Chapter 9 - The Palamecia
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Chapter 9 Summary
| Location | Fiends | Items |
| The Lindblum The Palamecia | Flanitor, PISCOM Raider, PSICOM Infiltrator, Deckdrone, PSICOM Dragoon, PSICOM Huntress, Viking, Flanborg, Vespid Soldier, Thermadon, Kalavinka Striker, PSICOM Destroyer, PSICOM Reaver, Barthandelus, Right Pauldron, Right Ailette, Left Pauldron, Left Ailette | Phoenix Down Ethersol Librascope Lifesaber Pandoran Spear Umbra Ember Ring Royal Armlet White Cap 2x Pain Damperer Whistlewind Scarf Spark Ring 2x Rune Bracelet Gold Bangle 12x Murky Ooze 8x Segmented Carapace 13x Barbed Tail 4x Digital Circuit 4x Silicone Oil 3x Perfect Conductor 3x Incentive Chip Millerite Rhodochrosite 3900 Gils |
The Lindblum, Palamecia - Short-Field Landing Deck
Airship Hangar
[If this is your first playthrough, you'll receive the Bronze Trophy Instrument of Wrath]You are reunited with Lightning, Snow, Hope and Fang, this time on the Lindblum. There isn't much to do really, apart from talking to the characters present there. You should also open the Crystarium and use all the CPs you have available. You will likely not have enough to unlock everything that's available at this stage, and there are no slots in particular to require that you unlock them in priority, so focus on the roles you're likely to use most first (in my case, Lightning's Ravager, Hope's Ravager and Medic and Fang's Commando). The next battles shouldn't be overly difficult so know that you're unlikely to use the Synergist or Saboteur much until late into this Chapter. Also, don't forget to set back the ATB speed to normal if you changed it to slow before the last Eidolon battle!
When you are ready, go talk to the man standing near the end of the way to be taken to your next goal, the Palamecia
Battle 1 - 2x PSICOM Raider, 1x PSICOM Infiltrator
The cutscene leads you straight into battle with your welcome committee....these are not difficult enemies, but don't underestimate them either: in such configurations, it is good to get rid of the PSICOM Infiltrator first because while they have very little HPs, they do sizeable damage and are fast. PSICOM Raiders, while having much mored HPs and occasionally casting Pain and Fog, deal little damage otherwise
Battle 2 - 1x PSICOM Raider, 2x PSICOM Infiltrator
You spot an exit but you must first go through another PSICOM soldiers group: once defeated you'll automatically be taken to a small area up: once there, you'll spot a red circle on the ground just ahead of you on the right side: go there and you'll be prompted to activate a switch. Press [x] and you'll be taken further up. When the mechanism stops, jump following the way and you'll be taken to a long platform: there's a dead-end on the right but it's still worth having a look there for a Treasure Sphere and 4x Digital Circuit. Turn around and follow the way: you'll eventually jump down to the External Berths, and lot more action!
Palamecia - External Berths
Exeternal Berths
There are a lot of battles ahead of you (you can skip some if you wish, but for the reasons explained next, I'd suggest you not to). The good news about these battles is that they aren't very difficult or time-consuming, while offering interesting rewards such as decent CPs and loots that are either useful for upgrading your equipment or that you can sell for good money, in particular Credit Chips and Incentive Chips. The density of battles makes this and the following Crew Corridors the first ideal area in the game to grind for CPs and to farm items to upgrade your equipment if you wish to do so (for more details, see the equipment section - coming soon!). However, know that you do not have to do any grinding or upgrade your equipment to win the next boss battles. In fact, you can complete the game without ever upgrading anything, but upgrading the right weapons and accessories can definitely make life easierBattle 3 - 2x Deckdrone
Battle 4 - 2x Deckdrone, 1x PSICOM Dragoon
Battle 5 - 5x Deckdrone
All you'll find at this area are Deckdrones and PSICOM Dragoons and you should be able to mostly use Relentless Assault throughout, with maybe a couple of Paradigm shifts for Diversity on occasion when battling against larger groups. When in groups, I would suggest to always take the PSICOM Dragoons down first as they can become fairly annoying with their Missil Burst attack. On the other hand, the Deckdrones do mostly minimum damage, except near the end of the battle when they might stop moving and an alert will come on screen that they are preparing their special attack. Know that each can make in excess of 300 HP damage once they unleash it so prepare your characters for it when you see them preparing this attack then
Don't miss the battle against the two Deckdrones that are behind you after you've arrived as defeating them gives you access to a Treasure Sphere with a Millerite. You can then press on forward. On your right after the battle against the 5x Deckdrone is a jump point which you need to take in order to reach the next platform Battle 6 - 1x PSICOM Dragoon
Battle 7 - 2x PSICOM Dragoon
Battle 8 - 3x Deckdrone
Battle 9 - 4x Deckdrone, 1x PSICOM Dragoon
Battle 10 - 2x Deckdrone
Battle 11 - 3x Deckdrone, 2x PSICOM Dragoon
Palamecia - Crew Corridors
Crew Corridors
A cutscene later, and you'll find yourself in the Crew Corridors. New area means different enemies: here you'll finght exclusively PSICOM Raiders and PSICOM Infiltrators, with which you're already familiar, as well as two new types, PSICOM Huntress and Viking. The first are really strong and put on lots of buffs on themselves at the onset of the battle. Don't lose time trying to remove those buffs, just try to get rid of these particular enemy type first thing. As for the Viking, it's probably not what you'd expect based on the name: it's yet another of those large mechanical enemies like the Crusader or the Orion that you encountered earlier, and the same tactics still do the trick against this oneApart from those many battles, note that there are a handful of treasure spheres which include weapons for Lightning (Lifesaber) and for Fang (Pandoran Spear) as well as an Ember Ring, all useful on their own rights. Also, the end of the first straight corridor leads back to the platform you landed on when you reached the Palamecia which is part of the Short-fieldLanding Deck area. This is the only part that's still accessible; the same party as the second you fought there will respawn everytime you go back there
Battle 12 - 2x PSICOM Raider, 2x PSICOM Infiltrator
Battle 13 - 2x PSICOM Infiltrator, 1x PISCOM Huntress
Battle 14 - 2x PSICOM Raider, 1x PSICOM Huntress
Battle 15 - 1x PSICOM Infiltrator, 2x PSICOM Huntress
Battle 16 - 1x Viking
Battle 17 - 2x PSICOM Raider, 2x PSICOM Huntress
Battle 18 - 2x PSICOM Raider, 1x Viking
Battle 19 - 1x PSICOM Raider, 2x PSICOM Infiltrator
Battle 20 - 2x PSICOM Huntress
Battle 21 - 2x PSICOM Raider
Battle 22 - 3x PSICOM Infiltrator
Battle 23 - 2x PSICOM Huntress, 1x Viking
As you approach the exit you'll trigger a cutscene and switch parties, so remember to take off any accessory you may want to give Vanille or Sazh
Palamecia - Cargo Access
Cargo Access
This starts a short series of back and forth between teams (don't worry, it's the last time this happens!). So on with Sazh and Vanille: don't forget to use your recently accumulated CPs and update their equipment as neededThis section is really short, and the enemies are of just two kinds: Flanitor, which you already battled with Lightning and Hope back in Palumpolum, and Flanborg. The latter are overall stronger but can't heal themselves and are just as easy to stagger. Usually, opening with Slash & Burn (COM + RAV), then switch to Dualcasting until you stagger your target is the way to go. Have War & Peace (COM + MED) at the ready just in case you find yourself in a bit of a tight spot
Finally, there are three switches opening doors: two are on your way to the exit and you'll open them automatically as you battle your way through, but there's one that's less obvious, situated in the SE corner of the area: don't miss it as opening it will allow you to get your hands on a very useful Royal Armlet accessory....as soon as you've taken down the Flanitor and 2x Flanborg enemy group that's hiding in there
Battle 24 - 1x Flanitor, 1x Flanborg
Battle 25 - 1x Flanborg
Battle 26 - 2x Flanborg
Battle 27 - 1x Flanitor, 2x Flanborg
Battle 28 - 2x Flanitor, 1x Flanborg
Once you activate the switch left of the treasure sphere with 12x Murky Ooze, you'll switch back to the other team, so don't forget to unequip any accessory you'd like to use on them as well
Palamecia - Rotary Shaft
Rotary Shaft
You're back with Lightning, Hope and Fang just where you last left them. If front of you is a door to the next area, the Rotary Shaft, but at this point you can still go back and fight your way through the Crew Corridors and even the External Berths. Once you decide to walk to enter the Rotary Shaft area, the first thing you'll spot is a save station and many enemy groups beyond. While not too difficult, but they will require a bit more tactical thinking on your part than the ones you've encoutered so far in this chapterThe new enemies are called Vespid Soldier and Thermadon. Neither are too worrying on their own, but you'll mostly meet them in larger groups. Thermadon's Photon Burst attack does quite a lot of damage that can quickly accumulate so it may be worth considering using Hope's buffs if you see the battle is gonna take a while. The Vespid Soldier loves to use Aeroga repeatedly, which also deals respectable damage, especially when several Vespid Soldiers keep casting Aeroga one after another....some of the enemies you've previously met can also be a nuisance, in particular the groups of 3 Vikings. The good news though is that in many cases, it is possible to land a preemptive strike which will simplify your task enormously
In addition, there are useful treasures up for grabs all around the area containing either components or accessories, but each requires you to defeat a group of enemies first. Battle 29 - 2x Vespid Soldier
Battle 30 - 2x PSICOM Raider, 1x Thermadon
Battle 31 - 3x Viking
Battle 32 - 2x Vespid Soldier, 1x Thermadon
Battle 33 - 2x PSICOM Infiltrator, 3x Vespid Soldier
Battle 34 - 3x Viking
Battle 35 - 3x PSICOM Infiltrator
Battle 36 - 3x Viking
Battle 37 - 2x PISCOM Huntress
Battle 38 - 1x Thermadon
Battle 39 - 1x PSICOM Huntress, 1x Viking
Battle 40 - 2x Vespid Soldier
When you're done exploring the area, head for the NE exit: be aware that you're about to change teams yet again!
Palamecia - Primary Engine Bay
Primary Engine Bay
And here are Vanille and Sazh again. You're already familiar with all the fiends here, and the battles that take place on the circular path shouldn't be a problem at this stagebr /> The only difficulty lies with the enemy groups at the center and the one that you'll trigger as you approach the exit. The first one is completely optional, and even the treasure sphere that's over there isn't too much of an incentive since it only contains a Phoenix Down. So it all depends on whether you want a challenge or not. There's however no way to avoid the latter: either way, you should start with the Tide Turner paradigm (SYN + SAB) until at least both have Haste and one additional offensive buff (Enfire or Brave/ Faith, for instance). This should also give time to Vanille to weaken your opponents. Then there's a first face of battle during which you need to get rid of the Vespid Soldiers and when you should be extra careful with your characters HPs as these groups could easily wipe you out if you're not careful: alternate between Slash & Burn (COM + RAV) and War & Peace (COM + MED). When there are only the Thermadon left you can resort to usual tactics to defeat it then
Battle 41 - 2x Flanitor
Battle 42 - 1x Flanitor, 2x Flanborg
Battle 43 - 1x Thermadon
Battle 44 - 2x Flanborg
Battle 45 - 1x Flanitor, 2x Flanborg
Battle 46 - 3x Vespid Soldier, 1x Thermadon
Battle 47 - 1x Vespid Soldier, 1x Thermadon
Be aware that you are switching teams immediately after the 1x Vespid Soldier and 1x Thermadon battle so you need to remove any accessory you'd like to share with the other team before walking on the straight path leading to the exit
Palamecia - Starboard Weather Deck
Starboard Weather Deck
After the cutscene, you're back with Lightning, Hope and Fang: congratulations, this was the last of the imposed team changes *whew!* Once you take control of Lightning again, don't run ahead but turn around: there are a couple of fights this way but, more importantly, there's a Whistlewind Scarf Accessory which you don't want to miss. It is already useful as it is, but more importantly, it is very cheap to upgrade to Aurora Scarf and its First Strike ability (that is you begin every battle with a full ATB bar)Battle 48 - 3x Vespid Soldier
Battle 49 - 1x Viking, 2x Vespid Soldier
You can then go back on your steps and proceed onwards. Know that there are no new enemies in this area, so there really is nothing this place can throw at you that you don't know how to deal with, especially since you should be able to land quite a few preemptive strikes which will definitely make some battles after larger groups a breeze. There are also a couple of treasure sphere containing components: they are located slightly out of the way though, so be sure to check the map to make sure you don't miss anything
Battle 50 - 3x Vespid Soldier
Battle 51 - 2x Vespid Soldier
Battle 52 - 2x PSICOM Dragoon, 1x Viking
Battle 53 - 2x PSICOM Dragoon, 1x Viking
Battle 54 - 3x Deckdrone, 2x Vespid Soldier
Battle 55 - 7x Deckdrone
Battle 56 - 5x Deckdrone, 1x Vespid Soldier
Battle 57 - 2x PSICOM Dragoon
You'll spot another save station about halfway through: if you want to save, this is now, as there will be no more occasion to do so before the next miniboss
As you go down the ramp from there, you'll spot a series of thrusters that repeatedly rise. There's some space around them but for some reason, you're prevented from jumping down to explore. The only way you can access those areas is by running on the thrusters as they go down. It's not worth the effort for the most part, but go down the last one for a treasure sphere containing 300 Gils
Battle 58 - 5x Deckdrone
Battle 59 - 1x Viking, 2x Vespid Soldier
Battle 60 - 3x Deckdrone, 1x Viking
Battle 61 - 3x PSICOM Dragoon, 1x Viking
Battle 62 - 4x PSICOM Dragoon
Battle 63 - 2x PSICOM Dragoon
Note that once you progress beyond that last battle, you'll trigger that miniboss battle and you'll then be taken completely elsewhere. Before you head towards that battle, open your menu. You can use Spark Rings on all your characters as your opponents will be all about thunder-based attacks. If you have a maxed Royal Armlet, that would be an ideal combination for Lightning. Toss a Shaman's Mark on Hope and a Brawler's Wristband on Fang. As for Paradigms, make sure you have Relentless Assault (RAV + RAV + COM), Aggression (COM + RAV + COM), Bully (COM + SYN + SAB), Diversity (RAV + MED + COM), with Bully as your starting paradigm (for the two slots still available, you should have at least one with a Medic and a Sentinel, just in case)
Battle 64 - 1x Kalvinka Striker (1st encounter)
Move forward to trigger the battle. This one is actually fairly easy as this Kalvinka Striker's stats aren't anything to write home about. Wait until Fang manages to cast Slow and Curse while Lightning casts Libra and Hope starts protecting everyone. However, don't worry too much about this and switch to Relentless Assault once Fang is done: indeed, this battle usually goes quickly so Kalvinka Striker shouldn't have the time to do too much damage anyway. As soon as it is staggered, goes for the Aggression Paradigm and watch it go down.....only for another one to take its place! You will just have the time to get your Soulfont Talisman Accessory as a reward before heading straight back into battle
Battle 65 - 1x Kalvinka Striker (2nd encounter)
Same enemy, different stats. The problem isn't so much its HPs which have only increased by a fraction, but its attacks are much more powerful and it takes longer to stagger. Still, you can follow essentially the same tactics but you're likely to have to fall back on Diversity or any other defensive paradigm you've set up a lot more. This time Hope should start his Synthesist round by casting Barthunder - wait at least until he's finished with that and that Fang has cast both Slow and Curse, then it's all about stagger n' destroy....you'll receive a Blessed Talisman for your effort, as well as a CG scene before you're taken to a completely different area of the Palamecia then
Palamecia - Bridge Access & Bridge
Bridge Access & Bridge
Tutorial - Changing Party MembersYou are now able to switch choose team members yourselves. The current lineup of Lightning, Hope and Fang works very well, you can of course start to experiment. Personally, I would keep Fang in (Lightning will remain your designated leader for a while longer), but the third spot is a toss between Hope, Vanille and Sazh so feel free to experiment a little in this area, as a major boss battle awaits beyond the door at the other end of the Bridge Access area
You start this stretch on a small platform situated high up with a save station on your right and a switch on your left. The switch will unlock a passage to the platform right in front below. From there, you will need to activate switches in order to progress and explore the whole area. Make sure you visit every platform: there are quite a few treasure spheres around and of course, the most interesting are in the most isolated areas
Naturally this area has its fair share of battle. Enemies here are perfectly manageable on their own, but the problem is that you only meet them in large groups, which can make your task at times pretty difficult. Overall, always get rid of the PSICOM Destroyers first as they can suddenly deal huge damage while being very easy to stagger and dispatch. On the other hand, keep the PSICOM Reaver for last as they are very resistant to Chain Gauge building. You'll also often be subject to debuffs: it's up to you to evaluate if you should switch to Relentless Assault and have your Medic cast Esuna; on the other hand, you shouldn't use time trying to cast buffs on yourself or debuffs on your enemies. All in all, if you keep your priorities straight, you should be able to win these battles without too much trouble
Battle 66 - 3x PSICOM Infiltrator, 1x PSICOM Destroyer
Battle 67 - 1x Thermadon, 1x PSICOM Destroyer
Battle 68 - 2x PSICOM Huntress, 1x PSICOM Destroyer, 1x PSICOM Reaver
Battle 69 - 3x PSICOM Dragoon, 1x PSICOM Destroyer
Battle 70 - 2x PSICOM Raider, 1x Thermadon
Battle 71 - 2x PSICOM Raider, 2x PSICOM Dragoon, 1x PSICOM Reaver
Battle 72 - 4x PSICOM Dragoon, 1x PSICOM Reaver
Battle 73 - 1x PSICOM Huntress, 2x PSICOM Destroyer
Battle 74 - 3x PSICOM Infiltrator, 1x Thermadon, 1x PSICOM Destroyer
Alright. I hope you are ready because what's ahead of you is potentially one of the most difficult fights during the main storyline, and definitely the most difficult you've had so far. However, knowing what you're doing, using the right equipment and using both Fortisol and Aegisol will make your life infinitely easier
First stop, selecting your team: a lot of guides will recommend a party of Lightning, Sazh and Vanille, and with some apparently good reasons: this group will allow you to make the most of both Relentless Assault (COM + COM + RAV) and Tri-disaster (RAV + RAV + RAV) which is the fastest way to stagger. Personally, I still go with the orgiginal Lightning, Hope and Fang setup. Having tried out both, this one consistently works the best, has the strongest offensive power, gives you a Sentinel which I do use in Combat Clinic (MED + MED + SEN) which is my emergency paradigm, and since a lot of Barthandelus' attacks hit whole areas, this party, either through Relentless Assault or Aggression, will prevent all three of you characters to find themselves at the same place at the same time, so they will rarely all get hit
Once you've chosen your team, you need to choose your equipment. I have 2 maxed out weapons for Lightning and Fang; as for accessories, I went for a maxed Royal Armlet and a Rune Bracelet for a whooping 25% Magick Protection for Lightning, used my other Rune Bracelet together with a Shaman's Mark for Hope, and finally a maxed out Mythril Bangle (which I created from a Silver Bangle which I kept upgrading through the game, but a maxed out Gold Bangle is almost as good) and a maxed out Brawler's Wristband. Finally, in terms of Paradigms, I went for Relentless Assault as my default paradigm, Diversity (RAV + MED + COM), Aggression and Combat Clinic. You'll note that it's only four and that I don't have any Synergist or Saboteur. Actually, I do have a Smart Bomb paradigm (RAV + RAV + SAB) but using it does take some time away from attacking and sometimes you'll get unlucky and it will take many tours before anything sticks, so I feel the time it potentially costs is not worth it. Also, by using Fortisol and Aegisol at the beginning, I do not need a Synergist, and this whole setup usually allows me to finish off the boss in around 4 minutes, which is about a minute before the Shrouds dissipate - however, if you decide against using a shroud (which I wouldn't recommend) or don't want to take the risk of not finishing within five minutes, then you should create at least one paradigm having a Synergist in it
Whatever your choices, once you feel ready, progress towards the door and a long, eventful cutscene later, the battle can finally begin
Battle 75 - 1x Barthandelus, 1x Left Pauldron, 1x Left Ailette, 1x Right Pauldron, 1x Right Ailette
The very first thing that you should do is use a Librascope: this will reveal not one but five targets. Next, choose any target but leave Barthandelus well alone as there isn't much you can do against it until you've destroyed the rest. You can deal with them one by one using exclusively Relentless Assault, or switching to Aggression once staggered. Once one is destroyed, I usually switch to Combat Clinic to heal everyone close to their max, then go for the next. Meanwhile, the boss will attack you with spells increasing in force as you take down its parts one by one. However, between your buffs, your accessories and a couple of Combat Clinic rouds in between two enemies, you should be pretty safe until you have destroyed all four Pauldrons/ Ailettes. That's when things can become really, really annoying if you don't know exactly your enemy's attack patterns. Regular attacks such as Runiga will not be too problematic, but its special attacks Thanatosian Smile and Destrudo can be a real problem. There isn't much you can do to prevent Thanatosian Smile: you will hear Barthandelus laugh before using it, so make sure everybody's healed (don't hesitate to switch to Combat Clinic to do so). Destrudo can potentially deal a lot more damamge though, although there's one way to prevent it from being too powerful, and that's by relentlessly attacking Barthandelus. That's right, the more damage you can deal to it once it starts preparing that attack (signaled by a charging sound and a change in stance), the less powerful its attack will be
You will probably need more than one stagger but if you stick to your tactics, Barthandelus will fall eventually, for which you'll get a Crystarium Expension before being sent on your merry way to the next Chapter then
To Chapter 10 - The Fifth Ark