Elemental stays the healer. From step 7 on, switch all three to Psychic for the Black Chandelier farm.

Feed on the main menu's Creature screen (see Feeding). Creatures choose their own moves, so make them forget anything you don't want them wasting turns on. Teach these now if you have the items:

Vigor heals half the creature's max HP for no MP. It's the single best thing to teach.

Step 4: Level to 10 on the Mi'ihen Highroad¶

Put the three creatures in your normal party and fight on the Mi'ihen Highroad until they're around level 10. They get the EXP from field battles. The cups are rough before that.

Besaid, the Moonflow and Macalania (step 2) work too. So do these two:

Mushroom Rock Road¶

Enemies are levels 2 to 16, so it works from the start. Avoid the Tonberry (level 21, 9,999 HP) until you're much stronger, apart from one Steal for its Ether. Grab the Turbo Ether in the Ravine chest (one of three for Vigor).

The League soldiers' Grenades aren't worth feeding.

Kilika Island¶

The first visit is the port only, with no fights, but its chests help: a Light Curtain and Lunar Curtain (Protect and Shell, 3 each), a Star Curtain (Reflect, 3), and a Mana Tablet (+5 MP when fed). The fights come in the forest and temple during the Awesome Sphere heist at the end of the chapter. Enemies there are levels 5 to 14. Escape from Stalwart (level 30).

Kilika's best catch is Red Elemental itself, set from Shinra's menu.

The early cups¶

Step 5: Standard Cup ×3¶

The first win gives the Psychic Dressphere, the third the Intrepid Garment Grid. From about level 12 this cup is easy. Three wins open Standard Cup: Hard.

Step 6: Standard Cup: Hard, then the Grand Cup¶

1. Win Standard Cup: Hard once to open the Grand Cup.
2. Keep playing Standard Cup: Hard and the Grand Cup until you've fought Black Chandelier, No Mercy and Hellbreeders.

Any team you fight in a tournament becomes available in the Battle Simulator, whether you beat it or not.

Terrible Sky (a lone Rukh, level 36 and 12,850 HP) is the wall in Standard Cup: Hard. Its normal attack petrifies, then Sonic Storm hits your whole team and shatters anyone who's stone, which takes them out of the fight. Esuna can't keep up.

• Stop it from landing: feed 2 Gold Anklets to each creature for Stoneproof. In Chapter 1, buy them in Guadosalam for 5,000 gil each. They're also the common steal from Deep Haizhe (level 20) on the Macalania Woods forest paths, but it's rare there until Chapter 2, and easy to confuse with the regular Haizhe (level 16, steals a Phoenix Down). Deep Haizhe's rare steal, the Dragonfly Orb, teaches Stopproof the same way.
• Hit it physically. Its Magic Defense is maxed but its Defense is only 44, and it's immune to Telekinesis and nearly every status.
• Until then, losing to it is fine. You still get a Trap Pod, and the bracket is random, so the next run may not put it in your way.

Paying for the anklets. Six Gold Anklets cost 30,000 gil. Rikku's Thief ability Pilfer Gil (30 AP) steals gil on top of what an enemy drops, once per enemy:

In Chapter 1, Amorphous Gel is the one you'll actually meet: a pilfered kill with its Blue Ring sold is about 1,850 gil. It resists physical attacks and changes its weakness; the spell it casts tells you which element to use (Blizzard means hit it with Fire). See the walkthrough for more on Shell Shocker.

Step 7: Grind in the Battle Simulator¶

Psychic shortcut: put all three creatures in the Psychic Dressphere for this farm. Psychic gives a creature Telekinesis, which kills the Dark Elemental in one hit. How often it works depends on how far above the enemy's level you are, and from about level 12 it almost never misses.

Step 8: Grand Cup ×3¶

Three wins open Grand Cup: Hard. The prizes along the way are feed for Red Elemental:

Step 9: Grand Cup: Hard once¶

1. The first win gives the Abominable Garment Grid (Ribbon, and +10 to Strength, Defense, Magic and Magic Defense) and opens the Chocobo Cup. Put Abominable on the Chocobo.
2. Keep playing Grand Cup: Hard until you've fought these four:
   • Hellbreeders shows up here more than anywhere. If the bracket shows Shady Duo or Tonberry the Ripper reaching you first, set the stars to 0 in your next fight and run to restart the cup.
   • Elephant Eater (Humbaba): kill it in the Simulator with a high-level Chocobo in the team. It counters with Meteor as it dies, and the Chocobo learns Meteor.
   • Shady Duo (Mushroom Cloud and Black Elemental): realistic in the high 40s to 50s. Darkness helps a lot. Once you can beat it, it drops Mana Tonics (+20 MP each when fed).
   • Tonberry the Ripper (Mega Tonberry): hits for 10,000 to 20,000. Before level 50, steal its Turbo Ether for Vigor and accept the loss.

Step 10: Get Adamantite early¶

Adamantite gives constant Protect and Shell, doubles HP and adds 120 Defense and Magic Defense, for -30 Agility. It's the prize at the end of Machina Panzer's Fiend Tale, and you can reach it in Chapter 1:

1. Trap a Killer Hound (Trap Pod S, Bikanel Desert in Chapters 1 and 2, or Luca). Level it on Black Chandelier until its tale finishes, then release it. You can skip the ending.
2. Now trap a YSLS-Zero (Trap Pod M, Zanarkand Ruins). Finish its tale and release it.
3. Now trap a Machina Panzer (Trap Pod L, Thunder Plains). Finish its tale, release it, and watch the ending for the Adamantite.

Step 11: Chocobo Cup¶

Bring a Chocobo. Prizes in order: Regal Crown, Champion Belt, Rabite's Foot, then Minerva's Plate. It's winnable in the high 30s. Watch for Today's Friends (Anything Eater can one-shot early) and Chocobo Kings (three Chocobos with Choco Meteor).

1. Farm it for extra Regal Crowns and Rabite's Feet.
2. Feed a Regal Crown each to Tonberry and Chocobo for Darkness. It hits all enemies using Strength and ignores Defense; one player reports about 9,000 a hit from a Tonberry.
3. Put Adamantite and Minerva's Plate on Red Elemental, and a Crystal Bangle and Rabite's Foot on each attacker. Take Minerva's Plate off when you're levelling, since it blocks EXP.

Mid-game: the Youth League¶

Step 12: Grand Cup: Hard ×6¶

Six wins open the Youth League Tournament. Play it a few times even before you can win, so its fighters show up in the Simulator. Three of them carry spells for Red Elemental:

Step 13: Win the Youth League¶

Aim for the mid-50s. One player's team was 52, 54 and 52 after six to eight hours. Nooj is the biggest threat, then Baralai and Lucil. Keep Protect up; for Lulu, use Reflect or Shell instead.

1. The first win gives the Mascot Dressphere. Put Mascot on every creature from here on. It gives the biggest stat boost of any Dressphere.
2. Later wins give a Tetra Bracelet, Defense Bracer, Speed Bracer and Shmooth Shailing. Put them away instead of feeding them now. Each Machina needs 3 Speed Bracers for Auto-Haste, and Shmooth Shailing (+5 to every stat) is the only Agility source besides Iron Dukes. Feeding is per creature, so anything the starter team eats is lost to the Machina. Defense Bracers teach Auto-Wall, which the Machina shouldn't learn (step 19).

Chapters 2 to 5: the Machina¶

Step 14: Trap the Machina as they appear¶

Machina Ranger, Machina Hunter and Machina Leader all have Impale: a physical attack that ignores Defense, with no charge time and a short animation. All three are Small, so they fill a whole party. Machina Soldier is caught in the same place as the Leader but doesn't have Impale.

Use a Trap Pod SP set to Machina where you can. It narrows the catch to machina. Keep them in a spare slot. They level while you play, and they collect the free Fiend Tale levels at the end of each chapter.

Don't make them your main team yet. Impale only gets strong once their Agility is high, and Agility barely moves without Iron Dukes.

Chapter 5: clearing the late cups¶

The Iron Dukes come from Major Numerus, the hardest fight in the arena. It only appears after four wins of the Farplane Cup, and that cup only opens when every other cup is won. The usual answer is Almighty Shinra and Mushroom Cloud.

Step 15: Trap Mushroom Cloud¶

Trap Pod S in Bevelle, Chapter 5, after you start the Via Infinito. It's Small. Pernicious Powder lowers every enemy's Strength and Magic ten times. Bosses can't resist that part. The same move also tries a long list of ailments. It also casts Ultima, so the team can hurt physical-immune enemies.

Step 16: Recruit Almighty Shinra¶

The strongest creature in the game. He joins with very high stats and his Clione hits many times.

1. Trap a Daeva (Trap Pod M, Kilika or Luca, Chapter 3 on). Finish its tale and release it. It comes back as Aka Manah, then Aeshma, then Jahi. Finish and release each.
2. Releasing Jahi starts a Shinra mission and lets you trap a Tomb (Luca or Djose). Finish it, then trap a Dolmen, then (after entering the Farplane) a Monolith at Djose.
3. Releasing Monolith gives Ultima Weapon. Finish and release it to open the Fiend Portal. A loss there is a Game Over, and HP doesn't refill between rounds.
4. Win the Fiend Portal and recruit Omega Weapon. Finish its tale and release it. Shinra becomes Almighty Shinra and the cup becomes the Almighty Shinra Cup. Win it and recruit him.

Step 17: Open the Farplane Cup¶

Win every other cup. Two need extra work:

• Cactuar Cup: needs a Cactuar, Trap Pod S in Bikanel after Cactuar Hollow starts in Chapter 5.
• Aeon Cup: needs all eight Fayth fragment creatures levelled and released.

Fayth fragments¶

Eight creatures have a Fayth fragment instead of a Fiend Tale. Each one unlocks an Aeon in the Fiend Arena when you release it, and releasing all eight opens the Aeon Cup.

1. Trap it and keep it in your roster. You don't have to fight with it; the Large ones would take your whole party anyway.
2. Give it 5 Story Levels. Every cup you win gives all your creatures one, so do the others' cups while it sits in the roster. The end of each of Chapters 1 to 4 gives one too, and so does any level it gains in battle.
3. Check Creature History. Once it's ready, its Story Level 1 tab says "this fiend has a Fayth fragment!".
4. Release it. The Aeon joins the Fiend Arena and you can fight it in the Battle Simulator straight away, which is good EXP. You also get a Trap Pod back.

A creature that joins at level 99 can never level, so it can never be released this way. Catch them before your party gets that high, or in New Game Plus.

Some of these windows close in Chapter 5 (Flan Blanco's S pod in Bevelle and the Calm Lands, Mycotoxin's on the Mi'ihen Highroad); the Creatures table has the details.

Almighty Shinra and Mushroom Cloud beat nearly everything. The exception is Trema in the Farplane Cup, whose Defense makes the fight slow. It's also where the Impale team shines.

Endgame: the Impale team¶

Step 18: Farm Iron Dukes¶

An eaten Iron Duke adds 10 to HP, MP, Strength, Defense, Magic, Magic Defense, Agility, Luck, Evasion and Accuracy. It's the only real source of Agility. Shmooth Shailing gives +5, and nothing else feeds Agility at all.

• Trema: one Iron Duke in the Via Infinito, Cloister ∞, for beating Trema.
• Farplane Cup: the fourth win's prize. Later wins give one of the four prizes at random.
• Major Numerus: each of its four heads (Unum, Duo, Tria, Quattour) can drop one. It's the Outer Plane Envoy team in the Farplane Cup after four wins. Once you've met it, it's in the Battle Simulator.

To farm Major Numerus, put two things on creatures in the fighting team:

1. Ray of Hope Garment Grid (Episode Complete in Macalania, Chapter 5): gives a creature Butterfingers, so every drop is the rare one.
2. Key to Success (Farplane Cup second win, or Tobli Productions in Chapter 3): doubles drops when a creature wears it.

One player reports about 20 Iron Dukes a fight with both. Without Ray of Hope, Numerus drops Invincible (Break Damage Limit) and Enterprise (Break HP Limit) instead. Farm those first if you need them.

Feed the Iron Dukes into the three Machina, Agility first, along with the Shmooth Shailings you saved.

Step 19: Set up the Impale team¶

Keep each Machina's ability list short so it spams Impale.

• Dressphere: Mascot.
• Garment Grid: Abominable for Ribbon and stats, Unerring Path for HP, MP and stats, or Higher Power for Break HP Limit and HP +50% (Chocobo Ranch dungeon, Chapter 5).
• Don't teach Auto-Wall to a creature that relies on Vigor.
• Weakness: Impale is purely physical. Against a physical-immune enemy, swap one Machina for Mushroom Cloud.

Sources¶

• Starter team, setups, grinding teams and Youth League levels: Hinnyuu's Chapter 1 Mascot guide on the Steam forums (2017).
• Impale team, Iron Dukes and Major Numerus farming: Jegged's Best Creatures page and Steam threads 1, 2, 3.
• Psychic farm, Adamantite chain and Youth League spells: Primalliquid's "How OVERPOWERED! Can You Get In Chapter 1" (2020), checked against our data.
• Which teams appear in which cup: our Fiend Arena data.
• Creature Garment Grid abilities: Gamer Guides Garment Grid data.