Final Fantasy VIII
Guardian Force
Guardian Force is where FF8 hides most of its character-building machinery. These pages split the old combined SystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. section into the parts you are most likely to want separately.
- Optional GFs covers where and how to pick up the SystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. that are not handed to you by the main route.
- GF Abilities lists every GF ability, AP cost, starting state, and prerequisite, for the moments when the explanation starts turning into a spreadsheet with opinions.
- Refine Reference follows the refine chains that turn cards, items, and magic into better cards, items, magic, and eventually extremely suspicious character stats.
Normal SystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. level up and gain abilities separately from your characters. After a battle, your characters may gain XP, but your junctioned SystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. gain AP. AP is what teaches the selected GF ability. This is why the early-game route talks so much about using Card: you can earn AP for your SystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. without feeding XP to your characters and accidentally making the world meaner.
Once a SystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. learns certain abilities, it can unlock more abilities, including junctions, menu commands, refine abilities, and stat bonuses.
Order to Learn Abilities
Certain SystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. are most helpful because of the abilities they can learn - some of which must be unlocked.
Optimal Distribution of GF
Over the course of the game, you’ll collect a wide range of SystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities., each with their own abilities. Just junctioning them to folks at random can lead to sub-optimal outcomes. For example, if you have both Guardian ForceGravity-themed Guardian Force from the Magical Lamp. Diablos brings Enc-Half, Enc-None, Mug, and key time/status magic refinement abilities. and Guardian ForceGuardian Force drawn from the Iguion fight in Deling City. Carbuncle focuses on reflection, status junctioning, and Vit Bonus. on the same character on Disc 1, only that character can take advantage of the Junction AbilityAllows a character to equip three character abilities at once. Learned by Diablos, Carbuncle, Cerberus, and Alexander. ability.
This section uses generic character slots instead of names because your active party changes constantly. Highlighted SystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. are new or recently moved in that step.
As you acquire new SystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities., update the distribution like this:
Group 1: Ifrit
Group 2: Quetz
Group 3: Shiva
Strategy: Start with one GF on each active character.
Group 1: Ifrit, Siren
Group 2: Quetz
Group 3: Shiva
Strategy: Starts building Siren's magic/refine kit while keeping the first three characters covered.
Group 1: Ifrit, Siren
Group 2: Quetz
Group 3: Shiva, Diablos
Strategy: Keeps Diablos separate so Abilityx3 does not overlap later.
Group 1: Ifrit, Siren
Group 2: Quetz, Brothers
Group 3: Shiva, Diablos
Strategy: Adds Brothers where HP Bonus can support the low-level route.
Group 1: Siren, Carbuncle
Group 2: Quetz, Ifrit, Brothers
Group 3: Shiva, Diablos
Strategy: Separates Carbuncle and Diablos so two characters can use Abilityx3.
Group 1: Siren, Carbuncle, Leviathan
Group 2: Quetz, Ifrit, Brothers
Group 3: Shiva, Diablos
Strategy: Builds the eventual stat-bonus character with Spr Bonus.
Group 1: Siren, Carbuncle, Leviathan
Group 2: Quetz, Ifrit, Brothers, Tonberry
Group 3: Shiva, Diablos
Strategy: Puts Tonberry with the group that benefits from LV Up/LV Down and shop tools.
Group 1: Siren, Carbuncle, Leviathan
Group 2: Quetz, Ifrit, Brothers, Tonberry
Group 3: Shiva, Diablos, Pandemona
Strategy: Adds speed and wind tools without crowding the Abilityx3 characters.
Group 1: Siren, Carbuncle, Leviathan, Alexander
Group 2: Quetz, Ifrit, Brothers, Tonberry, Cerberus
Group 3: Shiva, Diablos, Pandemona
Strategy: Adds Med LV Up and holy support while keeping the three groups stable.
Beginning on Disc 3, swap Guardian ForceFire-element Guardian Force earned in the Fire Cave. His F Mag-RF and Ammo-RF abilities open up fire magic and ammunition refinement. and Guardian ForceHoly-element Guardian Force drawn from Edea in Galbadia Garden. Alexander brings Revive, Med Data, Med LV Up, and high magic refinement. and use that as the default layout - just add new SystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. as you acquire them:
Group 1: Siren, Carbuncle, Leviathan, Ifrit, Doomtrain
Group 2: Quetz, Brothers, Alexander, Tonberry, Cerberus
Group 3: Shiva, Diablos, Pandemona, Cactuar, Bahamut, Eden
Strategy: Group 1 gets Doomtrain's natural Abilityx4, Group 2 gets the Rosetta Stone on Quetz, and Group 3 gets Bahamut's natural Abilityx4. That keeps all three groups able to slot four GF Abilities after the stat-max grind, while Group 1 and Group 3 can level two characters with stat bonuses at the same time.